Glenwood City wrestlers seek fourth straight D-SC championship and more
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GLENWOOD CITY — Winning can be contagious, just ask the Glenwood City wrestling team.
During last season, Glenwood City captured its third straight Dunn-St. Croix Conference championship along with back-to-back titles as the John Timm Memorial Dual and Northern Badger Classic Division 3 (small schools) champions. With an impressive 17-3 dual meet record, the Hilltoppers are vying for an unprecedented fourth consecutive conference crown and more as they prepare to embark on the 2024-2025 grappling campaign this week.
Glenwood City did lose four accomplished wrestlers from last year’s squad due to graduation. Gone are Savanna Millermon, a three-time girls’ state qualifier and two-time state medalist; Conner Gross, a 28-match winner last season and a super regional runner-up; Will Standaert, a sectional qualifier who won 20 matches in his final season; and Steven Booth.
“All four were good leaders with great work ethic,” stated Shane Strong, who enters his 16th season as the Hilltoppers’ head wrestling coach with a 172-112 dual meet record.
Winning has not only brought continued success and accolades, but an increase in enthusiasm and participation.
This year Glenwood City begins the season with 29 wrestlers.
Headlining that impressive roster number is a very strong senior class that features a pair of sectional champs and state participants – Wyatt Unser and Mitchell McGee.
Unser is a three-time state medalist who captured the WIAA D3 126-pound state championship last season with a perfect 52-0 record, was the state runner-up at 113 pounds in 2023 and took fifth in the 106-pound class at the 2022 state tournament. He starts his senior season with an eye-popping 126-9 mark.
McGee is a two-time state qualifier that is looking to make the jump to the state podium this season. He has won 95 matches the past two seasons including a 43-9 finish at 150 pounds last season.
Four other seniors return following note-worthy seasons a year ago.
Blake Fayerweather won 33 matches a year ago at heavyweight (285 pounds), while teammate and fellow senior Jackson Logghe won 25 matches while grappling in the 215-pound weight class. Andrew Blaser qualified for sectionals for the second year in a row and looks to make the jump to state this season according to Strong. Zeb Holden also qualified for sectionals earning 30 wins last year.
Junior Landon Obermueller was one win away from state and earned 33 wins while sophomores Brock Wood and Preston Arvey both had 25-win seasons.
Strong is also excited by the addition of senior Dylan LaBeree who transferred from Clear Lake at the beginning of this school year. Strong said the LaBeree has a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn.
There are also a few other sophomores that wrestled junior varsity last year that, according to Strong, look to earn their way into the varsity line-up this season.
“There is great competition in the room right now,” said Strong. “That is what it takes to become a great team!”
Strong added that great senior leadership, depth and some new coaches will all be strengths for this year’s squad.
“We have great leadership in our senior class,” Strong stated. “We also have some depth in our room that creates great competition!”
“We have a couple of new coaches on staff that I believe will make a big difference as well,” he added.
The Hilltoppers goals for this season are to get better every day and commit to the three standards that each wrestler is expected to live by in the program.
While many have tabbed the Toppers as the pre-season favorite to win a fourth straight conference title, Strong said the Dunn-St. Croix has some strong teams with outstanding tradition and success. He said both Boyceville and Spring Valley/Elmwood are very well coached and always put tough teams on the mat. He also believes that Mondovi/Eleva-Strum will be much improved with great numbers in that program.
“Our kids are excited to compete and continue to work hard to represent our school. Wrestling doesn’t always get the recognition it has earned over the last decade and a half, but we will continue to work, compete and promote our sport and school. We expect to put pinstripe singlets in Madison every year,” concluded Strong.
Glenwood City opens the season this Friday, December 6 at its annual John Timm Memorial Duals. Six teams will participate in the round-robin dual format tournament. Wrestling action is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.
2024-25 Roster/Weights
106 – Elliott Radintz (9)
113 – Will Obermueller (10)
120 – Preston Arvey (10), Kaali Rinde (9)
126 – Logan McVeigh (12), Landon Obermueller(11), Charlie Bogie (10), Landon Standaert (9)
132 – Corey Strong (10)
138 – Wyatt Unser (12), Logan Hillman (10), Lucas Halbach (10)
144 – Zeb Holden (12)
150 – Andrew Blaser (12), Ben Standaert (11)
157 – Mitchell McGee (12)
165 – Jacob Hager (11), Javier Vilar Alvarez (11), Brock Wood (10)
175 – Dylan LaBeree (12), Abe Draxler (10), Zach Bacon (10)
190 – Waylon Wagner (10)
215 – Jackson Logghe (12), Gus Kohler (10), Adrian Lee (9)
285 – Blake Fayerweather (12), Andrew Yang (9), Wyatt Dreyling (9)