Having missed more than half a wrestling season, the SHS wrestling team has returned with success. With 21 wrestlers on the team and 3 wrestlers advancing to sectionals, it has been an especially challenging but rewarding season for the wrestling team. 

The most recent wrestling meet that the wrestlers had was their sectional meet which happened on Saturday Feb. 6. Three wrestlers from the team competed at sectionals senior captain Henry Huber, senior Tucker Johnson, and sophomore Conner Krueger. There were 32 other teams at the meet. Superior did not make it to state competition. 

On Saturday Jan. 30 the wrestling team had a regionals competition down in Eau Claire. This is where the three wrestlers made the advancement to sectionals. Huber says that all the setbacks that the team has faced from missed practices and competitions has made their advancement to sectionals much more meaningful. 

Before regionals there were two other competitions. One of them which happened on Tuesday Jan. 26 and another on Friday Jan. 22. On Jan. 26 the wrestlers had what was known as an intersquad dual meet. This meant that the wrestling team was split into two small teams and they were able to compete with themselves by weight class. 

“We haven’t had very many matches this season so anything we’d get we would take,” Huber said. 

The seniors also had their senior night. During this time each senior was recognized with their parents and each of them got to share their favorite memory about wrestling season. 

On Jan. 22 the wrestlers had a dual meet with Barron and Bloomer down in Barron. On this day they won the meet with a score of 3-0. They have never won a dual meet like that in a long time. 

“It made us realize that even though we have faced some setbacks, we still have a fighting chance and we’re gonna keep working hard,” Huber said. 

Before that competition took place, the only two things the team had were practices and a quarantine. The wrestlers weren’t able to start practicing until Monday Dec. 21 2020. This was due to a school closure that closed all winter sports until then. Once wrestlers were able to start practicing they made it into January and then they were quarantined for 14 days due to a positive case of COVID-19 on the team. 

“We’re gonna send a message that we are here, we’re gonna compete,” head coach Bob Coleman said. 

Coleman says that he is very proud of how hard his team has worked during this season as well as how they’ve maintained a positive attitude. Coleman also says that he’s proud of Henry Huber and PJ Keirr in how they have led the wrestling team during this very different season. Keirr is the other senior captain of the wrestling team. 

Currently all wrestlers use the WIAA guidelines to determine how to practice and compete safely. Some protocols include wearing masks by wrestlers, officials, as well as spectators, increased sanitation of wrestling mats, and social distancing from others when not actively wrestling. 

Coleman says that spectators aren’t allowed at every meet but when they are, it is limited to two people per wrestler. 

Despite having some setbacks the SHS wrestling team has managed to succeed during competition and they will not let COVID define who they are as a wrestling team.