Sheer determination: Corey Schunk stands out in field of standouts

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

WABASSO -- In a sport that is known for its hard-working athletes, on a team that has been proven to be determined and skilled, Cory Schunk is a standout in hard work and determination.

Because he stands out in a field of standouts, Schunk has been chosen the All-Journal Wrestler of the Year.

"He's an extremely hard worker, a good weightlifter, and runs a lot," Wabasso coach Gary Hindt said. "He is in super, super condition, which allows him to go hard for seven minutes. He has not had a really bad match. He's just extremely determined and confident."

The senior not only helped Wabasso reach the state tournament as a team for the first time, placing second, but he also claimed an individual championship title as a senior.

"All I have to say is that it was a heck of a year for me," Schunk said. "There was so much going on in the season -- Chad [Altermatt] getting his 100th win, Coach's 500th win, being the first team to go to state, then me winning the championship. It was really exciting.

"It was really good I ended on a good note," he said.

Schunk ends his high school career with a 145-32 record and leads the school in career takedowns. Takedowns and quickness on his feet has been a strong point for Schunk, in addition to his determination.

"He kind of topped off a very good year for us," Hindt said. "That type of leadership is what the team relied on all year -- Cory was our man."

Schunk, in turn, owes part of his success to being surrounded by successful people, whether it be his family, Hindt, or his fellow wrestlers.

"All around him are good wrestlers -- pretty much everyone he wrestled with was of state caliber," Hindt said. "That kind of competition every day keeps you sharp."

It also hasn't hurt Schunk that he has the support of his family. Younger brother Brandan Schunk got second at the state tournament and was one of the reasons Cory Schunk started wrestling in the first place.

"Brandan actually started before I did, then I saw how much fun it was and I started a couple weeks later," Schunk said. "My relatives are all big into wrestling, so that helped too."

He said that, probably like many young he and his brother

"They were both really glad and proud of me," Schunk said. "I think they will both miss me wrestling in high school."

After graduation, Schunk is going into the National Guard and will start college the second semester next year. He is planning on wrestling at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

The All-Journal

Wrestling Team

103 -- Adam Hoffmann, New Ulm, 8th, 32-7

Adam Hoffmann dominated the 103-pound weight class in the area this season, going 32-7 as an eighth-grader and competed in the state tournament this year. He has accrued 53 varsity wins and 33 pins in two years -- 22 pins just this year. Hoffmann has been named to the All-South Central Conference team both years and this year was named Most Offensive Wrestler in the SCC. Hoffmann beat Wabasso's A.J. Jenniges in the regular season by 9-6 decision.

A.J. Jenniges, Wabasso, 8th, 37-9

A.J. Jenniges made the trip to the state tournament as both an individual at 103 and as part of the Wabasso second-place team, placing fifth after beating River Valley's Luke Amsden by pin in 3:19. He had 86 take downs and 11 pins.

112 -- Andy Forstner, M/T, 10th, 38-2

Andy Forstner took second place at 112 in the state tournament, losing to Barnesville's Kirk Anderson (42-2); he was also a state entrant last season. He is a two-time section and Valley Conference champ. This year, he had 77 take downs, 23 points on near falls, 19 pins and two technical falls. He defeated New Ulm's Adam Hoffmann at 112 earlier this year.

119 -- Dan Hatch, Wabasso, 12th, 25-12

Dan Hatch placed sixth in the state tournament at 119 and helped the Rabbits to a second-place team finish. This season, Hatch had 13 pins.

125 -- Brandan Schunk, Wabasso, 11th, 43-1

Schunk finished second at state, his only loss coming to four-time state champ Gabriel Mooney of Badger/Greenbush-Middle River in a 8-5 decision. Schunk amassed 106 takedowns and 13 pins. He also came through for Wabasso with three wins as the Rabbits took second place as a team.

Shane Johnson, St. James, 12th, 42-1

Shane Johnson lost to four-time state champ Gabriel Mooney in the semifinals before advancing to place third, picking up his 100th career win in the process. He was a three-time section champ. He had 220 takedowns, giving up only one this season. Johnson had 470 career takedowns and 127 career wins.

130 -- Jeff Cargill, St. James,12th, 35-6

Jeff Cargill went 1-2 at state in Class A 130-pounds, losing first to the eventual second-place finisher, ending his season 35-6. Cargill picked up his 100th career win at state, ending his career with 47 pins, 193 take downs and 794 team points. This season, he had 75 take downs, 17 pins and 171 team points.

135 -- Chris Koob, New Ulm, 10th, 30-11

Koob went 30-11, advancing to the state tournament. During the season, the sophomore lost only to St. James' Jeff Cargill 4-3 and Wabasso's Mitchell Altermatt 8-2 during the regular season.

140 -- Justin Irlbeck, Wabasso, 12th, 40-9

Justin Irlbeck ended his career with a fourth-place finish at state. He also had two wins to help the Rabbits to their second-place team finish. Irlbeck had 66 take downs and tied Cory Schunk to lead the team with 26 reversals. He also led the team in three-point near falls and pins, with 20. He also had 193 team points.

145 -- Cory Schunk, Wabasso, 12th, 42-1

Cory Schunk became one of Wabasso's few state champions in school history. He led the Rabbits with key wins en route to the team's second-place finish at state. Schunk led Wabasso in take downs, (153) and tied Justin Irlbeck with 26 reversals. He also contributed 196 team points. Last season, Schunk placed fifth at state.

152 -- Chad Altermatt, Wabasso, 11th, 43-4

Chad Altermatt finished fourth at the state tournament, losing first to the eventual second-place finisher at 152. He also had 118 take downs and 15 pins, contributing 197 team points, with two wins to help the Rabbits to their second-place finish at state.

Dusty Myers, Redwood Valley, 12th, 41-2

Dusty Myers placed fifth at state in Class AA after winning his weight class at sections. This year, he had 75 take downs, 17 pins and 200 team points. His career record is 161-50, has made three trips to the state tournament, and coach Andy Ourada says Myers is an extremely talented wrestler.

160 -- Derrick Jenniges, Wabasso, 11th, 38-5

Jenniges finished second in the state tournament this year, losing to Joe Bunne 36-0. Jenniges had 61 takedowns. In Wabasso's quest for second place, Jenniges had three wins to advance the team.

Tom Anderson, Redwood Valley, 12th, 36-6

Tom Anderson went 36-6 this year, but did not place at the state tournament. The third-time state entrant has amassed a 137-39 career record and this season had 72 takedowns, 12 pins and 172 team points.

171 -- Carl Wilking, Nicollet, 12th, 27-10

Carl Wilking finished the season 27-10, and of his 27 wins, 21 of them were pins. The Section 3A champion and state entrant led the team in team points as well as pins. Wilking has gotten 44 pins in his career in 64 wins.

189 -- Jesse Schroepfer, Wabasso, 12th, 25-14

Jesse Schroepfer was a state entrant at 189, helping the Rabbits to a second-place team finish. He had 58 take downs and 14 pins this season.

215 -- Bryan Reimers, River Valley, 11th, 31-5

Bryan Reimers finished his junior season with a second-place finish at state and a 31-5 record after taking second in Section 4A. He had 15 pins and 64 takedowns on the year

Travis Aufderheide, New Ulm, 12, 32-7

Travis Aufderheide finished the season with a fifth-place finish in his second appearance at the state tournament. He was named to the All-South Central Conference team for three consecutive years and has amassed 92 career wins and 57 pins. In matchups with River Valley, Bryan Reimers declined to wrestle Aufderheide.

275 -- Jared Schwanz, St. James, 11th, 37-2

Jared Schwanz captured the state title in Class A at 275 with a pin in 1:07. His 76 career wins all came at heavyweight. The two-time South Central Conference and section champ also had 19 pins. This year, he was named to the academic all-state team with a 3.857 GPA.

Note: Photos were unavailable

for several wrestlers.

Honorable Mention

103 -- Luke Amsden, River Valley, 8, 37-5, state sixth

112 -- Andrew Bates, Sibley East, 9, 32-11, state entrant.

119 -- Neal Wenninger, New Ulm, 23-16

130 -- Brady Augustin, Redwood Valley, 11th, 35-4, 50 takedowns, 45 near falls, state entrant; Derek Guetter, Wabasso, 12th, 27-14

135 -- Darrek Ulmen, M/T, 10th, 29-14, state entrant; Mitchell Altermatt, Wabasso, 9th, 28-9, state entrant

140 -- Kevin Widmer, River Valley, 11th, 34-6, state sixth, three-time entrant, 117 career wins; Mike Kral, New Ulm, 23-10, beat Widmer 7-5 during year

145 -- Dan Mielke, New Ulm, 12th, 26-11, state entrant

152 -- Damon Traxler, Sibley East, 11th, 31-4, state entrant

160 -- Phillip Hawkins, Nicollet, 12th, 20-14, state entrant, 53 career wins, 23 career pins

171 -- Mark Wieman, Sibley East, 11th, 19-21, state entrant

189 -- Gustavo Flores, St. James, 11th, 22 wins, state entrant

215 -- Kirk Nelson, RRC/WWG, 12, 31-9, state sixth; Paul Panitzke, Redwood Valley, 12th, 30-13, state entrant

275 -- Mike Hubert, RRC/WWG, 12th, 31-7, state entrant; Brett LeBrun, New Ulm, 9th, 25-9, lost only to Jared Schwanz in area.