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December 6,1999
Eagle grapplers set sights highCoach says expectations are high after last year's finish as Class 3A consolation champsBy BOB VARMETTE Journal Sports Writer NEW ULM -- The expectations are high, the pressure is on. The New Ulm Eagles wouldn't want it any other way. With only three wrestlers graduated from a team that went 20-3-1 and finished as the team consolation champions in Class 3A, the expectations are high. The pressure is on beginning tonight when New Ulm hosts Madelia-Truman in a nonconference dual on Parents' Night. Expectations, pressure, it's all part of the deal for the Eagles. "I think they're more ready to go now than they ever have been," New Ulm coach Dar Arndt said. "When you look around the room, the mark has been raised quite a bit, and you can really tell it in our room. "They look much more polished than a year ago. They know what their mission is." The Eagles will have spots to fill, but New Ulm has few holes as the season gets under way. Arndt, though, will have to replace the three seniors from last season -- Matt Beatty at 135 pounds, Jedd Haynes at 189 and Travis Wieland at heavyweight. "I was a little concerned at first when we graduated three nice seniors," Arndt said. "But we've kind of helped ourselves at 103 (pounds) now, and at heavyweight it seems to be coming alive. ... And other kids have just matured enough. I think that's going to make the difference." The mission is clear for the Eagles -- win a state team championship. The Eagles are clear about what it will take to accomplish that mission. "It's basically everyone going out and doing their job," 130-pounder Shane Gulden said. "You think about yourself and doing what you got to do. In practice, you help people out, but when it comes to on the mat, you think about what you got to do to help the team." Gulden figures to provide plenty of help for the team. The senior placed fifth at the '99 Class 3A state tournament at 125 pounds, capping off a 37-3 season. Also returning for the Eagles are 125-pounder Pete Zangl. The senior finished second at the 1999 Class 3A individual tournament after winning a state title as a sophomore. Zangl will start the season at 125 pounds, but Arndt expects to move him down to 119 pounds by season's end. "Being a captain this year, and being a senior, I have a lot more to look forward to," Zangl said. "I just want to end my senior year with something good. ... I can't wait till our first match." Returning as well are seniors Josh Luneburg at 112 pounds, Bill Bastian at 160 pounds and Gus Martens at 189 pounds. Luneburg and Martens are expected to wrestle at the same weights all year long while Bastian could drop to 152 pounds. "We have a lot of returning people that were with us at state," Martens said. "That'll give us the experience. We have a lot of experience in the room." To a man, Martens, Zangl and Gulden all expect to be wrestling for individual titles at Target Center in early March. Complementing them will be several new faces to the varsity. Sophomore Cole Waibel returns to the program after a two-year absence and Arndt expects Waibel or eighth-grader Dan Mielke to be the starter at 103 pounds. Another sophomore -- Adam Bartels -- could see action at 119 pounds, but fellow 10th-grader Nathan Gieseke appears to have the inside nod. Nathan Gieseke was 12-7 on varsity in '99 and 13-0 on the junior varsity. At 135 pounds, senior Robbie Gieseke will likely get the varsity spot with freshman Rick Traulich seeing junior varsity time. Robbie Gieseke was 14-19 last season at 125 pounds. The battle at 140 and 145 pounds is between junior Justin Windschitl and senior Travis Hermel. Senior Jason Schmitz at 140 pounds and Dylan Kapolczynski -- a junior -- at 145 pounds also figure in the mix. Junior Tony Ruch will move up to 152 pounds after going 11-22 at 145 last year. Freshman Greg Jamison will likely be the Eagles' junior varsity wrestler at 152. The biggest battle so far, according to Arndt, has been at heavyweight. Andy Howk -- a junior -- and sophomore Kory Anderson are both battling for the spot with Howk appearing to be the Eagles' starter. All of which makes it more of a reloading campaign than a rebuilding year. "We've been to the state tournament," Zangl said. "These guys know what it is, we know what it's like. We know what to look forward to."
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