Jackson Royer and Travis Thorpe were named Outstanding Wrestlers for the boys and Marissa Kurtz was the girls Outstanding Wrestler at the team’s awards dinner held Sunday evening, March 3.
Thorpe and Royer, both juniors, won state titles in the 4A boys championships on Feb. 23 and Kurtz, a senior, won her third girls championship in a competition that included girls from all divisions.
The Pat Baxter Outstanding Wrestler award is named after a longtime supporter of the program who, Coach Steve Thorpe reminded the crowd at the dinner, used money she’d made babysitting to purchase an Outstanding Wrestler trophy after she decided one was warranted.
The three winners were chosen based on how they placed at state and other criteria, he said.
Travis Thorpe won the 152-pound title, finishing the season with a 53-4 record. He led the boys in team points scored (316) and takedowns (96).
Royer finished 47-9, winning at 132 pounds, tying for third (with Robbie Yunke) in wins, third in team points scored (286) and second in most takedowns (94).
Kurtz won the 110-pound girls title, finishing 24-1. She led the girls in every statistic – wins, team points (130), falls (19) and takedowns (32).
The Husky boys finished the season 31-4, winning the league dual meet title and the Special District 2 championship, and placing second at state.
The girls won the South Region title, sending Kurtz and junior Lexi Schilling to the state finals.
Steve Thorpe noted that Kurtz was Sweet Home’s third three-time champion, following in the footsteps of her uncle, Clint Schimecki, and now-Assistant Coach Colton Schilling.
“She’s an incredible person,” he said. “She’s done so much for our women’s wrestling program, the Sweet Home program.”
Rookie of the Year went to freshman Kyle Watkins, who placed fifth in state at 106 pounds.
Most Improved went to sophomore Treyson Smith, who placed sixth at state after losing in the 106-pound final to Watkins.
“You are nothing in this program without a good workout partner,” Steve Thorpe said. “Treyson Smith had a lot to do with Kyle’s success.”
The Iron Man Award, presented to wrestlers who overcome adversity – illness, injury or otherwise – went to two wrestlers, Austin Olin and Tristan Spencer.
Assistant Coach Thomas Rosa introduced Olin, telling how Olin injured a rib to the point that he couldn’t inhale, but insisted on training anyway.
Olin, who decided to return to wrestling after giving up the sport in junior high, “showed up every single day,” Rosa said. “It was pretty impressive. He kind of routinely beat guys he shouldn’t beat. That was no surprise if you talk to his workout partners.”
Thorpe introduced Spencer, who placed sixth at state after fracturing his nose in the regional tournament, then ended up with a hematoma that made it difficult to breathe.
“We go the state tournament and he’s wrestling and he loses to a guy he beat earlier,” Thorpe recounted. “He says, ‘I can’t breathe.’ I said, ‘You’ll have to breathe through your mouth.’ He goes on and places at state.”
Thorpe went on to say that when his own mother had heart surgery the next week, he also had to “breathe through my mouth.”
“I didn’t know he would inspire me to not collapse in a situation that was not a good situation for us. I thank you for inspiring me,” he added, turning to Spencer.
The Workhorse Award, presented to a wrestler who pushes himself or herself and teammates, went to senior Boe Baxter and sophomore Jessy Hart.
Rosa said that winners of the award tend to fall into two categories: “those who are always going, going, going, always running through brick walls, or the person who is so fluid, constantly working hard.”
He said Baxter, “an incredibly hard worker, very smooth on his feet” fell into the latter category.
“I would take video of (him) drilling just to enjoy it. It’s a huge thing in this sport never to take any time off. His transition time was seamless, always with purpose.”
Thorpe said Hart fit the former category. “She kept going hard all the time. She ran hard and tried to win the runs in the morning. She challenged herself all the time, tried to get better.”
The Extra Mile Award, which goes to a person, usually a non-wrestler, who contributes “extra” to the program, went to Paige Goodwin.
“She has given rides, has taken charge, has made tournaments better, has been my right-hand man. She absolutely derserves this for all the extra she does, without expecting anything in return.”
Statistics-based awards for Most Takedowns went to Kurtz and Travis Thorpe; and Most Falls to Hayden McDonald, with 40, and Kurtz (19).
The Norm Davis Scholar Athlete Award, which is won by the wrestler(s) who excel in both academics as well as athletics, went to Travis Thorpe, for the second year in a row, and Kurtz. The winner is determined by multiplying team members’ points scored during the season by their GPA.
Four-year letter winners went to seniors Baxter, Kurtz, Robert Watkins and Yunke.
Third-year letters went to seniors McDonald, Noah Moore and Damion Schocker, and juniors Katen Edwards, Connor Ford, Nich James, Dave McMullen, Bryce Porter, Royer, Isaac Schaffer and Travis Thorpe.
Second-year letter winners were seniors Levi Baird, Parker Lemmer and Madelyn Neuschwander, junior Lexi Schilling, and sophomores Hart, Sicily Neuschwander, Smith, Spencer and Gavin Walberg.
First-year letters went to seniors Lance Hanson, Austin Olin and Kyle Willhite, junior Nick Rice, sophomores Jake Fanning and Keegan Fox, and freshman Dianna Arnold, Paige Chafin, Christian Gregory, Jesse Jamison, Brayden Newport and Watkins.