Lead-Deadwood’s Drew Janke, on top, tries to escape an opponent during a wrestling tournament last season. He finished eighth in the 120-pound weight class at the state B tournament.
Lead-Deadwood’s Drew Janke, on top, tries to escape an opponent during a wrestling tournament last season. He finished eighth in the 120-pound weight class at the state B tournament.
LEAD — Commitment stands out for Lead-Deadwood head wrestling coach Mike Sneesby as he reflected on the Golddiggers’ recent season.
“They never faltered on that side. They stepped in day one, and they were there ‘til the end,” Sneesby said.
Sneesby said the wrestlers were trained all season to be mentally tough. He added team members came on strong in that area as the season progressed.
“I think a lot of it was practice habits and weight management,” Sneesby said in describing the Golddiggers’ evolution this season. “They really grew throughout the year on that side of it.”
Lead-Deadwood began its season two weeks later than in past campaigns. One of the biggest reasons was so the athletes would hopefully be fresher for the late January-February time period.
“I think it really worked,” Sneesby said of that switch. “Nobody really seemed to be burned out at the end of the year, and everybody really seemed fresh.”
Lead-Deadwood’s team placed fourth at the Black Hills Conference tournament. Miles Renner earned top honors in the 145-pound weight class, with four others — Luke Harris (113 pounds), Drew Janke (120), Isaac Foster (152), and Dylan Meade (220) — placing third.
Five Golddiggers’ wrestlers qualified for state based on their top-four placings at the Region 4B tournament. Janke (second place at 120 pounds), Renner (second at 145), Mekhi Hayes (third at 138), Ethan Hess (fourth at 182), and Meade (fourth at 220) helped Lead-Deadwood finish fifth in the standings.
Renner claimed sixth place in the 145-pound weight class at the state B tournament. Janke finished eighth at 120.
“Our region tournament: I felt like we peaked at the right time,” Sneesby said.
Sneesby said team members won some big matches throughout the season. He added Janke and Renner enjoyed an excellent tournament at the Mid-Dakota Monster tournament in Presho.
Janke’s improvement especially stands out for Sneesby. The sophomore started this season 2-7, and Sneesby said Janke started turning things around.
Sneesby said Janke took some lumps, but the coaches kept encouraging him that good things would happen if he stayed on the right track.
Ten athletes represented the team this season. None are seniors.
Sneesby said six or seven team members are juniors this year, with others in younger groups.
“We’re going to set our goals very high for next year,” Sneesby said. He added those include qualifying more athletes for state and place about one-half of those.
Sneesby said that staying on the winning track and keeping the athletes positive will set up the program well for years to come.
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