Top-ranked Evan Hansen enters tournament unbeaten and ranked No. 1
By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Feb. 20, 2014
UNDERWOOD – It’s late February, and the Spartans’ top wrestling pair of Evan Hansen and Trey Sander are right where they belong…Wells Fargo Arena.
The two qualified at last Saturday’s 1A District Tournament in Underwood, where Evan Hansen went 2-0 to move on as a champion, while Sander placed as runner-up after losing a tough match via 4-3 decision to Tri-Center’s Ben Wellman.
Hansen is last year’s State champion at 145 pounds in Class 1A, and Sander took third at 195, the same weight he competes in now. Hence, the bar is set pretty high this weekend for a pair of Spartans who have been there before, and they know firsthand what it’s like wrestling on Saturday in Des Moines.
“We’re going to have a good tournament,” Exira-EHK coach Rick Andersen says. “Both of these guys are mentally strong and ready to take this tournament on. I’m really looking forward to it.”
In the District final last Saturday, Hansen worked out an impressively quick pin in the semifinal round, then used an injury default in the finals against Jacob Becker of Westwood Sloan. Becker would have proved to be a worthy opponent at 40-5 and ranked No. 5 in the state, though he was recovering from a previous illness, and once qualified, elected to default.
No matter, Hansen continues his unblemished season.
“Evan is right on target,” coach Andersen says. “It would have been nice for him to get that finals match, just to see where he’s at a little better. But he’s been wrestling very well he’s looking pretty sharp. I am pretty impressed and excited to see what he can do.”
It appears as though 182 pounds this year is a more open weight class, and Hansen, at 53-0, ought to be considered the favorite that everyone else will hope to stack up against.
“If he wrestles as hard as he can, Evan has every opportunity to win the thing.”
A champion last year at 145 pounds, Andersen says Hansen is stronger and has shown more technical ability on the mat this winter.
At 195 Trey Sander picked up a pin in the semifinal round, then fell to Wellman in the final in what might have been the marquee matchup of the District. Wellman is the only wrestler to defeat Sander this year, and he’s done it twice in much the same way, and by the same score.
On Saturday, he scored the first points (on a takedown) and the last (on an escape) to slip past Sander again.
“Wellman is a good wrestler, and he just kind of sucks you into his style of match,” coach Andersen says. “If you can get away from it, you can win. But Trey couldn’t get away from it today.”
Afterwards, Sander was upset, though coach Andersen says he thinks his senior could draw motivation from this experience.
“I think the two of them could very well end up in the finals. Trey is disappointed about this, but in no way did it disqualify him from winning a State championship. If you get second (place) here, you still have every chance to go down there and prove yourself.”
No comments:
Post a Comment