If you’re looking for a Bonduel High School wrestler off to a hot start, take your pick.
Juniors Mitch Sokolski and Travis Wollenberg are both 8-0.
Sophomore Garrett Siolka, who was a state qualifier a year ago, is 8-0.
And senior Jacob Wudtke, also a returning state qualifier and one of three seniors on the team, is 8-0 as well.
Add in Austin Siolka and Danny Tauchen, who are both 7-1, and the Bonduel High School wrestling team has a lot to be proud of early in the season.
“Half of our team is doing very well,” Bonduel coach Chris Rank said.
Wudtke is wrestling at 182 pounds but later will drop down to 170, the same weight class in which he qualified for state last year.
“Just a phenomenal wrestler, very physical, very aggressive,” Rank said. “And a real leader on the team. He keeps our team focused and our practices going well.
“Just a great guy to have on our team. … He’s one of these guys that knows how to motivate people and get them going and to give their best.”
Siolka, who qualified for state a year ago at 113 pounds, is wrestling at 120 pounds this season.
“He’s starting off the season very strong,” Rank said. “We’re very excited about how he’s looking this year.”
Rank said Siolka and Wudtke are showing the team’s younger wrestlers what it takes to be successful.
“If you are willing to put in the time and do that, good things happen,” Rank said.
Wollenberg spent his sophomore year bouncing between the 120- and 126-pound weight classes. He’s been doing the same thing this year at 126 and 132 pounds.
“He really stepped up last year and helped us out,” Rank said. “He’s doing the same thing this year. We’re expecting big things out of him this year.”
Sokolski (170) didn’t wrestle his freshman year because of a back injury and had to adjust to varsity wrestling his sophomore year. Now he looks poised to really improve.
“It’s fun to watch, he makes things happen,” Rank said. “He loves to be physical and aggressive out on the mat. … We’re looking forward to him advancing to another level of wrestling this year.”
The top wrestlers have helped the Bears overcome several forfeits each match, as Bonduel is filling out only 11 of the 14 weight classes.
“We don’t have a whole lot of numbers in our wrestling room right now, but the talent pool that we have, the determination that these young men have in themselves, it’s going to be a great season for us,” Rank said.
The goal now is to keep the hot streak going.
“The goal is, we’ve been talking about it all week, we want to have a handful of people undefeated heading into the (Shawano) Holiday Classic,” Rank said.
The tournament is Dec. 21 at Shawano Community High School.
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