The sport that is equally challenging mentally and physically, has a quadmister long season, and always keeps spectators on the edge of their seat: wrestling. Here at AHS, Trojans are proud to have a wrestling program that has a legacy and a growing reputation for greatness.
Only five meets into the season, the Trojans have established their dominance early. With seven open weights, these boys know how to get the job done individually.
At 106 pounds this year, sophomore Braxton Hass has had an impressive second season. During his freshman year, Hass achieved a record of 29 wins and eleven losses. His season ended with a trip to Wells Fargo and brought back an eighth-place medal. This year, with twelve wins and only three losses, he is on that same track.
Staying at 113 from the previous season, senior Taye Jordan just made his commitment to Northwestern College for division-two wrestling. Last year, Jordan had an impressive seventeen wins, and only six losses for the season, and this year that record seems to be improving. After their last weekend meet, Jordan’s record is 11 wins and six losses.
In the 126 spot this year, and just surpassing one hundred career wins, junior Aiden Smith is as skilled as he is impressive. Last year, Smith held a 37- win and 12-loss record, and this year he is on that same track. He has a notable past: his eighth-grade year he was an AAU youth state champion, and his last two years at the state tournament he placed sixth, and second. During the summer, at 126 pounds, he was the runner-up at preseason nationals, and in the last two seasons has won two Greco-Roman 16U state titles and a junior freestyle state title. Lastly, this past weekend at the Council Bluffs Classic Tournament, Smith placed fifth, and went seven and one for the weekend.
As the weights go up, it’s important not to overlook Cohen Bruce. Wrestling at 190 this year, Bruce is on track for a winning season. Last year, Bruce secured fourteen wins for the year, and lost sixteen matches. This year, that record seems to be improving. After placing seventh in his weight class at the Mid America Center this past weekend, Bruce’s record is seven wins, and only six losses halfway through the season.
Seen on the football field, Evan Sorensen is in the 285-pound weight class. In his sophomore season, Sorensen achieved a 33-9 record and is proving that record wasn’t just luck. With only five meets under his belt, Sorensen already has a win/loss record of 9-2 this year.
If you find yourself on a Saturday with nothing to do, watching Trojan wrestling is a great alternative that contains excitement and energy.
