Cardinals prepare for Northern Badger Wrestling Classic

Prescott senior wrestler Benny Olson is quickly making himself known as one of the best wrestlers in the state for the 2022-23 season.

Olson, Prescott’s 106-pound competitor, is the No. 2-ranked wrestler in Division 2 in his respective weight bracket, according to the latest information from WisconsinGrappling. com. Olson currently holds a 13-1 record and is ranked behind only Luxemburg-Casco junior Jake Jandrin, who is 16-3 in matches this season.

Prescott first-year head coach Ross Wargula has been impressed with what Olson has done throughout the first month of the season, not only on the mat but also in his training and as a leader in the locker room. He spoke about what he’s seen from Olson this year and what makes him special.

“Benny is definitely off to a great start. He has really embraced the daily grind it takes along with his added leadership role as a captain,” Wargula said. “He is embracing the process it takes to be great. Since week one, he has been staying an extra 20 minutes after practice a few days a week to work on areas he needs to improve. Those little things and attention to detail are going to make a huge difference both short and long term.”

While some wrestlers throughout the state have notoriously struggled with the pressure of being ranked as one of the best athletes in the state, Warugla said that Olson has started to embrace the ranking and the inevitable target that it puts on his back. He spoke about Olson’s mentality and what he’s capable of this season.

“Obviously having a high rank in the state is great, but it also can put a target on your back,” Wargula said. “Benny has embraced that and it has helped his mental approach to each match and event. I think Benny is capable of accomplishing anything he wants. He has embraced the process so far and understands he’s not going to get the easy road on anything.”

While the road will surely become more difficult in the future, Olson has rolled through nearly all of his competition in the first month of the season. Some of Olson’s notable wins include an 8-7 win over Ellsworth’s Noah Walker and a 9-5 win over Amery’s Antonio Sowell.

However, the most impressive is his 1710 win over Nick Jenkins of Kaukauna, the No. 9-ranked 106-pounder in the Division 1 standings. Olson also has a close 6-3 loss against Bailey Casey of Menomonie, who is ranked No. 6 in the Division 1 standings. Olson’s most recent action came on Friday, Dec. 16, when the Cardinals competed in the Cameron Jamboree. Prescott competed in four duels against Unity, Superior, Cameron and Bloomer/Colfax.

Olson finished the day winning all four matches at 106 pounds, three of which came via pinfall. The first win was over Jackson Fox of Unity, who Olson pinned in less than 50 seconds. He followed it up with a pin over Gage Rusk of Superior and Colt Mikolon of Cameron. His final win was a major decision over Drew Ryder of Bloomer/Colfax.

While Olson serves as Prescott’s main event, juniors Nolan Thomley and Lono Thomason and senior Shane Butler have also put together strong starts to the 2022-23 season. At the Cameron Jamboree, Thomley won three of four matches, Butler won one of three, and Lono won three of four. Coach Wargula spoke about their seasons thus far.

“Benny, Nolan, Shane and Lono continue to pace our group. Lono has shown a lot of improvement since the start of the season. Improving his conditioning is going to be a big key,” Wargula said. “Shane is still battling some illness but has been a warrior. Nolan has come on strong since battling an early season injury. He had a little bit of a brain fart against Superior but will get better because of it. Nolan’s 9-2 start has garnered him a state rank of #11 by Rokfin.”

Olson, Thomason, Butler and Thomley will lead the Cardinals throughout the upcoming Northern Badger Wrestling Classic on Thursday, Dec. 29, and Friday, Dec. 30, in River Falls. The Northern Badger is one of the biggest tournaments in the state and will show Prescott just how talented their team truly is.

“The Northern Badger tournament is going to be a great litmus test for not only Benny but our whole team,” Wargula said. “We the coaching staff talked with the team the last day we could have practice about our plans for the Northern Badger tournament. We’re going to get as many kids in the tournament as we can.”

Wargula stated that he wants to get as many kids as much experience as possible, regardless of the individual results. He also wants to score as many points as a team as they can and that getting his wrestlers into the tournament will be a good challenge for them. He spoke about what the results at Northern Badger will tell his coaching staff.

“After Northern Badger, we as a team and coaching staff, will be able to zero in on our goals for the seasons, both individually and team-wise, and begin to work towards peaking for the postseason,” Wargula said. “There is a lot of potential with this group and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition.”

Wrestling on the first day of the Northern Badger is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. at River Falls High School.