By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Flashback to last February: Rosholt High's Aaron Yenter sat in the aisle underneath the stands in the Kohl Center disappointed with what had just occurred. Then a junior, Yenter advanced to the WIAA state wrestling meet and saw his season end in the consolation round after two close losses.
Now 11 months later, Yenter, who wrestles at 160 pounds, is working to get back to Madison at the end of next month. He is the lone local wrestler who is back from last year's state meet.
"I'd like to make it to the state finals and see what I can do when I get there," Yenter said. "I learned (last year that) you have to be in good shape, be strong, know what you're doing and have smarts."
Yenter, who had a 30-9 record last year, is on his way to another 30-win season. The senior is 11-2 and finished fourth at 160 pounds in the 40-team Oshkosh "On the Water" Classic last week.
"I lost a couple matches at Oshkosh to a couple of good guys. I just have to work harder at practice," Yenter said.
"They were pretty close matches, but I've got to win the close ones."
Hard work is something Yenter knows a lot about. He spent a great deal of time over the summer lifting weights, running and jumping rope.
"He's in great condition," Rosholt coach Kevin Cullen said. "He wears down his opponents a lot just because of his condition."
Cullen said he can see a difference in the way Yenter carries himself on the mat.
"I think something that helps him a lot is his confidence. This year he takes on that attitude, he has much more confidence in himself," Cullen said.
"He doesn't back down to anybody."
Some of that confidence likely comes from experience. As a child, Yenter's father, Mike, took Aaron and his brother Kerwin to youth tournaments.
"It helps that I've been wrestling since second grade. My dad and my brother went to a lot of tournaments when I was younger," Yenter said.
Cullen said the more time on the mat, the better.
"There are kids who are talented, but to truly excel, you have to have a grade school program," he said. "Most of the kids who go (to state), place or win have wrestled when they were young."
Yenter is also benefiting from tough practice partners. Fellow senior Jon Betker won 30 matches a year ago as well and qualified for sectionals. Betker was third at 171 pounds at the Oshkosh "On the Water" Classic and holds a 12-1 record this season.
"I have a lot of good guys to wrestle with every day," Yenter said. "They help me and I guess I help them."
"It helps a lot having a dedicated partner," Cullen added. "He's tough," he said of Betker. "He's a state caliber wrestler as well."
One thing Cullen is working with Yenter on this season how to defend against "leg riders." The technique is used to keep opponents down on the mat, for instance, following a takedown. Both of Yenter's losses at state last year, a 7-4 decision to Brad Decleene of Wrightstown in wrestlebacks and a 4-0 defeat in the quarterfinals to Eric Trumm of Boscobel, came against "leg riders."
"It's something that we're trying to stress," Cullen said. "We work on it in practice and hopefully he can defend it. It's something we'll keep hammering a way at.
"It's one thing I did when I wrestled in high school. I work with them so it's not something foreign when they get on the mat."