Lake Country This Month

SPORTS Page 8A • FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY JANUARY 2013 PREP PROFILE Crone looking to join elite group Get to know ... ANDREW CRONE Arrowhead senior has shot at fourth league, second state championship School/Sport Arrowhead/Wrestling By James R. Hoffman Coach Jeremy Miller NEW BERLIN – Pewaukee High School dominated the lower weight classes and held its own in the upper ones, defeating New Berlin West/Eisenhower 44-22 in their Woodland Conference wrestling dual last month. Pewaukee quickly earned 28 points out of a possible 30 in its first five bouts after two quick pins and two New Berlin forfeits. Sophomore Jason Berg set the tone for Pewaukee at 132 pounds, pinning junior Zac Nordstrom in just 30 seconds. Two forfeits gave wins to senior Alex Owens at 138 pounds and Nick Manriquez at 145 pounds. Pewaukee junior Garett Shibilski never did pin New Berlin's Steven Steftar at 152 pounds, but he earned a major decision, 20-7. Shibilski toyed with Steftar, earning several takedowns and allowing his opponent to escape so he could take him down again. At 160 pounds, Pewaukee junior Jake Paget pinned New Berlin sophomore Nick Buben a minute into the second period. After that bout, Pewaukee led 28-0 and the match was over – especially because Pewaukee's Brett Danner was set to win by forfeit at 106 pounds later in the match. Despite the match being all but lost, New Berlin started to get back into the dual in the upper weight classes. Junior captain Kevin Thiessenhussen grabbed the first points for New Berlin, winning a hard-fought bout at 170 pounds against Pewaukee sophomore Matt Fritchen. New Berlin junior Bailey Rountree kept the momentum going at 182 pounds, winning by pin with 33 seconds to go in the second period. Pewaukee coach Ed Kurth expected New Berlin to dominate in the upper weights – just as he expected his team to dominate in the lower weights – but he was surprised by how well his upper weights performed. Class In School/Age Senior/17 By Daniel Mike Freeman Staff TOWN OF MERTON – Andrew Crone has the potential to join an elite group. The Arrowhead High School senior wrestler has won three Classic 8 Conference titles, and there have been very few four-time champions in league history Among them . was Jake Sueflohn, a 2011 graduate who won his fourth title during Crone's sophomore year. Another in that group is Ben Askren, who owns the Askren Wrestling Academy, where Crone trains most of the year. "That would be pretty cool. I'm excited for that," Crone said of winning a fourth league title. "I know there's not too many, so I'm pretty pumped to be a part of that group. "(Sueflohn) and Askren have been a big influence in my wrestling career, and it'd be cool to be in the same group as them." But Crone has another group he's trying to join this season. In a sport that has had a state tournament since 1940, being among the 203 who have won multiple state titles would be a great ending to a stellar high school career for Crone. "That's the ultimate goal," Crone said of a state title. That was the goal last season as well. Crone won the 103-pound title his sophomore season, the first of three Arrowhead wrestlers to win titles in 2011. But he suffered a minor back injury in the first round of state last season, which eventually kept him off the medal stand at 120 pounds. Instead of wallowing in a disappointing state tournament, Crone refocused in the offseason. He trained at AWA and wrestled in several tournaments. His most notable performance was a second-place finish at the U.S. Junior Freestyle Championships in Fargo, N.D. "I was All-American and beat some pretty good kids," Crone said. "I was definitely motivated." Arrowhead coach Jeremy Miller was not surprised by Crone's rededication. A longtime assistant at Arrowhead, Miller is in his second year as head coach. "I know for any of our qualifiers, anything less than placing is a letdown, especially for him being a pre- Pewaukee wrestlers win Robert F. Borkowski/Special to The Freeman Andrew Crone has returned from an injury with a bang. vious state champ," Miller said. "For anybody in that position, anything less than another state title is a disappointment. "He has put in that extra work and effort to get to the top." It's that work ethic that has put Crone where he is today There is . rarely a day that Crone doesn't do something to improve his wrestling. He's a technician on the mat who can wrestle multiple styles and adjust to an opponent. It's the work that puts him over other talented wrestlers who might not work as hard. "His work ethic is unreal," Miller said. "Obviously, the nature of our sport, the hardest workers end up on top. If you're not working at it, you're going to fail. "He's worked to put himself in a position to where he's continued to climb that ladder without too many bumps along the way ." Crone began wrestling in sixth grade at the urging of his father and football coach. Once he got to high school, Crone decided to stick solely to wrestling. "I decided to focus on one sport and get better as opposed to doing many sports and being mediocre at them," he said. He didn't realize how far wrestling might take him until the end of his freshman year when he won the Classic 8 title. It lit a fire under him that resulted in a state title as a sophomore. Also In My Family Are: my mother, Jeanne, and my father, Richard, both of whom are retired; and my sister, Monica, 19. The Athletic Accomplishment I Am Most Proud Of Is: taking second at Fargo, N.D., in freestyle nationals. My Favorite Subject In School Is: math. My Favorite Teacher Is: my math teacher, Mr. Olenchek. My Favorite Movie Is: "Wrath of the Titans." My Favorite Recording Artist Is: Lil Wayne. My Favorite TV Shows Are: "The Mentalist" and "Family Guy." The Best Meal My Mother Makes Is: steak with a special sauce. A Pet Peeve I Have Is: when people step on the scale with all their clothes on. The Thing I Do Best Outside Of Athletics Is: academics. The Person I'd Most Like To Meet Is: Aaron Rodgers. The Last Time I Cleaned My Room I Found: I don't clean my room that often. Nobody Ever Says I'm: big. My Most Memorable Experience Is: winning state my sophomore year. My Most Prized Possession Is: my phone. One Thing People Might Not Know About Me Is: I like to golf. One Thing I Would Change About Myself Is: to be more patient. One Thing At My School I Would Change Is: to need fewer passes. I See Myself In 10 Years: running my own business and also helping out with wrestling. That fire is still burning, and has Crone working toward another chance at standing atop the podium at the Kohl Center. It will also carry him to the University of Wisconsin, where he signed to wrestle in the fall. "I narrowed it down to Wisconsin and Nebraska, and I felt I was a better fit for Wisconsin," Crone said. "They're really headed in the right direction, and it's going to be a real good team the next couple years. "Wisconsin can help me achieve my goals – not only in wrestling but in life with a great business school. It was the best option for me." Email: dmike@conleynet.com Freeman Correspondent A stunning variety of options to keep you cozy. HOME COMFORT SYSTEMS Innovation never felt so good.™ Whatever the size of your home or budget, Lennox has a home comfort system that's right for you. And because our entire line of products is designed to provide efficient heating and cooling, you could enjoy lower bills without sacrificing comfort. 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