Quiet Champion

For most wrestlers, winning a state title elicits an unmistakable out-pouring of emotion.    

There’s the guttural scream. The leap into a coaches arms. The dropping to the knees as tears pour out.

Caleb Sanders, seconds after winning his first state title with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Dubuque Hempstead’s Dylan Olson before a crowd of 20,000 at the Wells Fargo Arena, had his own ideas of celebration

“I think I saw him smile,” Glenwood coach Brad Asche half-jokingly said of Sanders, who became the 12th Ram, and first heavyweight, in school history to notch a state title.

“He just went back and all of his teammates met him in the tunnel and he was kind of smiling. I think they were more happy for him than he was,” Asche added. “They showed more emotion than him I think. “

Sanders is well known on the Rams as the strong silent type. His wrestling style fits his demeanor: patient and methodical.

For the better part of two and a half periods in his finals match against Olson, the No. 4 ranked heavyweight in the state, Sanders bided his time, playing out a string of moves and counter-moves until he saw his chance.

While going 45-3 on the mat this season, Sanders said he’s had his fair share of tie-breaker, ride-out type matches which prepared him well for the finals match.

“It was a slow match so there wasn’t a lot of chances for takedowns,” Sanders said. “I stayed patient until I saw an opening.

“I thought I waited him out longer.”

Sanders’ style has made Asche, who’s coached his since he was a raw freshmen who ground out a 23-25 record that season, have to match his heavyweight’s patient operating system. Sanders’ win Saturday was the 150th victory of his career.

“He just goes out and wrestles,” Asche said of Sanders. “We were very confident in our offense and very confident in our skillset going against him (Olson). I think Caleb really opened himself up more this year that he has in the past. He became a pinner and scored a lot of points this year. He focused on those things and a lot of the big picture stuff came together in the end.”

The fact Sanders didn’t leap in the air or let out a celebratory shout when the horn went off on the floor at Wells Fargo Arena, didn’t surprise Asche at all.

“He has the personality that lets him go out there and wrestle and whatever happens, happens,” Asche said. “He’s the type who just puts a feather in his hat and moves on. He has bigger and better aspirations on the football field coming up, going Division 1 and big recruit for South Dakota State. That’s kind of where his mind goes to now.”

Sanders is hard-pressed to choose which sport he prefers between wrestling and football where he is a two-time all-state football player and the school’s all-time leader in tackles for loss. But he never really considered wrestling in college. He committed to the Jackrabbits last Summer and signed Feb. 7. He will play on the defensive line in Brookings.

He admits the idea he won’t ever likely wrestle again is just now beginning to sink in.

“It is kind of saddening but it is what it is,” Sanders said.