The Lakeland Hawks Wrestling team is looking to keep their district title this year and is looking better than ever.
The Hawks were able to claim the district title last year after losing to the Sandpoint Bulldogs in 2022. LHS had the title for 14 years before dropping it.
With only one returning state placer in Junior Jaren Knopp, the whole mood in the wrestling room is going to see a huge shift this winter.
Senior Duke Williamson has been working on his craft all summer and is getting geared up for the year. In the process of preparing for his senior year, Williamson was able to earn a scholarship while he was at it.
“This past offseason, I have traveled the country wrestling in over 15 states to the point where I have earned a preferred walk-on position to the NIC wrestling program,” Williamson said.
He is looking forward to spending as much time with his teammates and coaches as possible and is hoping to win some tournaments as well.
“With the talent that we have and the number of people we have, we definitely are in the shot for the state title, and Minico should be scared,” Williamson said.
The team does have many returning state qualifiers, including Williamson, Dylan Scott, Caleb Adams, Kaleb Hammer, RJ Marquez and Kross O’Brien.
Freshman Carson Leonard, who is the son of Lakeland wrestling legend Clint Leonard, multiple-time state champion, is excited going into this season.
“I’m feeling good, excited for the season to get going,” Carson Leonard said.
Leonard is most looking forward to the Rollie Lane tournament in Boise later in the season.
The Hawks schedule is just as gruesome as always, with some big tournaments, including Rollie Lane, Tri-State, and for the first time in four years, the Sierra Nevada Tournament.
Second-year head coach William Edelblute is happy with how last year went but is looking forward to what this year can bring.
“As a team, we are mostly looking forward to showcasing our skills as a team,” Edelbute said. “Many of the guys and girls put in a lot of work in the summer so we could be a stronger and better team this year, and I think that it is going to show with our results. We will be bringing back another district title and potentially a state trophy.”
The Hawks are gonna have about two to three guys per weight class, which gives them a huge advantage because if someone goes down with an injury, there is always going to be another guy who is ready to step up to the test and hopefully get a win for the Hawks.
Practices have already started practices at 2:30 p.m. in the new mat room above the main gym.