In an exciting turnout of student-athletes wanting to wrestle this year for the Andes Central Thunder team which went from last year’s three wrestlers to this year’s eight team members is quite an improvement, so much so that the wrestlers are this year practicing on their own mats at Andes Central. Last year the team was so small that the Andes Central wrestlers would practice with the Wagner Raiders and Raider Head Coach David Kocer would help train them for meets. With more athletes comes a new head coach, Coach Chris Derry. This is Coach Derry’s first year as a wrestling coach in South Dakota.

This year’s team has no seniors and a lone junior, Luke Dangel. Sophomore members of the team include Exavian Aungie, Steven Nielson, Michael Chasing Hawk and Brandon Waterman. In addition to these five wrestlers, the team also has three middle schoolers that are a part of the team which include seventh graders James Derry and Markel White; and sixth grader, Kruze Kaczer.

Having such a young and inexperienced team, the Andes Central wrestlers have been having two a day practices. These young student-athletes have been working very hard to get ready for their upcoming season. This year’s team and personal goals for the wrestlers are to learn the sport in order to improve throughout the season which will help grow the Thunder wrestling program. Each individual team member has their eyes set to work hard in order to qualify for the state tournament.

The team will look to Steven and Exavian as they have experience wrestling for Andes Central as well as upperclassman, Luke, for leadership. Coach Derry is very proud of the team as they are all very respectful and great representatives of the Andes Central School. Kruze is only a sixth grader, but all of his teammates are excited for him to wrestle at the high school level next year with the rest of the team. As the head coach, Derry is looking forward this season to watching the growth of the team as a whole as they are excited to learn and improve daily. For Derry, it has been very refreshing to see how supportive and encouraging the teammates are of one another. What Coach Derry believes is needed to build a successful team/program is to start out with good character which is needed to build teamwork, so that as a team they can persevere through both the season’s wins and trials.

The Thunder wrestlers hit the mat for the season opener on Saturday, December 7th at the Kimball Tournament which begins at 10 a.m. Best of luck in the upcoming season! Go Thunder Go!