Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

He accomplished his goal of making it to the state wrestling tournament as a junior, but wrestling in the championship match and coming up short had Forest Lake High School senior Jordan Kolbow out for gold at this yearís state meet. When it came time for the referee to raise a winners hand at 152 lbs. it was Kolbowís this year, not his competitor.

ìIt felt great winning it this year as it was my last,î Kolbow said. ìI didnít have any doubts going in that I wouldnít win the state title because I knew there was nobody that could beat me.î

A tough schedule where the Rangers wrestled many of the top teams in the state helped prepare Kolbow for the state tournament. That schedule also allowed Kolbow to have wrestled several of his state competitors earlier in the season.

Matt Curtis of Coon Rapids, the wrestler Kolbow defeated in the championship match, was a wrestler Kolbow squared off against in the section meet where he beat him there too.

ìWhat I have noticed about Jordan is he can look at a wrestler and see whatís going to work and what isnít,î Rangers head wrestling coach Bob Dettmer said.

Dettmer added that Jordan didnít win the championship himself, but he had many people pushing him that helped contribute to his state title from his parents to his coaches and teammates.

ìYou donít win championships by yourself, you have a support system of the team and family, and Jordan has a real special family to support him,î Dettmer said.

ìI think when Jordan had his arm raised after he won the state title everyone who felt that they had something to do with that got goose bumpsóI know I did.î

One of the special family members who supported Jordan at state is also his brother and teammate Brent.

ìIt was fun having him down there this year,î Kolbow said of having Brent in the stands as a teammate at the state tournament. ìIt was the first time weíve been on a team together besides baseball.î

Kolbow was joined by five other Rangers wrestlers at the state meet. Luke Munkelwitz, Charlie Janssen, Patrick Taylor and Derek Peterson also wrestled.

ìI looked up in the crowd and we had a lot of the wrestlers up there watching, and you have to think they were wishing they could be down there on the matt too,î Dettmer said.

Next season Kolbow will be a part of the Big Ten champion University of Minnesota wrestling team where heíll be a red-shirt freshman.

ìItís really exciting because theyíre one of the top schools and they actually wanted me,î Kolbow said.

ìIt will be another learning process to learn how to wrestler in college and learn new moves. Itís more of an advantaged too when everyone in the room is good.î

According to Dettmer the ìUî has had an eye on Kolbow for close to three years and they watched him mature on the matts and in the classroom.

ìWhen they make an investment in a Division I athlete, they make sure itís a sound investment,î Dettmer said.

Before he can move on to wrestler at the collegiate level, Kolbow looked back at those who helped him win a state title.

ìMy parents and grandparents have always been there for me,î Kolbow said. ìJoe Kunshier has been with me most of my wrestling career, Troy Marr who helped me after practice a lot this year, and all the coaches also helped me.î

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