Shorewood eyes breakout season

The momentum the Shorewood wrestling team is generating can be traced to a first-rate farm system.

The feeder program at Einstein Middle School continues to crank out a supply of varsity-caliber prospects who are expected to help the Thunderbirds climb the league standings.

Freshmen and sophomores are making an impact at several weight classes for an up-and-coming Shorewood squad that graduated just three seniors.

“We’ve had two back-to-back years of really solid young guys coming out,” Shorewood coach Arnie Moreno said. “We’re really in a position where we’re going to make a nice move this year.”

Increased turnout at the middle school level is carrying over to Shorewood.

The influx of promising young talent is boosting numbers and expectations for the Thunderbirds, who won just two Western Conference South Division dual meets each of the past two seasons.

“This year we’re looking to turn the corner as a program. We’re getting some good classes up from Einstein,” senior Brian Jensen said.

“Normally I don’t like when freshmen step up and take an empty spot because I wish we had an upperclassman there. But this year guys have stepped up and are winning matches.”

The most potent portion of the Shorewood lineup starts with Jensen at 140 pounds.

The three-time regional qualifier compiled a team-best 20-10 record with 10 pins last season. Jensen placed second at last year’s Wesco South championships after taking fourth twice in a row.

Mitch Zamenak battled back through the consolation bracket at 145 pounds to finish a surprising fifth at the league tournament as a sophomore.

“A lot of people haven’t noticed Mitch yet because he’s always been behind somebody else,” Moreno said. “He’s tough as nails and he’s really going to surprise some people.”

Jeremy Passi and Daniel Nelson both took fourth at the league tournament and lost regional qualifier matches to their Wesco North counterparts.

Passi has moved up a class and is contending with junior Simon Evers at 160 pounds. The senior has been sidelined with a broken hand and is slated to return later this month.

Nelson went from posting just two victories as a freshman to a respectable 15-10 record last season in a competitive 215-pound weight class. The addition of junior heavyweight Ryan Freitas gives Nelson a challenging workout partner.

“Daniel doesn’t back down from anybody,” Moreno said. “He’s hard-nosed, he’s tenacious and he just gets after people.”

The same goes for Tim Hester at 171 pounds. Hester was part of the state’s schoolboy national dual team last summer and is the standout of a touted group of ninth graders.

“Coaches see him and they go, ‘He’s a freshman?’” Moreno said.

The lower weights are stocked with freshmen. Daryl Winslow locked up a varsity slot at 112 pounds and Mike Jensen registered a one-point win over a state placer at 119 the first week of the season.

“He enjoys wrestling a lot more than I did as a freshman. I was on the edge of not wrestling as a freshman and it took a good season to keep me with it,” Brian Jensen said of his younger brother.

“He’s got natural tenacity, plus it’s a little more ingrained in our family now. Nobody before me ever wrestled. The mentality in our family has changed. We wrestle at home a lot more.”

Other notable returners include junior Luke Wyman at 152 pounds and sophomore Michael Yun, who placed sixth at the league tournament at 103 pounds.

With a lineup that features a balance of experience and strong underclassmen, Moreno expects to improve on last year’s eighth-place dual meet showing.

“This year the guys realize we’ve got the potential to do something really good,” he said. “It’s kind of like a turning point in history for us where we can actually make some things happen.”

If the Thunderbirds are going to close in on Wesco South powers like Everett, Mariner and Kamiak, the next two years appear to be the time to strike.

“We have to (challenge) the big teams. We have to make a statement and show them we’re ready,” Moreno said.

“Looking at the scores I think we match up well with those teams. Hopefully if we have a good night and our guys are on, we’re going to be right in every match.”