Hengstler-Ranweiler Award: An emotional time for Benson star

Aug. 18—Thomas Dineen was packing up to go off to college on Thursday. It's about a two-hour drive from Benson to Brookings, South Dakota, where Dineen will wrestle for South Dakota State.

He admitted to getting a little choked up about it.

Benson is a place he loves.

"It kind of made me emotional there," he said. "I realized I was going away to college."

Benson is where Dineen excelled in three sports, especially wrestling, where he was a three-time state champion. He was a standout on football teams that struggled and was a top points scorer in track, where his best event was the 400-meter dash.

For his efforts, Dineen has been named the 2023 Hengstler-Ranweiler Award Male Athlete of the Year.

"That means a lot," he said.

Dineen was a

West Central Tribune All-Area selection

in football, leading the 2-7 Braves as a running back and defensive end. he rushed for 1,109 yards and had 12 total touchdowns, but also made 50 tackles, including five for loss with two sacks and a fumble recovery. He was team most valuable player and a three-time All-Mid State District 3 selection.

But football wasn't his best sport. That would be

wrestling

. He wrapped his high school career with 135 straight victories, going undefeated as a sophomore, junior and senior, to win t

hree straight Class A 195-pound championships

.

In track, he just missed qualifying for state, but was a top competitor in the West Central Conference.

"When I think of everything, I think going to Benson High School was the greatest thing for me in every way," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing.

"Even when were 0-11 or didn't lose, there was always so much fun stuff with my teammates that it sort of didn't matter. The long bus rides, the practices, the friends, it was all great."

He has spent the summer like he has throughout high school, working out and wrestling. He went 3-2 at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, losing a first-round match to a wrestler from Indiana.

"I didn't wrestle very well," he said.

He heads to Brookings after spending a couple weeks there in June helping out with the Jackrabbits wrestling camp and working out in preparation for the 2023-24 season. He plans to wrestle at 197 pounds at SDSU.

He's already made a connection with his roommate at Young Hall, Parker Janssen. He's a 141-pound wrestler from St. Michael-Albertville.

And wrestling should be fun. The Jackrabbits compete in the Big 12 Conference, with the likes of schools like Oklahoma State and Iowa State. They're recently opened up a new practice facility with four mats that's state of the art, Dineen said.

"No doubt, it's top-five in the country, legit," he said.

He can't wait. But that doesn't mean he's happy to leave Benson.

"It's been great," he said.

Jacob Bringle, LQPV

The Lac qui Parle Valley senior male athlete of the year competed in football, basketball and baseball.

Brycen Christensen, NLS

The New London-Spicer senior played football, basketball and track, leading the Wildcats to an improbable state football championship with a game-ending trick play to score the deciding touchdown. He was a team captain and 1,000-point scorer in basketball and a captain in track.

Cody Dahlager, YME

The Yellow Medicine East co-senior male of the year, Dahlager competed in football, basketball and baseball. He was a first-team West Central Tribune All-Area selection in baseball, helping the Sting to the state tournament for the first time.

Alex Draeger, Litchfield

Litchfield's male athlete of the year ran cross-country, played basketball and helped the Dragons to the state tournament in boys tennis. He also participated in the individual state tournament in doubles and is headed to St. John's University to continue his tennis career.

Graysen Fuchs, Paynesville

The Paynesville senior male of the year competed in football, basketball and baseball. He made the West Central Tribune All-Area team in football and baseball and is headed to St. Cloud State University to continue his baseball career.

Ryan King, BOLD

King was a standout in football, basketball and track. He earned All-West Central Tribune honors in football and boys basketball and competed in the state championships in track.

Ethan Morvetz, Montevideo

Morvetz was standout in football, wrestling and baseball for the Thunder Hawks, earning him Montevideo's senior male athlete of the year award.

Kaden Pieper, BBE

The Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa senior male athlete of the year competed in cross-country, basketball and track. He helped the Jaguars finish second in state in basketball his junior year and is headed to Concordia College in Moorhead to continue his basketball career.

Sam Raitz, Willmar

The Willmar male athlete of the year was a football and basketball player in basketball and a track and field athlete who was also on Willmar's state tournament baseball his sophomore year. He is headed to Bethel University for football.

Isaac Rudningen, KMS

The Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg male of the year participated in football, basketball and baseball. He was on the West Central Tribune All-Area football team and is headed to the University of Sioux Falls to continue his football career. he was also on All-Area third team in basketball.

Bryce Sneller, YME

The Yellow Medicine East star competed in football, basketball and baseball. He was a first-team all-area selection in baseball, helping pitch the Sting to state. He also was the co-senior athlete of the year at YME.

Year Recipient School

1961 Stan Skjei Appleton

1962 Bob Bruggers Danube

1963 Gary Lottman Kerkhoven

1964 Dave Mueller Buffalo Lake

1965 Lane Erickson Willmar

Jeff Hinz Willmar

1966 Paul Kelly Morris

1967 Rob Anderson Renville

1968 Ken Haskamp Belgrade

1969 Steve Dooley Murdock

1970 Russ Livingood Olivia

1971 Brad Rheingans Appleton

1972 Larry Mulder Renville

1973 Loren Beste Sauk Centre

1974 Greg Mulder Renville

1975 Kevin Mulder Renville

1976 Dave Klug Litchfield

1977 Dan Neubauer Bird Island

1978 Tom Stackpool Glenwood

1979 Mike Kingery Atwater

1980 Lee Monson Atwater

1981 Barry Wohler Bird Island

1982 Corey Haaland Clarkfield

1983 Jim Williamson Appleton

1984 Tim Piechowski Raymond

1985 Tom Zenner Belgrade

1986 David Hanson Montevideo

1987 Barry Beck Appleton

1988 Craig Hawley Benson

1989 Tom Hagert Willmar

1990 Scott Wilts Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

1991 Jeff Nordgaard Dawson-Boyd

1992 Bobby Beck Lac qui Parle Valley

1993 Link Steffen Granite Falls-Clarkfield

1994 Brian Bock Willmar

1995 Jason Jacobs BOLD

1996 Ryan Rettke Morris

1997 Josh Kotelnicki Litchfield

1998 Ken Sather Dawson-Boyd

1999 Eric Rambow Litchfield

2000 Alex Carlson Litchfield

2001 Mike Patten Litchfield

2002 David Blom Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City

2003 John Carlson Litchfield

2004 Brett Winkelman Morris

2005 Ben Kuznia BOLD

2006 Joey Fragodt Benson

2007 Daniel Fragodt Benson

2008 Tyler Grey Montevideo

2009 Mike Felt Redwood Valley

Kevin Steinhaus Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

2010 Joel Bauman Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

2011 Ryan Swenson Dawson-Boyd

2012 Sam Haas Lac qui Parle Valley

2013 Zach Kinny Litchfield

2014 Brian Goodwin Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa

Joey Lee Dawson-Boyd

2015 Shane Zylstra New London-Spicer

2016 Colten Carlson Willmar

2017 Jacob Zosel Morris/Chokio-Alberta

2018 Noah Slagter Willmar

2019 Drey Dirksen Willmar

2020 Jordan Sagedahl BOLD

2021 Drew Sagedahl BOLD

2022 Blaine Fischer Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa

2023 Thomas Dineen Benson