Kasen Konstanz, Iden Myers lead experienced Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes wrestling to state
Feb. 20—KIMBALL, S.D. — Before the wrestling season began, the Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes wrestling coaches felt both Kasen Konstanz and Iden Myers could win the state championship in their classes.
That vision is now just a few days from potentially becoming a reality.
The two experienced wrestlers will lead a contingent of six Wildkats into the Class B state championship meet at the Premier Center. Konstanz, a senior from Platte, is the top seed in the 120-pound class, having posted a 39-2 match record. Myers is slotted into the third seed at 144, having gone 41-1.
As each season offers an unique experience and competition, both wrestlers have relied on past experiences to help them get to this point. Even being at the top of their class, there's still areas to improve upon.
"I've just been trying to be more offensive and trying to separate myself from other wrestlers," said Konstanz, a former state champion in 2021 as a freshman. "The hope is to create matches that aren't as tight as in the past."
Myers, a Kimball product, has moved up in weight class his junior year, having wrestled at 132 pounds last season. After a fourth-place result in the state championships, he stepped up his game from training sessions with teammate Lucas Lenz, where Myers came to a quick realization.
"He's gotten me a lot better," Myers said about Lenz, who is seeded second in the 165 class. "We wrestle kids a lot bigger in practice, so if your move works on a 165-pounder who's No. 2 in the state, then it's going to work on a 144-pounder. He's helped a lot this season."
The hard work they've put in this season has translated into results. Myers has taken home seven event victories and finished in second at the Mid-Dakota Monster tournament on Jan. 6. Konstanz has six titles on the year and a pair of second-place finishes also at the Mid-Dakota Monster and the KWLPG Invitational on Dec. 2.
Their combined success, along with Lenz and Gavin Braun, propelled KWLPG to a 12-1 record during dual season, qualifying for the state dual championships. The Wildkats also posted a runner-up finish at the Region 3B tournament on Feb. 17.
"They have all had success in the past and are willing to learn in order to expand their skill sets," head coach Thomas Konechne said about his experienced wrestlers. "Any athlete with talent who is also hard-working and coachable is capable of being a state champion, and these guys have shown that for years."
Konechne also credits the improvement of the underclassmen on the team for propelling the team's success, which comes from the leaders of the group setting the example. Even for experienced leaders like Myers, seeing others on the Wildkats have success pushes him to continue to improve.
"Every tournament, you see Kasen, Gavin, and Lucas get in the finals and they're winning it," Myers said. "You don't want to be the odd man out, so that makes you kind of push extra hard in the room and try to beat them at every little thing. And going to the state tournament, I want to have my shot at the title just like they'll have theirs."
With the competition at its peak for the state championships, the goal for KWLPG is to score points early to establish a rhythm, which will hopefully lead to the wrestlers winning every position and match situation. It's also a reminder to not think too far ahead.
"I got to take one match at a time and not overlook anybody," Myers said. "It's going to be a battle but I definitely think I can do well."
Through all the postponements and changes over the course of the season, the Wildkats have enjoyed the success and the growth of the program, as well as the camaraderie between each other. A state championship would be the perfect way for Konstanz to go out.
"This is my last year no matter what," he said. "I want to end my high school career with a state championship. I just have to stay focused, work hard this week, and get the job done."
