The Apple Valley boys wrestling program has accomplished huge things over the 40 years that  Apple Valley has been around. With 24 team state titles and 33 state qualifications, the wrestling program has proven themselves #1 in the state and 18th in the country. And the 2015-2016 season has proved to be just as historic!

This year was the 32nd consecutive state qualification for Apple Valley wrestlers. The team had 9 players qualified for competition: Mark Hall, Brock Morgan, Prince Hyeamang, Jalen Thul, Tani Besong, Kyle Rathman, Gable Steveson, Nate Larson and Sebas Swiggum. The competitors that placed include Jalen Thul (5th), Nate Larson (4th), Sebas Swiggum (3rd), and Brock Morgan (2nd).  Gable Steveson took his second state title and Mark Hall achieved a historic sixth state title. These top finishes allowed the team to take home the programs 24th state title overall. Two athletes were also named to the All-State team: Mark Hall and Gable Steveson.

Mark Hall, the first Minnesota wrestler to win six state titles, has proven himself to be a nationally known wrestler. He has traveled all over the world to compete with the best and has recently qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials. Hall says, “Being the first to do something is really special, but along with that feeling, I’m not really satisfied. I always want to grow and just because I reached one goal doesn’t mean I have to stop making other ones.”

He is planning on attending Penn State to continue his wrestling and educational career, but will always have a true connection to  Apple Valley. The impact that AVHS wrestling has had on Mark is incredible. “Wrestling in general has given me what no other sport can, so when I got to Apple Valley I think the wrestling community really welcomed me, and made me really feel like AV was home,” says Hall.

Apple Valley has had many, many athletes move on to the next level. This year Apple Valley has two committed seniors: Brock Morgan, who will attend Columbia University, and Mark Hall, who will attend Penn State. Currently there are three athletes representing Apple Valley who are competing at the University of Minnesota: 2015 Apple Valley graduate Bobby Steveson, and brothers Jordan (2011) and Brandon (2012) Kingsley.

Brandon Kingsley has also left an imprint on the Apple Valley program. In high school he was a 4x state champion and 4x All-State team member. He holds the record for most wins in a season (40-0-0), which he achieved in the 2008-09 season. Kingsley is also third in school history to have the most falls, with a total of 40. At the University of Minnesota, he was a 2015-16 varsity 157-pounder. He had the highest average team points in B1G duals at 4.2 points per match, and he had 6 pins in the 2015-16 season.

Apple Valley also has had a major impact on Brandon. “The four years I wrestled varsity for Apple Valley were four of the greatest years I’ve experienced,” says Kingsley, “The teammates were some of the best guys anybody could ask for. They were hard working and committed. Not one of them put themselves above the rest of the team.”

Dalen Wasmund, head wrestling coach for Apple Valley High School, has coached at Apple Valley for 20 years. With his past wrestling experiences (2x high school champion, 2x All-American wrestler for the University of Minnesota, 2x world team member, and 2x Olympic alternative), Wasmund is a great role model to coach for Apple Valley. He has impacted so many of his athletes.

“We all had mutual respect for each other and the coaches,” says Kingsley. “The coaches gave all they had to better the athletes both on and off the mat.”