Class B state wrestling notebook: Burke/Gregory's Owen Hansen aims for third-straight state championship
Feb. 21—RAPID CITY — No one has threatened Owen Hansen's reign at the top of Class B's 132-pound division this season, and the Burke/Gregory senior has designs on keeping it that way.
In 2021, Hansen won his first title in the streak, finishing the season 39-3, avenging two of those defeats by knocking off Philip Area's Jadyn Coller in the state title match. Then last year, Hansen's lone slip-up at 132 pounds came in a regular season tournament against Wagner's Jhett Breen, the eventual state third-place finisher, as the Augustana wrestling signee finished 46-1.
But this season, Hansen's looking at a flawless run.
With a 39-0 match record this season — 25 of those victories coming by pin — Hansen enters the 2023 state wrestling tournament as the No. 1 seed and prohibitive favorite to take down a third consecutive state title. In 2021, Hansen won the 126-pound division, finishing with a 39-3 record.
"I think I still could have done a lot better (at the Region 3B competition), but I'm peaking for the state tournament," Hansen said. "Obviously, (three-peating) is what I plan to do, but I just want to cherish these moments, this last year, and finish on top."
If Hansen truly has another level to attain in his final state tournament, that's likely a worrisome thought for other contenders.
At the Region 3B meet, Hansen left the mat visibly frustrated after winning the championship match with a 14-4 major decision over Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes' Iden Myers, the No. 2 seed in this week's state tournament bracket. It was the second time this season Hansen notched a major decision over his next-closest competition, yet he's striving for more.
"I've just got stuff to work on; everybody's got stuff to work on, and I know that," Hansen said. "I have to work on my gas tank, for sure; build up so I can finish strong and try to beat a guy as bad as possible, especially when you feel like you're the best."
"You always have to stay sharp. I know if I wrestle to my ability, I'll be fine. But there's a little anticipation and I'm so ready for it."
Kasen Konstanz knows what it takes to win a state championship, but he also knows how it feels to come up just short of that goal.
Needless to say, if the Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes junior has his way, he'll be back on top of the podium on Friday night.
Two seasons ago, Konstanz upset top-seeded Maxton Brozik, of Winner Area, to win the Class B state championship at 106 pounds and finish with a record of 35-1. But in search of a repeat title at 120 pounds last season, he was tripped up in the quarterfinals by Miller/Highmore-Harrold's Kellan Hurd and had to settle for third place.
"I expected to come back and win again as a sophomore, so it was really disappointing," Konstanz said. "I don't want to feel that again and I know it's not guaranteed, so I've just been working extra hard to make sure I have my best shot."
Now at 126 pounds, Konstanz is 31-1 on the season — the lone loss to an out-of-state opponent from O'Neill, Nebraska, in the finals of the Mid-Dakota Monster tournament — and heads to Rapid City as the No. 1 seed. Right behind him is Hurd, who Konstanz has defeated three times this season, twice by decision and once by fall. The No. 3 seed is Stanley County's Chase Hanson, who defeated Hurd in the 120-pound state championship match last February.
In such a top-heavy bracket, Konstanz knows he'll be tested. But with a calm, steady demeanor and a proven wrestling record, he's ready to make another title run and won't be turned back without a hard-fought bout.
"That's probably the finals match (Konstanz versus Hurd). I didn't wrestle the best (in the Region 3B title match), but I learned a lot and have a lot to improve on," Konstanz said. "I know I can wrestle from anywhere. I don't ever give up points easy, and I'm going to make 'em work for it."
