New coach, same expectations for RCTC wrestling team
Nov. 5—For the third time in three seasons, the Rochester Community and Technical College wrestling team will have a different coach.
But like always, the expectations stay the same: Compete for a national title.
That's exactly what happened last year when first-year coach Travis Rutt helped lead RCTC to its second consecutive non-scholarship junior college national championship, a season after taking over for Randy Rager.
Now in steps Andy Hackenmueller, who took the job in July after Rutt stepped down. Hackenmueller is primed to help the Yellowjackets capture their third straight national title and fifth since 2014.
"Just a little bit of pressure," Hackenmueller said with a laugh. "It's been a little bit of a rollercoaster and I'm sure that's the same for everybody, but I knew Rutt and knew Rager, too, so I had relationships built and they kind of prefaced me for what to expect. But it's been a lot of fun so far."
Hackenmueller has coached at the youth, high school and national levels, most recently with the Minnesota Storm national high school team, as well as with Forest Lake High School. In college, he wrestled at North Dakota State University and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. But this is his first go-around coaching at the collegiate level and that takes a bit of an adjustment, both on and off the mat.
"I'm trying to still learn some of the rules, regulations that I didn't know," Hackenmueller said. "Aside from coaching, you know, it's just a little bit different than high school and you're trying to win the kids over because they are so used to doing things that the old coaches did the last year or two. It's been fun, but everyday is up and down."
To handle that Hackenmueller is trying to make himself available as much as possible, while also trying to bring in alumni or other area coaches to their wrestling room, in hopes that he can make sure each individual is getting that extra attention they need to fit their specific style.
Hackenmueller, too, has a pair of great assistants in Rager and Michael Schmitz that make this process that much easier.
Hackenmueller called Rager — who is now in his 17th season with the program and second as an assistant — a mentor, while also just helping with some of the little things. Whether it's checking grades, doing recruiting visits or making sure everyone gets signed up for the correct classes, Rager has been a big lift.
As has Schmitz, who was a four-time All-American and a 2010 national champion at UW-La Crosse as well as a two-time state champion at Stewartville. Hackenmueller was teammates with Schmitz at UW-L and described his coaching style as the perfect complement to his.
"I think we're a pretty good team," Hackenmueller said. "Both guys I can really depend on in a lot of areas."
Hackenmueller also has a pair of wrestlers that he can count on: Kenyon-Wanamingo's Parker Dobrocky and Medford's Willie VonRuden, who both wrestled in the national championships last season. Dobrocky placed third at 133 pounds. Both are ranked in the top five in their respective weight class. Dobrocky is No. 4 at 141 pounds and VonRuden No. 5 at 157.
"Those two guys have been awesome from day one that I've been down here," Hackenmueller said. "They just don't miss a thing. It doesn't matter if it's on the mat or in the classroom or in the community. Those guys work their butt off and are super willing to help out any teammate. There just all-around good guys."
Those two are big reasons why RCTC is ranked 12th as it opens the season Saturday, hosting its annual Yellowjacket Open.
RCTC also gets a big boost from the return of NJCAA All-American Richie Hammonds, who didn't wrestle last year after placing third at the national championships two years ago. He, along with Chatfield's Cael Bartels and North Dakota State transfer and former Byron standout Mitchell Petersen, have the Yellowjackets thinking of a three-peat.
"I believe that we're going to be on track come January to win a national title," Hackenmueller said.
