RAPID CITY — A slow build to a state wrestling championship was worth the wait for Noah Hutmacher.
Chamberlain’s standout senior had placed third and second in consecutive state tournament appearances, but on Friday night, there was nothing stopping Hutmacher from going out on top.
“Losing in the semis my sophomore year and the finals last year, this one felt great,” Hutmacher said.
The breakthrough came in emphatic fashion, with Hutmacher pinning Sturgis’ Zak Juelfs in one minute and 19 seconds to claim the Class A 220-pound championship. It was Hutmacher’s fourth win by fall in as many matches at the state tournament and his 35th pin overall in a 38-1 season.
“My plan was to stay aggressive and not let him in my head, then, do what I do best — pin,” Hutmacher said. “I know that I’m a hammer on top and I want to be the shooter. And once I’m on top, that’s when I go to work.”
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From the initial whistle, Hutmacher displayed a certain ferocity, mauling and overwhelming Juelfs to record a takedown within the first 20 seconds. Once in control, Hutmacher simply did what he’s done the entire season. In total, Hutmacher only needed to be on the mat for 9 minutes and 42 seconds during the state tournament.
“I said (to Hutmacher), ‘It’s a six-minute match. Approach it like a six-minute match, but if it ends before then, so be it. … Do not let him live in your world. If you do what you do, he can’t hang with you,’” said Cubs’ coach John Donovan. “And he proved it.”
During Thursday’s matches, Donovan pulled Hutmacher aside after a win and told him he needed to slow down. While there was little slow about the 79-second title match, Donovan identified a big difference in the two performances.
“Thursday’s fast was out of control,” Donovan said. “This was fast, but in control and he knew exactly what he wanted to do.”
Hutmacher became the first Chamberlain wrestler to win a state title since Gabe Skustad in 2021. The year prior, Hutmacher’s older brother, Nash, won the last of his four state titles in 2020, and Donovan was happy to see Noah get his signature moment on the state’s biggest stage.
“You want to see him become his own, and he did that,” Donovan said. “Noah is Noah, and he’s a whole different animal. He won one for himself and good for him because he’s a heck of an athlete.”
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