RAPID CITY — Owen Hansen was inevitable.
Whether or not everyone else acknowledged it was immaterial. The Burke/Gregory senior knows what he’s capable of putting out on the wrestling mat.
Hansen went out on top, cruising to a third-straight Class B title with a 54-second fall over Haeden Jorgenson, of Webster Area, on Friday night. The win capped a 43-0 season and Hansen’s second title at 132 pounds, having won at 126 in 2021. For his efforts, Hansen was named Class B's most outstanding wrestler, as voted on by the South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association.
“I know deep down that I’m the best at what I do. I truly believe that; I genuinely think that I’m the guy,” Hansen said. “I use my confidence with everything I do. Some people may think it’s cocky, but I put in the work and believe in myself.”
In his last performance as a prep wrestler, Hansen made the most of those 54 seconds.
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It took him less than 15 seconds to record a takedown. Then, he immediately cut Jorgenson loose so he could do it again, which he did in just eight seconds. This time though, the time for gamesmanship was over, as Hansen promptly turned his opponent over and expedited his trip to the podium.
“It was the last high school match ever, so I wanted to have fun,” Hansen said of the sequence. “I wanted to give it my all and leave nothing on the mat.
“I know I’m not going to get taken down; that’s just not going to happen," he continued. “I just had to wrestle my stuff and I knew I’d be totally fine.”
All told, three of Hansen's four state tournament matches ended by fall in 82 seconds or less, the lone exception being a 9-4 decision over Canton's Ashton Keller in the semifinals.
Even with a state title on the line, it would’ve been hard to differentiate between Hansen’s demeanor and approach on Friday to that of a dual in December. It was just business as usual on the way to becoming the fourth wrestler from either Burke or Gregory to win three state titles, joining Burke’s Wayne Willuweit (1971-73), Gregory’s George Grubbs (1972-73, 75) and Nate Hansen (2001-03).
Hansen was one of a trio of Class B wrestlers pursuing a championship three-peat this season alongside Canton’s Ayson Rice and Philip Area’s Burk Blasius, and all three reached the feat.
“Winning a state title is awesome and every state title is special,” Hansen said. “I love my coaches, family, and friends, so it’s sad that my high school career is coming to an end.”
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