Members of the 2021-22 Blue Earth Area wrestling squad are pictured above, front row left to right: Timmy Nagel, Cale Borris, Cooper Peterson, Kyren Sunken, Carson Sturtz, Angel Martinez. Middle row, left to right: Nick Nelson, Gabe Smith, Mateaus Sanchez, Blair Lunz, Caleb Langager. Back row, left to right; Parker Meyers, Kade Gaydon, Kean Hicks, Cory Kitchel, Adam Schavey, Kale Frank. The head coach for BEA is Dan Eckhardt. He is assisted by Travis Krinke, Jake Lee, and Zack Buseman. After hosting the BEA Invitational on Dec. 4, the Bucs head to Mapleton on Dec. 7 for a quadrangular. BEA hosts Fairmont/MCW on Dec. 10 and New Ulm on Dec. 14. They will participate in the Redwood Valley Invitational on Dec. 18.

The Blue Earth Area wrestling team returns 17 letter winners to the 2021-22 team.

Seniors Kean Hicks, Adam Schavey and juniors Nick Nelson and Parker Meyers have been selected as the captains of the squad.

“We have a total of 27 guys out this season so we will be able to fill all of the weights and still put together a nice junior-varsity squad,” first-year head coach Dan Eckhardt says. “Of course, we have to stay healthy and avoid injury.”

Eckhardt notes the team will be short-handed when they head to Mapleton on Dec. 7, for a triangular meet against Maple River/United South Central and New Ulm.

“We have some early season injuries,” Eckhardt notes. “We will not be at full strength that night.”

The wrestlers had their first competition on Sat. Dec. 4, when they hosted the Maher Invitational.

“It is just fun to be out on the mat again knowing people will be able to come out again and watch the meets,” Eckhardt comments. “Last year only parents were able to attend the meets because of COVID protocols.”

Although it is his first year at the helm of the BEA program, Eckhardt had been an assistant coach for the Bucs the past four years after spending one year as a volunteer coach.

His coaching staff is filled with former Buccaneers.

Travis Krinke, Jake Lee and Zach Buseman are Eckhardt’s assistants.

All four coaches not only wrestled for BEA, they were all State Tournament qualifiers as individuals. Krinke was a state champ his senior year and Lee brought home a second place finish his final year in high school.

“I am very happy to have these guys on board,” Eckhardt says. “They are instrumental in helping coach these guys and they bring a wealth of knowledge about wrestling with them.”

The fact the entire coaching staff is made up of BEA graduates is something Eckhardt is very pleased with.

“We were all part of the program. We know the rich history of wrestling in Blue Earth,” Eckhardt shares. “It is something which is important to each one of us. My being a part of the wrestling program as an athlete helped lead me back here to coach.”

Make no mistake, Eckhardt also enjoys the strategy of the sport in trying to align the wrestlers to get the most favorable matchups.

It was Eckhardt who suggested the strategy of moving some wrestlers around before last season’s Section semi-final contest against Medford.

“Wirtj (retired head coach Randy Wirtjes) and Pfaff (retired assistant coach Dave Pfaffinger) backed me all the way,” Eckhardt recalls. “I was sweating pretty good. I did not want to be responsible for a strategy which would have been Randy’s last meet.”

However, the strategy worked and the Bucs defeated the Tigers 33-27 to move on to the Section finals.

“You can overthink things sometimes,” he adds. “There are times when you just have to throw the guys out on the mat and see what happens.”

Eckhardt says this year’s squad is a good group of kids.

“They are willing to work hard and they are committed,” he says. “They have shown improvement from when we went to summer camp back in June.”

He also talked about what he expects from his team.

“We expect our wrestlers to go out on the mat and be the aggressor,” he notes. “They also better be in good shape.”

Eckhardt says he looks for Fairmont and Jackson County Central to be the top teams in the Big South Conference.

“Medford and Maple River/USC will be tough teams to deal with in the Section,” Eckhardt comments. “Kenyon-Wanamingo is no longer in our Section and Madelia/ Truman has taken their place.”

In addition to coaching, Eckhardt also farms east of Blue Earth and is a substitute teacher at BEA. His wife, Brittany, also teaches at BEA.

“It will be nice having fans again after last year,” Eckhardt remarks. “The Minnesota State High School League just informed coaches everything is still a go for having the State Tournament back at the Xcel Energy Center this season; that is exciting news for wrestling fans.”