Jesse Jantzen

Shoreham-Wading River High School

Shoreham,

New York

Impact Statement

“I try to go to every tournament to gain more experience and learn by wrestling and observing.” – Jesse Jantzen

Biography

It is the first year the NHSCA has presented this award. Jantzen’s dominating performance at the 11th annual Senior National High School Wrestling Championships, held March 24-26 at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., resulted in his unanimous selection as this year’s award winner. This year’s Senior Nationals attracted a record 797 competitors from 48 states, including a total of 53 entries in the weight class at which Jantzen competed, 140 pounds (competitors received a three-pound weight allowance).

“Athletes like Jesse Jantzen are one of the reasons these Championships are so gratifying,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “He has worked extremely hard to develop his skills and has become one of the best wrestlers ever in New York State. We are extremely proud to be honoring him.”

No individual stood out from the rest nationally as the 1999-2000 wrestling season began, but Jantzen put himself in front of the pack by completing, at least statistically, the most dominating career in the history of New York State wrestling. By winning the 145-pound state title the first weekend of March in Syracuse, Jantzen won his fourth state championship after placing third in the state as a seventh- and eighth-grader. No wrestler had ever won four state titles or placed six times in the 37-year history of the New York state tournament, but Jantzen accomplished both. Also selected the state tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler as a junior and senior, Jantzen finished his senior season with a 41-0 record and a career record of 215-3.

Jantzen was just as dominating in the Senior Nationals, allowing only two points in six matches as he piled up three pins, a major decision, and two technical falls, including a title-match technical fall in just 3 minutes, 17 seconds over Ohio state champion Nate Yetzer of Mansfield. Jantzen was voted the winner of the Jeff Reese Memorial Award as the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Also an outstanding student, Jantzen earned a 3.2 grade-point average and scored 1110 on the SAT. He will attend Harvard University in the fall.