Jupiter High wrestlers Aiden Alexander and Ryan Preisendorf competed in the state wrestling tournament at the Silver Spurs arena in Kissimmee on March 5-6.

Alexander, senior wrestler, recognized by the Sun Sentinel on March 27, put on a remarkable performance finishing third in the state. He wrestled six matches, and bounced back after a loss in the second one.

“I won my first match even though I was a little sloppy. In my second match, I lost to the state runner up, so it really upset me. I had to reset myself if I wanted to make it to finals,” Alexander said. “After my quarters match, I turned it on and did not lose another one.”

According to Alexander, wrestling requires strategy, contact and quick-thinking in order to defeat the opponent. Alexander understood the importance of this mentality in the sport.

“You have to mentally check in before you wrestle. You have to tell yourself you are going to win. I have been practicing for four years, so I have a lot of concentration when it comes to wrestling where I can flip on and off the switch,” Alexander said.

Preisendorf, junior wrestler, focused on remaining attentive to the match as well.  

“You are in this big stadium with a lot of distractions, you have to get your mind set. You have to focus on you, not just your opponent,” Preisendorf said. 

Preisendorf won one out of three matches at states,  facing the challenges of competing against older kids who weighed more, and finished in the top 12 wrestlers in Fla. 

“It was very good to get Ryan through to the state tournament this year. He made a little bit of noise there, but next year the experience he gained will allow him to make a lot of noise there,” Doug Rasmusson, wrestling head coach, said.

Rasmusson has coached wrestling at JHS for 26 years, football for 12 years, and weightlifting for five years. 

“I am retiring this year and will be passing on the head coach position to my youngest son, Hans. My oldest will continue as the JV assistant coach,” Rasmusson said. 

Alexander and Preisendorf feel fortunate to have had Rasmusson as their coach during their last years of high school. 

“He has always been there for us, he’s always there to teach us something new, and he always hypes us up,” Preisendorf said.