Will Van Epps was in relatively unfamiliar territory.
He hadn't lost a match in nearly two months. The senior's best wrestling of his illustrious prep career was reserved for the back half of the 2023-24 season.
Van Epps stormed to a section title and a No. 2 seed in the individual state tournament.
"I believe The Clash was the last one," Van Epps recallled of his last defeat, which came at a Jan. 5-6 tournament in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. "I wrestled a guy from Wisconsin. I got first takedown, but he put me right to my back off a fireman’s."
Van Epps finished the season with a 44-2 record, so scenarios like that were rare. A less than 5% likelihood kind of rare.
Yet, two months later, Van Epps' hot streak was seconds away from being extinguished.
The Kenyon-Wanamingo senior trailed 3-0 late in the 215-pound, Class 1A state title match to No. 1 seed Jacob Schimek (49-2), a senior from St. Clair/Mankato Loyola.
Schimek got a point for an escape and two for a takedown within the first minute of the third period. He was sitting pretty.
Van Epps broke the shutout with an escape with around 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
Van Epps gained a stalling point and shocked Schimek and the rest of the Xcel Energy Center crowd with a last-second takedown.
Not all roads to a state title are paved with gold. Most champions find themselves on the razor's edge at some point. K-W head coach Nate Lexvold has impressed upon Van Epps to keep going when adversity hit.
"He never, ever gave up. That’s something we talk about every day. Never, ever give up," Lexvold, a 2008 undefeated 135-pound state champ for K-W, said. "We’ve seen it many times from past state champions, they never gave up. They came back and they won their match and they were state champion. That was the exact same thing. He never, ever stopped wrestling and he came out on top."
Van Epps is normally a cool, calm character. Even he couldn't help but indulge in the sweet adrenaline of the moment. He let loose shouts of 'Let's go!' with arms raised and eyes affixed on the K-W faithful in full throat cheering on the first Knight to win a state title for the first time since 2019.
Five years ago featured a triple-dip of K-W winners Jeron Matson, Seth Brossard and Tyler Ryan.
Van Epps became the 10th different K-W wrestler to win one of the program's now 16 state titles.
Van Epps hadn't wrestled Schimek prior to their state title matchup. He and his coaching staff relied on a strategy that utilized Van Epps' conditioning and athleticism.
"At the beginning of the match and even before the match, it was just tire him out, gas tank, everything like that," Van Epps said. "Listen to the coaches throughout the whole thing. It paid off in the end."
Schimek is off to wrestle at NCAA Division II Augsburg University.
Van Epps is off to play baseball at D-II Minnesota State University, Mankato. The talented tri-sport athlete ended one third of his prep sporting career in style.
"It’s awesome. I give all the thanks to coaches, practice partners, teammates, coaches, everything like that," Van Epps said. "They all prepared me for something like this. It’s been awesome."
Junior teammate Charlie Koncur is a regular practice partner of Van Epps. Alumni on the coaching staff also give him some looks on the mat.
"Most of us bigger boys have been going together, but I’ll roll around with Chad [Lexvold], I’ll roll around with Matt [Lexvold] and some of the coaches, too. We have a couple guys come in throughout the year, so that’s always helped."
Not only was it a first state title for Van Epps, but it was the first for Nate Lexvold as head coach. Lexvold has carried on K-W's winning tradition in his half-decade at the helm. This was one more line to add to his coaching resume.
Van Epps' state title headlined an extraordinary week for the Knights. They placed six of their eight state entrants on the award podium to earn all-state recognition that comes with a top-six finish.
The senior class continued from Van Epps to 145-pound runner up Gavin Johnson and 152-pound sixth-place finisher Dillon Bartel. Trent Foss made a state tournament appearance at 139.
Junior Reed Sommer dazzled in his tournament debut, advancing to the 121-pound finals as the No. 8 ranked wrestler, per The Guillotine, in the class. Masyn Hanson didn't place at 127, but he split his four matches as a state debutant.
Sophomores Bryan Jacobson and Ryan LaCanne each took fourth place.
The Knights won seven of their eight first-round matches.
Van Epps has been wrestling with many of his varsity teammates going back to elementary school.
A youth team title he won in sixth grade at the Civic Center in Rochester is one of his fonder memories.
Seeing so many of his teammates find success alongside him bolstered what was already a huge week for him, individually.
"They’re special. I love these guys," Van Epps said. "It’s been a ride, for sure."
VAN EPPS' STATE TITLE PATH
First round: Van Epps defeated St. James Area senior Julio Esqueda (32-18) by fall at 3:25.
Quarterfinals: Van Epps defeated Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City senior Isaiah Renne (46-9) by 10-5 decision.
Semifinals: Van Epps defeated Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa junior Carson Gilbert by 3-1 decision.
Finals: Van Epps defeated St. Clair/Mankato Loyola senior Jacob Schimek by 4-3 decision.
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