Summerland's Jesse Thiele reaches 100-win mark on the mat

Jesse Thiele earned the 100th win of his wrestling career as the Bobcats went 1-1 at a home triangular on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Thiele joined an elite group of wrestlers to make Bobcat history. He's the second Summerland wrestler to secure 100 wins, according to Coach Dan Roeber.

"We have had a handful of wrestlers get close, and for Jesse to accomplish it with a younger team and show them what it takes to get to that point, it just helps to build the culture of hard work and determination we are looking for," Roeber said.

Thiele picked up win number 99 in the first dual, when he pinned Trace Kaupp, North Central, in under a minute.

In the final dual, against Elgin Public/Pope John, it took Thiele :56 to pin Jack Barlow.

A crowd of friends and family erupted, flashing cards printed with '100' and unveiling a banner showing the Summerland senior in action.

For Thiele, the win brought a mixture of emotions. "There was definitely some worry because everyone was counting on it happening Tuesday night, so I definitely stressed about it," Thiele said.

Thiele was appreciative of "personal cheering section" who were able to watch history happen, live and in person.

"It was a super good feeling for me to reach 100 wins, especially with my whole family there and some close friends," he said.

Roeber, who has taught and coached Thiele and his brothers Eli and Alex, said the accomplishment may give Jesse some "bragging rights."

"I know they are very competitive with each other and for Alex to be the first Bobcat wrestler to reach that milestone last year, I'm sure there was some extra talking and motivation going on at home," Roeber said. "I'm also excited to see how many more we can get and with the younger wrestlers coming up to see it, to push, to beat that mark. For sure, the Thieles have left their marks on the Bobcat wrestling team.

During his freshman season, Thiele competed in the 120-pound division. As a sophomore, he moved up to the 132-pound class.

"Until my brother got injured, then I took his spot at 126."

Last year, he returned to 132 and this year, has competed in the 144-pound division.

"My normal weight has always been 10 to 20 pounds heavier than what I wrestle," Thiele said.

Making weight is one challenge wrestlers expect, but Thiele said the most challenging part of the sport is the hard work it takes to stay in shape.

"The conditioning is the hardest in wrestling opposed to every other sport I've been in before. Then there is cutting weight in order to wrestle a certain place so you can fill out your team, while also getting set up better for the year. After all the hard work, there is loss at some point and it is really hard to deal with because it seems like you worked your butt off for nothing," he said.

What's the easiest part of wrestling? Thiele offered two replies.

"Getting close with your TeamMates or eating food after weigh-ins," he said.

Has wrestling been easy?

"The actual wrestling aspect has never seemed easy, but it definitely gets easier as I've gotten older," Thiele said.

Roeber said Thiele is the lone senior on the squad and while reaching the century mark is a big accomplishment, "It is not our end goal and we we're glad to get it and continue to improve towards the bigger goals."

As the season winds down, with district competition on the horizon, Thiele will adjust his focus and take it one match at a time. He isn't one to shy away from hard work. He set a goal to reach the century mark in the win category and fought hard to achieve it.

"It is not something that everyone gets," he said. "It is, however, very achievable with as many meets as we've attended throughout my career."