MONROE - The adrenaline rush of having qualified for the WIAA Division 2 state tournament hasn't worn off for Monroe High School junior Hayden Arneson.
"It's amazing," said Arneson, who is a first-time state qualifier at 195 pounds. "I just worked as hard as I could. It was totally worth it. Cousins I didn't even know I had are congratulating me. You get more famous. You get more known."
Arneson (29-13) has been ranked most of the season. After placing seventh at the Bi-State Classic, Arneson has gained momentum and is ranked No. 9 in the latest rankings.
The favorite to make a run to the state championship match at 195 is Amery senior Bennett Paulson. Paulson, who is ranked No. 1, was a state champion at 182 last year and enters state this year with a 40-2 mark.
Arneson will wrestle sixth-ranked Southern Door junior Tory Jandrin (43-11) in a preliminary match. For Arneson, it's all about establishing the right mentality when he takes the mat.
"I just can't look at his record," he said. "I can't get all nervous. I have to go out there with a good attitude and know I'm going to win. My dad always says go 999 miles per hour. My dad has always been a big inspiration for me. He does it because he wants me to do good. I only get four years to wrestle, and I could get hurt next year."
If Arneson wins his first match, he would wrestle fourth-ranked Sheboygan Falls senior Dustin Setzer (35-8) in a quarterfinal match on Friday.
"My expectation is to try to place," he said. "I just want to wrestle my hardest. I don't want to have any regrets."
"It's amazing," said Arneson, who is a first-time state qualifier at 195 pounds. "I just worked as hard as I could. It was totally worth it. Cousins I didn't even know I had are congratulating me. You get more famous. You get more known."
Arneson (29-13) has been ranked most of the season. After placing seventh at the Bi-State Classic, Arneson has gained momentum and is ranked No. 9 in the latest rankings.
The favorite to make a run to the state championship match at 195 is Amery senior Bennett Paulson. Paulson, who is ranked No. 1, was a state champion at 182 last year and enters state this year with a 40-2 mark.
Arneson will wrestle sixth-ranked Southern Door junior Tory Jandrin (43-11) in a preliminary match. For Arneson, it's all about establishing the right mentality when he takes the mat.
"I just can't look at his record," he said. "I can't get all nervous. I have to go out there with a good attitude and know I'm going to win. My dad always says go 999 miles per hour. My dad has always been a big inspiration for me. He does it because he wants me to do good. I only get four years to wrestle, and I could get hurt next year."
If Arneson wins his first match, he would wrestle fourth-ranked Sheboygan Falls senior Dustin Setzer (35-8) in a quarterfinal match on Friday.
"My expectation is to try to place," he said. "I just want to wrestle my hardest. I don't want to have any regrets."
