Glencoe-Silver Lake/Lester Prairie wrestlers have a motto:

“There is never not coming ready, not trying as hard as you can, not giving your best. A champion simply cannot identify with that kind of approach to sport or life. A match is a match. A practice is a practice. At both, you come ready, you try hard and you do the very best you can. There is just focus and effort to get the job done. There really is no other way to become a true champion.”

Through 25 matches this season, Panther sophomore Alex Jenson embodies the qualities of a true champion.

He currently has an unbeaten record of 25-0 entering tonight’s dual with Annandale/Maple Lake.

“It’s been pretty sweet. I never thought I’d be 25-0. This is definitely been the best run in my career. I feel this experience will help me heading into sections,” Jenson said.

His coach, Lance Wurm, said Jenson has come a long ways from even a season ago. His strides in the wrestling room has turned him into a wrestler looking to make big things happen this season.

“From this year to last year he’s picked it up in the room and lifted more and become physically stronger. When you become a sophomore you get that crave for sports and want to do more. He’s starting to get more hungry with each win,” Wurm said.

After finishing third at sections as an eighth-grader and fifth last season, Jenson is eager for another shot at the state tournament.

Two years ago, Jenson was one match from his first state appearance, but he came up short in a 4-3 loss to Mike Knisley of Litchfield in the true second match.

Last year, Jenson lost to Watertown-Mayer’s Brandon Heinrich 5-3 in the section semifinals. He finished the season with a record of 25-9 and earned a spot on the Leader All-Area Team.

This year, Jenson might be the top seed in the 130-pound weight class.

“I thought I’d make it eighth grade, but came up a little short. I feel pretty good about it this year. I really don’t look at who’s out there. I just go out and wrestle,” he said.

His 25-0 start has also elevated him into the top-10 rankings at 130 in Class AA on TheGuillotine. He was No. 9 in the latest rankings released Jan. 11. He also is inching closer to the 100-win milestone with 89 so far in his career.

“I thought I’d never be ranked, and here I am 25-0 and ninth in the state in my weight class. How cool?” Jenson said.

To read more about Jenson, check out Thursday's print edition on newsstands right now.

Eric Kraushar is the sports editor at the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sports@hutchinsonleader.com [2].