By Joe Shinners This is the time that drives Jesse Thielke. Talk to him after a match when it matters. The kid is focused, driven and not in a mood to discuss pleasantries. There’s still work to do. Sure, he’s got the national ranking (top 10 in his weight class in several national polls), national age group titles (too many to list), USA wrestling national team experience last summer in his age group and two individual Division 1 state tournament titles to his credit already. Make no mistake about it, however. This is a time when Thielke wants to win big. He wants to win in front of a big crowd in his state. He wants to win in front of those who have always had high expectations of him. It’s been that way since he was only a youth wrestler who won almost every tournament and then burst on the high school scene as many young kids do with high expectations. The only difference between the other young kids and Thielke is that Thiekle delivers when it matters. Thielke, the Germantown junior wrestling sensation, will put all that on the line at the individual state wrestling tournament, which his scheduled to be held from Thursday through Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison. The tournament begins with Division 1 preliminary matches at 3 p.m. Thursday. The Division 1 quarterfinals are scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Preliminary matches in Divisions 2 and 3 begin at 7:15 p .m. Thielke, with a record of 43-0 this year and a career record of 132-1 and the two state championships to his credit, is to face Hudson sophomore Tanner Owens (35-8) in the preliminaries at 125 pounds. In the quarterfinals, he will face the winner of the match between Oconomowoc senior Zach Mommaerts (42-2) and Greenfield senior Steve Fischer (38-6). Thielke’s also chasing history as he tries to keep alive his hopes of being only the second four-time Division 1 state champion. Thielke won the 112 D1 title as a freshman with a record of 46-0. He won the 125 title a year ago with a record of 43-1. The only other wrestler to win four D1 titles was River Falls’ Kevin Black (1995-1998), who went on to an All-American career at Wisconsin. Thielke is hot on Black’s trail. “My goal is to go out there and win state titles,” said Thielke after he demolished the field at the Sussex Hamilton Regional. “I love it. This is my passion. My goal is to win titles.” There have been 13 wrestlers to win three D1state titles in the tournament’s history, and 47 overall. There have been 10 four-time state champions, with only Black reaching the plateau in D1. Germantown first-year coach Casey Gabrielson, previously the school’s record holder in most statistics, has seen Thielke overtake all the coach’s records at the school and mature this season. Thielke’s victory total of 132 is the most in school history as is his 305 takedowns and 87 pins. He also holds single-season school records for victories (46), pins (34) and takedowns (124). “He’s become a team leader,” said Gabrielson. “He’s got that team aspect to him. But this time of year it’s all about him. It’s not about records. It’s about him winning a state title. That’s what he wants.” Thielke’s only loss in high school was to Arrowead junior Jake Sueflohn by a 7-6 decision in the sectional finals a year ago. Theilke turned the tables on Sueflohn, also nationally ranked and the top-ranked wrestler at 135 this year, by beating him, 8-5, in the D1 125 state final a year ago. This year, Thieke was pushed by Port Washington junior Justin Meins (34-6) at the North Shore Conference meet. Thielke, battling the flu at the time, emerged with a 9-5 victory but still gave up his first penalty point for stalling in high school as Meins pushed him in the match. Thielke takes it all in stride, win or lose. “It’s always something new,” said Thielke. “It’s always a learning experience. I was a little disappointed in the conference finals. There’s always a challenge. I just take it one match at a time.” Go Back to the Home Page Read More Articles by Joe../../../08-09_Articles.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1