By Rich Winter

605 Sports

CHAMBERLAIN — Class A’s No. 1 ranked 220-pound wrestler Noah Hutmacher doesn’t waste any time on the mat. 

At Saturday’s Battler Invitational in Gettysburg, the Chamberlain senior wrestled three matches, with none of them going longer than 45 seconds. He pinned Class B No. 2 ranked Grey Gilbert of Harding County in 26 seconds and then pinned Class B No. 1 Aiden Schoenhard of Mobridge/Pollock in 44 seconds to win the tournament title. 

“I step on to the mat and my mindset is to stay aggressive, don’t let up and keep my foot on the gas,” Hutmacher said. 

Once an opponent is on his back the match is usually over in a matter of seconds. 

“I’m just thinking about keeping them there and making sure they don’t move,” he said. 

While the South Dakota sports community is well aware of the wrestling exploits of Noah’s older brother Nash, a four time state heavyweight champion, the younger Hutmacher has taken his own path to wrestling excellence. 

He finished third in 195 pounds at the 2021 state tournament and is coming off a runner-up 220-pound finish in 2022. There is only one more rung on the ladder for Hutmacher and he’s been thinking about a state title during every grueling workout since last year’s state tournament.

“At the start of the season my only goal was to chase a gold medal,” he said. “I lifted throughout the summer and went to Mitchell every Tuesday and Thursday to train with Dakota Wesleyan head coach Martin Mueller.” 

The hard work seems to be paying off as Hutmacher is 18-1 heading into Friday’s duals against Belle Fourche and Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood.

The son of Joe and Laura Hutmacher has pinned every opponent he’s faced except Brandon Valley’s Navarro Schunke whom he faced in the finals of the Dan Pansch Invitational. 

“I was just kinda chasing some stronger competition,” he said. “He’s a very talented kid and I kinda got my butt kicked (lost 7-0). I gave up a lot of weight but he’s a true heavyweight.” 

Hutmacher’s daily wrestling routine includes mixing it up with Class A No. 4 ranked Canyon Burkard every day in practice. 

“Practice partners are everything,” he said. “Canyon pushes me every day and helps me improve my skills and my technique.” 

Wrestling didn’t come as easy for Noah as it did for his older brother. He’s had to claw and scratch his way to the top of his craft and he says that journey is something he’ll appreciate if that elusive gold medal comes his way. 

“A state title for me would mean that all of my hard work throughout the years has paid off,” he said. 

A Class 11A all-state football player in 2022, Hutmacher will take his athletic talents to Northern State this fall where he is projected to play defensive end for the Wolves.