Andrew HoweHowe, a graduate of Hanover Central High School in northwest Indiana, is a key component in a talent-rich freshman class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ranked second in the nation by InterMat (behind Big Ten rival Minnesota). In addition to Howe, other blue-chip recruits joining the Badgers this season: Trey Bertram (Woodbury, Minnesota), Jim Duffy (Naperville, Illinois), Tom Kelliher (Burnsville, Minnesota), Brad Nardick (Northbrook, Illinois), Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colorado), Travis Rutt (Belle Plain, Minnesota), Cole Schmitt (New Glarus, Wisconsin), and Ben Jordan (St. Paris, Ohio, son of Jim Jordan, two-time NCAA champ for Wisconsin in the 1980s).
However, even among these highly accomplished young wrestlers, Andrew Howe may be the one true freshman competing on the varsity team, as the Badgers' starter at 165 pounds. Even as a freshman, Howe is ranked seventh in his weight class by RevWrestling.com.
Great expectations
It was expected that Andrew Howe would make his debut as a Badger in the November 15 ACC/Big Ten Clash … but he was recovering from a knee injury, and did not compete. Once he's had time to recover, Howe is still expected to compete at 165.
Despite the knee injury, great things are expected of Andrew Howe.
In an entry in his blog at the official Wisconsin wrestling website early in November, head coach Barry Davis writes, "Our starting lineup is not set yet. A lot have people have asked about the freshmen and whether or not some of them are redshirting. We're not sure yet if all the freshmen are going to compete this year. Tyler Graff, Ben Jordan and Travis Rutt are all up in the air right now, but Andrew Howe will for sure wrestle for us at 165 pounds"
"He's head and shoulders above most other freshmen," according to Donny Pritzlaff, assistant coach at Wisconsin who earned two NCAA titles for the Badgers.
"(Howe) thrives under pressure," says Pritzlaff. "He's incredibly well-adjusted, which speaks volumes about his work ethic."
"He was here all summer. We helped him get ready for Fargo."
"He's ready in all respects -- wrestling-wise, academically, too."
Coach Pritzlaff continues, "(Howe's) not a vocal kid, but his leadership shows. He's among the hardest-working guys in the room."
"He brings a lot of energy to the room. There's a quiet confidence about him. A lot of kids respect that about him."
Prep near-perfection
You could say that wrestling is in Andrew Howe's genes. His dad Mike wrestled in high school and at Miami University (Ohio); his two older brothers, Jon and Eric, were also wrestlers. (In fact, Eric, who wrestled at Purdue, was a volunteer assistant at Hanover Central.) Andrew Howe took up the sport in first grade, and loved it from the start.
In high school, Howe compiled a nearly perfect 192-1 record; the one loss was in the 130-pound finals at the Indiana state championships. As a sophomore, Howe captured his first state title, at 140 pounds. The following year, he claimed his second state crown, this time at 152. As a senior, and captain of the Hanover Central team, Howe completed his prep career with his third Indiana state title, as a 160-pounder.
What's more, Andrew Howe was named the sole Indiana winner of the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. This honor, presented to one prep wrestler from each of the 49 states that offers high school wrestling, acknowledges excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service.
Andrew Howe won the 2008 Junior Nationals title in Fargo at 160 pounds (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)"The competition is intense at Fargo," according to Howe. "I had fallen short in the past, which makes the win even sweeter."
Working Overtime towards success
You could say that Andrew Howe's road to three Indiana high school state titles and a national championship in Fargo traveled through Naperville, Illinois, and the Overtime Wrestling Club.
Howe made the long trek from his home in Cedar Lake, Indiana to Overtime in west-suburban Chicago up to three or four times a week. All those miles -- not to mention the money spent on the Illinois Tollway -- apparently paid off for Howe. "Overtime helped me a huge, huge amount," says the Wisconsin freshman.
One could also say that Overtime Wrestling Club also played prominently in the journey from Indiana to the University of Wisconsin.
Sean Bormet (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)In addition to coaching Howe, Sean Bormet, owner of the nationally-respected Overtime facility, has coached Pritzlaff in his freestyle career … and told the Wisconsin assistant coach about the impressive wrestler from northwest Indiana whose style he thought would be a good fit for the Badger wrestling program.
"I wanted to stay close to home," discloses Howe. "My focus was on Big Ten schools."
"Donny started recruiting me. I liked him a lot."
"When I made my visit, I immediately fell in love with the campus … I hit it off with the coaches right away, too."
On, Wisconsin!
Ask Andrew Howe about the transition from Hanover Central High School -- where he was an honor roll student, earning all As and Bs -- to the University of Wisconsin, and he responds, "Academically, at times it's challenging. However, we're provided with excellent tutoring, study tables and assistance to help us succeed in the classroom."
"In terms of the transition wrestling-wise, it's really great," Howe continues. "Everything's really structured here. The coaches watch us very closely, give very specific guidance that makes a real difference …"
"In practice, we're pushed a lot harder. It's much more intense. Our workout partners provide a much higher level of competition."
"I was hoping to start right away," Howe continues. "The coaches told me, 'We'll see if you're ready.'"
"They now think I'm ready to go."
Style and substance
Despite growing in high school from 130 to 160 pounds, the 5'8" Howe has maintained the same wrestling style: "I've always wanted to go through the (other) guy, be as intense as possible, beat the guy up … be powerful, stay on top of him."
Donny PritzlaffWhen asked to describe Andrew Howe's on-the-mat style, coach Pritzlaff responds, "Exciting. Constantly moving forward. Bang and snap. In your face."
"He's technically sound, making adjustments as necessary."
"He has an incredible passion for the sport."
"It doesn't take much to motivate him. He has an inner drive that's second to none."
"As we get into the season, he wants to do his best," adds Pritzlaff. "He wants to be the best on the big stage -- the Big Tens, NCAAs."
Those statements line up with Andrew Howe's stated goals: "I want to be a multi-time conference and NCAA champ … In the off-season, I want to continue to compete in freestyle as much as possible. I want to make a couple runs at the Olympics."
The freshman 165-pounder is still in his first semester of college, and has not yet declared a major. However, his ultimate dream: "I'd love to be a coach."
"Being around the sport the rest of my life would be great, helping others achieve success," says Howe. "All my coaches are great people. They've showed me a world of wrestling, and so much about how to be a genuine human being."
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now