There’s no record, but Jake Anthonysz would certainly be in the conversation of most consistent wrestler ever in the Cassville program, and on Friday, he signed his name to grow from a Wildcat to a golden Norseman.
A three-sport athlete in football, wrestling and track, Anthonysz has left his largest impact on the grappling squad, and he will join the team at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College next season.
In 2021, Anthnonysz just missed the cut to qualify for state, taking fourth at 145 pounds in a COVIDconscientious sectional meet where only three qualified instead of the normal four out of districts. A year later, he moved up to 160 pounds and finished runner-up in Class 2, District 3 and went on to take fifth place in the state.
This season, the progress continued, as he moved to 165 pounds, again took second in the district but finished one spot higher, fourth, at state.
After his performance, Coach Nathan Fortner said he had been battling football injuries hindering his movements all season, but showed his character pushing through and being a role model for the underclassmen, including a trio of freshmen, at state for the first time.
That fight showed most in his match with undefeated eventual champion Jay Grenier, of Lafayette-St-Joseph, where he lost a 6-0 decision but was the only opponent at state Grenier did not pin.
Anthonysz said in moving to the next level, NEO had a familiarity he enjoyed.
“I’ve been to their camps in the past, and it seemed like a good college,” he said. “The coaches came to talk to me, so I went to really check it out. Because of the campus and the coaches, I think it’s a good call.”
While Anthonysz has plenty of accomplishments on the mat, like being a two-time conference champion in 2021 and 2023, it was the time outside the gym he enjoyed most.
“Staying with all my teammates on trips and watching them all wrestle and improve was my favorite part of wrestling in high school,” he said. “And, getting one last year to wrestle with Akhilleus [Arguelles] in our senior year and go to state one last time was great.”
Having that consistent familiarity in the Cassville program, its tournaments and his teammates, Anthonysz said he’s excited for a new adventure.
“I’m excited to go to a new environment with new people,” he said. “The wrestling will be different because it’s with new coaches and against new opponents.”
Fortner has frequently said one of Anthonysz’s best attributes is his work ethic, shown in his results over the last four years, and Anthonysz said that is the biggest key for young wrestlers looking to compete at the collegiate level.
“Work harder than anyone in the room,” he said. “To be one of the best, you have to be consistent, and one thing that helped me be consistent is being confident in everything I do in practice.”
Anthonysz is the son of Janna and Noel Anthonysz, and at NEO, he plans to major in business.
