Former Hastings Wrestler Ian Pepple was instrumental in the Raiders comeback, 33-32 championship win over St. Michael/Albertville (STMA) at the 2023 MSHSL State Wrestling Championship. STMA jumped out to a dominating 32-9 lead when Pepple won his match by a 3-1 decision. Pepple’s victory was the first in a string of Raider wins to claw their way back for the emotional come from behind team win.
Pepple graduated in 2023 and went on to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Now in his sophomore year, Pepple has earned a number of accolades for the current wrestling season, aside from being an exemplary human being on and off the mat, he earned two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) awards. Kwik Trip Athlete of the Week and Kwik Trip John Peterson Wrestler of the Meet. He was also the WIAC Champion at 197 pounds which awarded him with an NCAA Championship qualification for the Division III tournament. In the DIII tournament, Pepple entered as an unranked qualifier where he finished in sixth place which also earned him the title of All-American.
Congratulations Ian!