One of the best prep wrestlers in state history walked off the mat for the final time on Saturday in Sioux Falls. Navarro Schunke of Brandon Valley finishes his high school career as a five-time state champion – the first in Class A to achieve such a feat.
Schunke defeated Watertown’s Micah Hach by a 6-2 decision in Saturday’s heavyweight ‘A’ championship match. Afterwards, the Lynx senior left his shoes on the mat, which signals it being his final bout with the sport. Schunke has already announced that he plans to play football next year for Kansas State.
“It’s a perfect ending really. Five state titles, end of the match – it’s a perfect ending really,” said Schunke. “I’m done competing. I might be at a practice every now and then. Other than that, I’m going to be done competing for good now, so, it’s been a good fifteen years.”
Fans voted for the heavyweights to be the featured match in Class A in the championship round. This put Schunke and Hach as the final match of the event.
“There’s no feeling like it, realistically. Just being able to look up at everyone in our section, and do it for them, every single kid that’s been with me for basically the whole part of the way, it’s a true honor to be honest,” explained Schunke. “It's just amazing. To be with the people I’ve been with throughout the entire way. To celebrate with them makes it so much better. Five state titles, it’s amazing in every way, but I’d rather have the team state titles than these ones.”
Only six wrestlers in state history have won five state individual wrestling titles. Two have six, Kirk Wallman (Freeman) and Logan Storley (Webster). Schunke is the first to ever win five in South Dakota’s top class. With a decade and a half of experience with the sport, Schunke reflects on the impact that the sport has had on him.
“Wrestling has put me really in the position to be able to go to college and do stuff that I want to be able to do. It’s made me ten times better at football, you know, feet-wise, hands-wise, everything else,” exclaimed Schunke. “But realistically, the best thing it gave me is the family and my mental toughness. There’s no tougher sport than wrestling, and I fully agree with that. Just the mentality aspect of it, nothing compares to it.”
As a team, Brandon Valley finishes this year’s state tournament as fifth place finishers. Throughout Schunke’s time with the Lynx, they’ve won three state team titles and one runner-up finish as well.
