Bollenbacher ready for state encore

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

For the second consecutive year, Van Wert’s Breese Bollenbacher will conclude his season at the OHSAA Wrestling State Tournament at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

Wrestling in the 285 pound weight class, Bollenbacher qualified for this year’s state tournament by placing third at last weekend’s Division II Norwalk district, which is widely known as a meat grinder of a district. He’s the only wrestler from all of Van Wert County to qualify for this year’s tournament.

Qualifying for state is tough enough but qualifying for state in back-to-back season is something the majority of wrestlers aren’t able to achieve. In fact, in Van Wert High School history, only three wrestlers have qualified for multiple state tournaments – Brad Russell, Jason Roush and Gabe Steyer, who each made it three times.

To make matters more challenging this year, Bollenbacher has been dealing with an knee injury since early January.

“I think this year was quite a bit harder to qualify for state, because I had an injury that could have ended my senior season, but I decided to push through and try to make it and I did,” Bollenbacher explained. “It feels very rewarding to be a back-to-back state qualifier. It makes me feel like I get to cash in all the hard work I’ve put in throughout my wrestling career.”

Breese has been wrestling with a torn ACL and meniscus since January 8, head coach Ben Collins said.

“He has had to overcome his body to be able to compete at the high level where he is now,” Collins stated. “It has shown our team that even though adversity strikes you have to work through it and overcome it. He has shown his teammates that it is ok to not be 100 percent, but you can still be successful and have to put in the work when you don’t feel good.

“We tell our wrestlers that there are going to be days where it is going to be hard and you have to do your job when you don’t feel like it,” Collins added. “That is just one of the many life skills that wrestling teaches you.”

Despite the injury, Bollenbacher was able to achieve another milestone: 100 career victories. He did that with a 15-1 major decision at the Division II sectional tournament at Defiance, a springboard to the Norwalk district. Entering the state tournament, his season record is 27-8 and his career record is 104-55.

While looking back at his time coaching Bollenbacher, Collins had nothing but praise for him and his positive attitude.

“The best thing about Breese is his personality and what he brings to wrestling everyday,” Collins said. :I am sure I can count on one hand how many times he hasn’t been happy or having a good day over the last three years. He is genuinely a happy person and that pays off a lot in a long grueling season like wrestling. That is also his best leadership quality that he brings. When others see him being happy it spreads and that is a great attribute during wrestling season.”

“We have a very long season and wrestling is never easy,” he added. “It is easy for our kids to get a lull sometimes and not want to face the grind that is wrestling season. Breese’s happiness helps offset some of that.”

Last year, Bollenbacher went 1-2 at the state tournament, with the win coming via a pin in an early consolation round. While not the results he had hoped for, the time on state mats was very valuable.

“Something I learned at the state tournament last year is that I have what it takes to be there,” he explained. “I deserve my spot and I have to leave it all on the mat this year.”

Bollenbacher isn’t the only state returner at 285 pounds, formerly called the heavyweight class. He noted seven of this year’s state qualifiers are returning heavyweight qualifiers from the 2025-2026 season.

“Of the 16 qualifiers this year, I have only been able to wrestle three of them, but I have been studying and preparing to wrestle any of them to the best of my ability,” Bollenbacher said. “I have to thank the people who have helped me get there the wrestling coaching staff, my family, and everyone else who has supported me throughout the years.”

“Coach Terrin Contreras and Coach Brad Allmandinger work very closely with Breese and all of our upper weights,” Collins said. “Coach Contreras was a successful heavyweight for us at Van Wert and Coach Allmandinger was a successful upperweight at Van Wert. They have both been to the highest level of our sport and have helped Breese along the way.”

“Coach Allmandinger was a middle school coach for us when Breese was there and has moved up with him,” he added. “Coach Allmandinger and Breese have a very close relationship and they trust each other and know each other well. Coach Allmandinger is the guy at practice who is always working with Breese and has been one of the most important parts of Breese’s success.”

Bollenbacher’s first match will be against Caledonia River Valley’s Drew Goldberg (40-8). Division II wrestling action is scheduled to begin at 2:20 p.m. Friday. The tournament will run through Sunday.