The 12th Annual Kirby Symes Ellsworth Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will see four wrestlers etch their names into the Panther history books. Randy Gunderson, Jonathan Hart, Andy Matzek and Corey Voelker will each be inducted into the Hall of Fame, being honored alongside the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 Team State Championship team.

The ceremony will be held at The Bluffs in Hager City with a social hour at 4 p.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. April 11. All are welcome with tickets costing $35 per plate. Ticket inquiries can be emailed to markdmatzek@gmail.com.

Randy Gunderson

Gunderson, a 1971 graduate, wrestled for Ellsworth in high school, but prides himself more so on the work done after graduation.
“If you’ve ever wrestled, you know two things are guaranteed: you’re going to sweat… and you’re going to learn something about yourself you didn’t know before,” the Hall of Fame program reads. “Tonight, we don’t just honor champions. We honor the standard they set. And that standard lives on every time a young wrestler steps into that circle.”

Gunderson has continued to be active in the program beyond high school, taking youth wrestlers to tournaments throughout the area including his son Jeremy and fellow Hall of Famer Mark Matzek. That crew’s senior year? Well, they went out and won a State title together.

After they graduated, Gunderson used his spare time to become a USA National referee, eventually officiating the Olympic Team Trials.

Gunderson is full of stories from his time with Ellsworth wrestling, including his senior year at heavyweight.
“Back then, heavyweight was unlimited. Unlimited meant unlimited. It also meant being force-fed two meals followed by a gallon of water before weigh-ins — courtesy of none other than Kirby Symes himself,” the program reads. “For a short, fat guy, that wasn’t exactly a competitive advantage. I’m sure Kirby would chuckle remembering the time I wrestled a 325-pound kid from Eau Claire who tossed me so high in the air that Kirby later said I was about level with the basketball hoops. For the record — I didn’t win.”

Jonathan Hart

Hart, who has lived in Texas for 20 years, is thrilled to return to Ellsworth for the ceremony for the first time in years. He tried a lot of hobbies before landing on wrestling, but the 2004 graduate found his passion when he gave wrestling a try.

“I’m very excited. It’s pretty incredible. It’s a tremendous honor, especially considering it’s Ellsworth wrestling. They have an amazing program, a lot of fantastic wrestlers throughout its history,” Hart said.

Over four years as a varsity starter, Hart racked up over 100 wins, at 189 and 215 pounds, served as team captain in his senior year, battled through a football knee injury to an undefeated wrestling season and won Bi-State and State Tournaments.

“Wrestling is a very big commitment. You do a lot of practice, you do a lot of conditioning and try to be very open to the whole process,” Hart said. “Try to always be pursuing growth.

Hart, nicknamed Rex by his fellow teammates and coaches, still looks back fondly to the days of wrestling for Ellsworth. He thanked his head coach Jack Radabaugh, the rest of the coaching staff, his family, including his brother who wrestled at Ellsworth and his teammates for helping to make practice fun.
“My favorite part of wrestling was actually practicing with my friends every day,” Hart said. “The wrestling community of Ellsworth in general, everyone was very supportive.”

Carson Huppert, the team’s current head coach, got to make the call to his former teammate to tell him he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, a moment that meant a lot to Hart.

Andy Matzek

Matzek began wrestling in middle school, inspired by his older brother Kenny. He worked for everything he got, battling behind some of the best wrestlers Ellsworth had to offer during his freshman and sophomore seasons. When he made the lineup his junior season, he was determined to break through. At Sectionals, he took third in Division II.

“As a senior, Andy helped lead a young team searching for its new identity after graduating eight varsity wrestlers. Competing at 130 pounds, a weight that demanded constant discipline he steadily built momentum. After early-season challenges, he captured the title at the Ellsworth Invitational and went on to earn the first Bi-State Classic championship in Ellsworth program history [in 1993], defeating a state place winner in the semifinals and a Division III state champion in the finals,” the Hall of Fame program reads. “During the postseason, Andy earned runner-up finishes in the Conference, Regional, and Sectional tournaments. He advanced to the WIAA State Tournament, where he aimed for an anticipated matchup with Baldwin in the finals. Although the semifinal round did not go as planned, Andy closed his career with a victory in the placement match, an accomplishment that, while bittersweet, remained a meaningful conclusion to his years on the mat.”

Matzek’s commitment to Ellsworth wrestling did not stop in high school, as he has since coached the middle school and continued to give back in a variety of ways. He also played a key role in the creation of the Hall of Fame.

Corey Voelker

Voelker, a 1988 graduate, has enjoyed stepping onto the mat since he was a young boy. The three-year varsity starter was the State runner-up in 1987 and wrestled for UNI and UWRF beyond high school.

“It’s a big honor. I’m proud to say I was part of the program. It’s been a very successful program and still is,” Voelker said. “Enjoyed every bit of it.”

Symes’ name being on the Hall of Fame honor made it all the more special for Voelker. He said Symes was a great coach, teacher and human being that people should strive to be like.

Voelker went on to help with youth practices, carpool kids to tournaments, officiate and work at home tournaments and work fundraisers for Ellsworth because of how much he learned from his time in the program.

“So many people helped me as I was coming up through the program, and I wanted to pay it back. I had a younger brother come in through the program, and it was an easy choice for me to come in and help out in any way that I could,” Voelker said.

Voelker hopes the next generation of Panther wrestlers continue to give back, because that is how the program’s wheels keep turning forward.

“Just be proud to be a part of the program and, given the chance, give whatever you can, time or whatever, back to it. Help support it,” Voelker said.