Dan Hall
1980-1983
Dan was the first four-time state placewinner in Hartford history.  He was the catalyst for our wrestling success as Hartford finished 3rd in the State his senior year, 4.5 points out of first.  He was a 3x WLT Champ and Regional Champ.  Dan finished with a 114-10 record including 66 falls.  After graduation he received a scholarship to wrestle at UW Parkside and enjoyed a highly successful college career.   He was killed in car accident in the Spring of his senior year just months before graduation.  The annual MVP award is given in his honor.

Timm McDaniel
1982-1985
Timm is the son of long-time Hartford wrestling coach Joe McDaniel.  Timm was Hartford's first individual state wrestling champion as a junior, pictured here against Milwaukee Hamilton in 1984.  McDaniel finished 2nd as a sophomore in his first trip to state and 5th as a senior.  He finished with a 119-17-1 prep mark.  Upon graduation he went to Indiana State but the wrestling program was dropped.  He attended UW Madison before ending his career at Adams State College in Alamosa, CO. It was at Adams State that he won the 1990 National Championship while leading his team to the National Team Title. 

Dale Hall
1983-1986
Dale like his brother Dan never won a state title but was also a four-time state placewinner.  Dale finished with an outstanding 135-12-1 prep record.  Dale like Dan attended UW Parkside, but ended up joining his teammate Timm McDaniel at Adams State.   It was at Adams State that Dale reached the pinnacle of wrestling and won the National Championship.  He is currently teaching and is the head wrestling coach at Alliance, NE

Brian Purtell
1985-1988
Brian Purtell capped off an outstanding prep career with the state championship his senior year.  He defeated a formidable Muskego opponent in the semifinals with a great headlock.  As a junior he was 3rd in the state.  In his three year varsity career he was 3x WLT Champ, 3x Regional Champ and a 2x Sectional Champ while finishing with a 108-7 career prep record.

Aaron Casetta
1986-1989
In 1988 Casetta was one of three Hartford State Champions, along with Brian Purtell and Dennis Hall.  Aaron was a three time state placewinner finishing 5th as a frosh at 105 lbs., 1st at 132lbs. and 4th at 145 lbs.  Casetta's prep career included being a 4x WLT Champ, 4x Regional Champ and 2x Sectional Champ, while finishing with a 139-11 prep record.  Aaron like two Orioles before him went to Adams State in Alamosa, CO.   He had an outstanding career earning All-American honors four times while finish 2nd once.
 

Dennis Hall...prep career
1986-1989
Dennis Hall burst on the scene in Wisconsin wrestling as a freshman and defeated a two-time senior state  champion in the state finals.  Hall went on to a brilliant prep career earning three individual state titles.   As a sophomore, Hall tied Steve Hoffmann of WB East in the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference dual and than lost a close decision to Hoffmann in the state quarterfinals.  He went on to finish 5th that year.   Dennis Hall finished with a 146-1-1 prep record including 110 falls.  During his high school years he was also a three-time Junior National Greco Champion and  World Team member.  He was Wisconsin's first Dream Team All-American.

Dennis Hall...international career
After a brilliant prep career,  Dennis Hall attended the University of Wisconsin on a full scholarship for one year.  He realized that in order for him to reach his full potential as an international Greco wrestler he would need to train differently than the collegiate athlete.  He trained, traveled and competed with the US Greco team. He has won the US Greco Championships from 1992-98.  He qualified for the 1992 Barcelona Games, finishing 8th.  He made the '96 Games in Atlanta and finished 2nd.  In the World Championships held in non-Olympic years he has finished 3rd in 1994, 6th in 1997 and won the World Greco Championship in 1995.  He was named USA Wrestling Man of the Year in 1995!  He lives in Stevens Point, WI and is on the UW -Stevens Point Coaching Staff. He also was a member of the 2004 Olympic Team.  He is now retired and conducting clinics.

1989 2nd in State

After finishing 3rd in 1988, Hartford brought home the runner up trophy with a 2nd place finish in the WIAA State Tournament.  Accepting the trophy with Coach Don Kreuser are 1989 prep All-Americans and Oriole captains,  Aaron Casetta and Dennis Hall.   Hartford enjoyed a period of ten straight years in the top ten from 1983-1992.

Marc Casetta
1987-1990

After a 4th place finish in 1989, Hartford' senior co-captain Marc Casetta was poised to win his first state title and secure a team victory when he took to the mat against Greg Bisch of Baraboo.  Casetta scored a technical fall and locked up Hartford's state wrestling championship.  Casetta finished with a prep career mark of 110-29-3 with 57 career falls including a school record 21 technical falls.

Steve Best
1988-1991

Steve Best was a two-time state champion in 1990 and 1991.  He finished 6th as a sophomore.  He followed Marc Casetta in 1990 with a state championship of his own in Hartford's state title run.  His prep record stands at 136-16 with 83 career falls.   He was a prep All-American and Wisconsin Wrestler of the Year in 1991.   Following his Hartford career, he went to the University of Wisconsin on scholarship.  He was a National Qualifier for the Badgers.  Steve went on to St. Cloud State as a graduate assistant.  After teaching for two years in Texas, he returned in 2001 to teach and coach at Hartford High School.

Jim Nordstrom
1988-1991

Jim was the dominant big man in 1989-91. But by all standards he was not a big man.   At 5'9", he possessed great balance and competitiveness.  He finished 3rd as a sophomore and went on to two state titles in 1990 and 1991.  He won 77 straight matches on his way to a 130-13 record which included 87 career falls.  For two years in a row he met his respected nemesis Myles Weaver of Oregon in the quarter finals on Thursday night as was able to get by this worthy opponent on his way to the state crown.

1990 State Team Champions

Hartford crossed the final hurdle-in 1990  with its second hat trick in three years.   Hartford crowned three individual state champions, as they had in 1988 and was led by the inspirational effort of co-captain Shawn Becker who came back from a first round loss to the state champion to finish 5th.  This championship brought to fruition the work and dedication of many people in the Hartford community, including the efforts of the Hartford Wrestling Club and dedicated youth, middle and high school coaches.

1992 State Finalists

For the fifth year in a row Hartford finished in the top five at the WIAA Individual State Tournament.  Four state qualifiers all scored points with seniors Eric Kreuser finishing second at 130 lbs. and Wayde Eichmann winning the 103 lb.state championship. Senior Greg Zimmerman and sophomore Gary Schaumburg also scored points in the 4th place effort.

Wayde made the most of his first full season on the varsity finishing 35-5.  He ironically finished 3rd in the Regional, 2nd in the Sectional, and 1st at State.  Eric is the nephew of head coach Don Kreuser and finishes with a 84-31-3 career mark.  Eric currently is teaching in Horicon.

Jason Strupp
1995-1998

Jason Strupp qualified for the state tournament for four straight years.  In 1997 as a junior he had his most successful trip as he went on to the 119 lb. state championship. Strupp finished 4th as a senior but finished his outstanding prep career with a 137-13 record which included 98 career falls.  He was a four-time Sectional Champion and three-time Wisconsin Little Ten Champion and was the 1997 WLT Wrestler of the Year.  

1997 State Placewinners

Hartford finished 3rd in the WIAA State Individual Tournament.  The Orioles qualified seven and had six guys score points with four placewinners.  Jason Strupp claimed the 119 lb. state championship. Other Hartford placewinners were: Dan Janichek 5th at 152 lbs. (left), Ryan Brown 4th at 189 lbs. (center), and Troy Kahle 5th at 135 lbs. (right).   Other point getters were Travis Needham and Josh Purtell.  Strupp finished 36-3, Janichek 32-16, Brown 36-10, Kahle 36-9, and Needham 38-6.  A week latter at Hartford's first trip to team state, Hartford defeated Fond du lac and than dropped a two point decision to River Falls.  This Final Four finish was the highest finish to date in the team tournament.

2002 WIAA State Individual Champions
The Orioles failed to qualify for Team State but had a tremendous Regional and Sectional none the less.  Number 2 rated Milton won the Regional with #4 rated Hartford a solid second.  Hartford did make its presence known in the toughest Sectional in the state with five Sectional Champions. These five went on to all place and lead the Orioles to a top finish in the WIAA State Individual Tournament. Top five scoring:  Hartford 91, Milton 86, Wisconsin Rapids 61.5, Menomonie and Chippewa Falls 58. Note Milton went on to defeat 7x state champion Rapids in the team tournament finals.

State Placewinners (left-right): Brad Becker - 2nd at 140, Kyle Becker - 2nd at 145, Craig Becker  -4th at 103, Mike Schmidt  -3rd at 189 and Ryan Abbott  -3rd at 130!

Coaching Staff:  Don Kreuser, Steve Best, Joe Spudich, Aaron Cassetta and Mike Cummings, Phil Grimm (missing)

Brad Becker
1999-2002
Brad set the standard for intensity in his four year career at Hartford.  He finished with a school and conference best record of 155-11 including 108 career falls.  He was named WLT Wrestler of the Year his final two seasons as he finished 2nd in the state as a junior and senior.  He led his team to the top team finish in 2002 WIAA Individual State Tournament.  He was an unselfish team player and moved up a weight class on any and all occasions for the best interest of the team. Brad's contributions were recognized as he was voted team MVP on three occasions and was the recipient of the Reynold's Memorial Trophy for commitment as a senior. 

Ryan Abbott
2001-2004
Ryan is one of the most gifted athletes to compete for Hartford High school as he excelled in three sports...All State Football, State Placewinner in Track and 2004 State Wrestling Champion.  Ryan qualified for state three years, placing 3rd, 5th and capping his senior year with the state championship.  His career record stands at 141-15 with 93 career falls.  He was selected as the Reynold's Memorial Trophy winner his senior year for commitment to the the program.

2005
WIAA State Individual Tournament Champions
After finished 3rd in 2003, 2nd in 2004 the Orioles were poised to take make a run again at the top spot in the team scoring as conducted by the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association.  Powered by four state finalists for the first time in school history, the Orioles outdistanced Wisconsin Rapids and Arrowhead, both teams that finished in the final state dual meet the week later.  It was the first time four Orioles won over forty wins.  State champ Craig Becker went 44-2, Cody Zimmerman 44-2, Jon Schmidt 44-2 and Christian Polega 40-2.

Craig Becker
2002-2005

Craig reached the top of the mountain with the first state title for the Becker Family.  He was a 4x Wisconsin Little Ten Champion and a 3x State Placewinner.  He set school and conference records with 160-13 career mark.  He had 102 career falls as well.  Craig was also named a prep All-American.