As the lights changed at Eby Fieldhouse for the final home wrestling meet of the season, Coe College senior Ethan Ball walked onto the mats as one of six senior wrestlers being recognized. But his upcoming graduation and senior status aren’t the only accomplishments for which Ball’s been praised.

Last weekend Ball won his 100th match, becoming only the 10th Coe wrestler to achieve that milestone.

“It wasn’t something that I really thought about at all,” he said. “I didn’t know until somebody said I was at 99.”

Ball’s success hasn’t distracted him from the rest of the season, however. “It’s pretty cool, it’s a milestone, but it wasn’t a huge deal to me,” he said.

John Oostendorp, head coach for the Kohawks, knows how hard Ball has worked for his success.

“He loves the sport,” Oostendorp said. “He puts a lot of time in and he’s being rewarded for his efforts now. It’s really coming together.”

Ball helped the 12th-ranked Kohawks achieve a 29-9 win over Augustana Friday night by defeating Thomas Reyhons, 12-3, at 174 pounds.

Even with all the success, however, Ball is focused on the rest of the season.

“I’d like to be an All-American champion rather than have 100 wins,” he said. “I could go in with 50 wins and like I said that’d be more important.”

His attitude toward this current success is helping him in practice, according to Oostendorp. “He’s very grounded and he’s had success but I know he wants to finish it out right, and he’s doing everything correctly in the room right now and it’s going to carry over, I believe.”

Ball’s goals extend to the rest of his team as well, trying to get the Kohawks (9-3) back to a top-five team again. Oostendorp added, “I think the importance of wrestling to him really shows the other kids the level of commitment it takes to have success at this level.”

Ball spoke about his choice to commit to Oostendorp and his college wrestling career. “Coach O, you’d run through a wall for that guy because you know he’d run through a wall for you,” he said.  “It’s been a good ride.”

COE 29, AUGUSTANA, ILL. 9

125 - Jimmy Panozza, AUG, dec. Jan Rosenburg, 10-7
133 - Jimmy Gotto, COE, maj. dec. Sean McMahon, 14-3
141 - Isaiah Schaub, AUG, dec. Beau Westpfahl, 7-2
149 - Josh Donkle, COE, dec. Hector Ruiz, 6-4
157 - Dimitri Boyer, COE, dec. Kevin Sundberg, 7-0
165 - Farai Sewera, COE, pinned Connor Cummings, 2:21
174 - Ethan Ball, COE, maj. dec. Jordan Richardson, 13-3
184 - Ryan Sheldon, COE, pinned Thomas Reyhons, 5:42
197 - Hunter Feraco, AUG, dec. Donnie Horner, 6-4
285 - Cory Becker, COE, dec. John Schraidt, 6-2