Triple Threat

For Owatonna junior Mitch Wiese, playing sports has been a way of life. 
At four years old, he put on a pair of ice skates for the first time.
By the third grade, he was playing youth football.
And by the time he was in the seventh grade, after years of playing baseball, he was playing lacrosse. 
Despite the often-hectic schedule that comes with being a high school junior, he still plays all three sports. And, all because of the spirit of competition and the comradery that goes with it. 
“I like playing three sports because I hang out with a lot of different people,” commented the Owatonna junior at Wednesday’s lacrosse practice. “When I’m in a sport, I usually hang out with different guys and that’s pretty fun.”
In today’s high school athletic culture, it’s a rarity to have an athlete play multiple sports, often dialing it back to try and specialize at one specific sport. Owatonna head football coach Jeff Williams noted that some players may opt to cut back the amount of sports they play due to having a hard time meeting the expectations. 
“It’s getting increasingly difficult I think to meet the expectations of three programs and three coaches and people wanting you to do things year-round,” he added. 
Despite, a workload that could compare to most college athletes, Wiese has remained on the path that was established as a child. 
He would be the first person to admit that he certainly won’t be one of the biggest players on the field, or even on the ice for that matter. So, understanding that disadvantage he was going to face in each sport, the 5-foot-9-inch, 185-pound junior made lifting weights a top priority when he reached high school. 
Since most of his sports practice in the afternoon and some without a sanctioned time to work out, Wiese shows up to OHS at 6:30 in the morning three to four days a week to make sure that he is getting a lift. He noted that he enjoys working out in the morning because it often wakes him up for the day. 
Two years later, all three of his coaches have seen the dedication pay off. 
“He’s in the weight room more than any other athlete that I remember at Owatonna,” commented head hockey coach Josh Storm. “He lives in it.”
Williams added to Storm’s statement by adding that despite being grossly undersized at fullback and oustide linebacker, that he shows a ton of heart and plays without fear. 
“You can play without fear if you know you invested time in the weight room, know you’re as strong as the guys across from you and you paid your dues.”
He went on to add that Wiese is a model in that regard, mentioning that a lot of people could look at it and say, “I too could be like Mitch if I play with a big heart and get into the weight room.”
While all three coaches raved about his dedication to the weight room, and how it has help him see on-field success, they were even more enamored with his character. 
A nose to the grindstone type of kid, Wiese has worn the title of captain for two sports and was recently named a captain for the upcoming football season. Storm noted that what makes him so special is that he is just a good person. 
“I think that with him, the one thing that makes him a tremendous captain is his character,” he added. He’s such a good human being. He treats people very well.”
Owatonna head lacrosse coach Scott Seykora added that he always wants to win and that his attitude is contagious. He explained that at a recent practice, they had a ground ball challenge and Wiese was livid because his team took second. Seykora noted that despite nothing on the line, he was saying that they should have found the way to win. 
Seykora’s story was strengthened by Wiese when asked about his mindset heading into practice. 
“My goal for each day is to be the hardest worker,” Wiese added. “That’s pretty much it. Don’t let anyone out-work me.” 
The attention to detail and dedication for success hasn’t just caught the eyes of his coaches, but his peers as well. 
Fellow junior Nate Smith, who is Wiese’s teammate in lacrosse and hockey, has grown up competing with Mitch since they started playing sports. 
Smith, who also plays soccer in the fall, understands the wear and tear feeling that often hits during the summer when transitioning from one work out to the next, but said that Wiese’s attitude captivates the others joining the workout.  
“He’s always in a good mood,” Smith added. “It just makes you feel better and makes you want to work harder. It’s fun to be around.”
After playing sports all school year long, athletes often can’t wait for summer vacation to start, often taking vacations with their families and being a typical high school student. 
For Wiese, after months of hockey, football and lacrosse, the schedule doesn’t stop. 
It doesn’t pause. 
It just simply resets. 
“My summer is probably busier than my school year because of lifting, hockey camp, all the stuff we do for football and lacrosse stuff,” Wiese said. 
Whether it’s his character, his work ethic or just simply showing heart, Owatonna High School will have one more year of Wiese helping set the standard of what it means to be not just a three-sport athlete, but a first class person. 
 
 
 

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