Four-time state champion wrestler taking talents to Iowa
BOZEMAN, Mont. (BVM) — Not many high school wrestlers have a career like Leif Schroeder. The 18-year-old wrestled at Bozeman High School the last four years, compiling a 163-3 record while winning four consecutive state championships. But as good as his high school career was, Schroeder may have an even brighter future upon him at the University of Iowa.
Schroeder began wrestling around age 4, and although he played one season of football during his junior year, wrestling has been his primary sport the past 14 years. The former Hawks wrestler was brought into the sport by his father, who is a former wrestler and coach himself.
Schoeder’s older brother is also a wrestler at Purdue and has had quite a career to this point as well, including two state championships during high school. He has always been an influence on his younger brother, and is a big reason for his wrestling success.
“I looked up to my brother just because he taught me so much about hard work. In high school he helped me turn the corner and become more dedicated to the sport while continuing to push me to be the best I can be,” Schroeder said.
The four-time state champion began realizing his wrestling talent during his youth career. Being from Montana, Schroeder and his family often had to travel further to various wrestling tournaments and camps. But he relished competing, and enjoys the bonds and friends he has made over the years at camps such as Legends of Gold in South Dakota.
By eighth grade, Schroeder was placing in most of the tournaments he competed in and started realizing how much work he had to put in to be successful on the mat. That would lead to a dominant high school career after all was said and done four years later.
In his first-ever high school wrestling match, Schroeder was defeated by a tough opponent which perhaps served as a wake up call, as he would lose just two matches the rest of his prep career to finish with the incredible 163-3 record. The first state title he won freshman year stands out for Schroeder, particularly because he got to share it with his brother, who won his second state title at the same time as a senior.
“My favorite high school memory was probably winning state my freshman year because my brother also won it which was a pretty special thing,” Schroeder said.
The 18-year-old would continue his dominance into his sophomore year. He again lost a match in Dec. 2017 to a wrestler who now competes at the University of Nebraska, but that would be the last defeat of his prep career. After another state title, Schroeder set out for a three-peat in his junior year, which he would of course accomplish. But the memory that really stood out in his third season at Bozeman was how well the rest of his squad competed, leading to a team state title as well for the Hawks.
Going into his senior season however, Schroeder felt pressure to finish off his wrestling career right and win a fourth straight title.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself every day during wrestling season and it was starting to weigh on me a lot as the season went on,” the wrestling standout admitted.
Schroeder faced additional adversity during his final prep campaign after suffering a concussion as well.
“I got knocked out in a match with about five weeks left to go in the season and had to sit out for a few weeks. That was nerve-racking to me because at the beginning of my concussion protocol, I wasn’t seeing a lot of progress so I was worried something crazy could happen that would prevent me from wrestling again. I wasn’t used to sitting out and watching practice so that was pretty hard,” Schroeder added.
Remarkably, the senior would come back in top form. Approaching every match one step at a time, Schroeder capped off his dominant run at Bozeman with yet another state title in the 138-pound division. The 18-year-old became just the 36th wrestler from Montana to win four state wrestling championships, and became the first to accomplish the feat at Bozeman.
“I was super happy,” Schroeder said about winning his fourth state title. “There was a moment of relief but also joy and just to be the first one to do that at Bozeman means a lot to me. Being just the 36th to do so in the state means a lot as well, not only for myself but for the kids coming in after me. I want to have a lasting impact and be a motivator for the younger kids in Montana.”
Schroeder’s remarkable senior season earned him the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. This honor is awarded by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to high school senior wrestlers across the country for their excellence in wrestling, as well as their scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. For Schroeder, knowing he made enough of an impact to win the award was special.
“It’s a super cool thing for someone like myself to win and just means a lot to be recognized as the best wrestler in my state and I’m just thankful for everyone who has helped me get to this point,” Schroeder said.
Despite the dominance, Schroeder humbly acknowledges that he would not have accomplished what he has without the help of his coach, Nate Laslovich, nor without his teammates and the support and bonds they have formed over the years.
“Me and coach Laslovich were super close. We traveled a lot together and he took me to a lot of tournaments. He has helped me grow as a person and made me a better team player because I was pretty selfish coming into high school. My teammates and I grew really close as a team as well and we were always together which is important for a successful team. Especially this year, the camaraderie was unmatched,” Schroeder said.
After leaving a lasting legacy at Bozeman, Schroeder will now begin the next chapter of his wrestling career in the fall at Iowa. Recruited by Missouri and also Purdue to join forces with his brother, Iowa ultimately won over the 18-year-old, adding to an already highly-touted recruiting class.
While he liked the other two schools, Iowa just stood out for Schroeder. The Hawkeyes have been a wrestling powerhouse in recent years, and the opportunity to join an elite program was hard to pass up.
“When I was growing up, Iowa was just THE team and it was a childhood dream to go there which is what set them apart from the others. Just the feeling of when I got out there and the team camaraderie that they have showed me this is a place where I can be successful. Words can’t describe how excited I am to get going there and it’s just a dream come true for me,” Schroeder explained.
Schroeder has a bright career ahead of him as a Hawkeye and hopes to make an impact on the program over his four years there. Ultimately, he hopes his team can bring home some hardware back to Iowa City.
“My personal goal is obviously to win a national title, but I just want to become the best man and wrestler I can be. But our recruiting class definitely has championship aspirations and I would like to see our team win four NCAA championships in a row which I think is doable,” the wrestler said.
The incoming freshman will study kinesiology at Iowa and hopes for a future career in athletic training or physical therapy. He is not sure where his post-college wrestling career might take him, but will continue his one-step-at-a-time approach.
After one of the most dominant high school wrestling careers Montana has ever seen, Schroeder leaves the state for Iowa where it is all but certain he will leave another lasting impact.
