BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
AUBURN — Noah Schoenherr found a great way to get himself out of class this past spring.
He picked up … sailing.
One of four Bay City-area teens to be selected for the inaugural Sea Scholar program, a study-abroad program put on by BaySail, a Bay City-based non-profits, the Bay City Western student left his normal surrounding in the wake for a little more than one month. Schoenherr was taken out of his comfort zone and got a chance to sail some 2,200 nautical miles aboard a 65-foot schooner boat that, over 33 days, cruised from Key West, Fla., and up into the Great Lakes and eventually to Wenonah Park near downtown Bay City.
“It was a great experience,” noted Schoenherr. “I didn’t know much about sailing. I had a little bit of an interest in it, but not much experience.”
Schoenherr, along with the vessel’s staff and three other high school-age students, learned quite a bit while on the ship all while gaining some valuable time away from his comfort zone.
Carrying a near-3.7 grad-point-average with one semester to go, the Bay City Western senior is now back on soil and back into very familiar territory — the wrestling room.
The defending Division 1 130-pound state champion, who will likely wrestle 135 or 140 this season, is aiming to become me the school’s first two-time individual state champ. He is a perfect 14-0 on the season heading through the Holiday layoff.
“That’s the goal. I guess no one in our school history has been able to win back-to-back titles,” said Schoenherr, who comes from a legacy of wrestlers.
Schoenherr was also the state runner-up at 119 two years ago, so he is aiming for his third state medal come March.
“He’s a great kid and he works so hard,” said Bay City Western coach Isaiah Thomas. “The one thing I can say about Noah is that he is relentless. He does not stop working out on the map. He just wears people down. He doesn’t stop. Even in practice, he’s always going a million miles a minute.”
That’s his style.
“I think sometimes it might be close after the first period. I always try to wear people down after that, really go after them in the second and third periods,” said Schoenherr, who finished a fine 48-2 last season. “I feel like I am in great shape. I am really looking forward to some good competition coming up.”
Bay City Western, ranked 10th in Division 1 with a 7-2 overall record, will be going after its eighth straight team district title this winter with a seasoned bunch. Schoenherr’s brothers were also a part of that aforementioned run before graduating in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
Oldest brother Andrew graduated in 2012, while twins Tom and Chris were both state placers during their careers, with Chris winning a state title in 2015 at 145.
“I learned a lot from them,” said Schoenherr, who also has a sophomore brother Victor now wrestling at 135. “And I hope my younger brother can learn some things from me.”
With a 160-27 career record, Schoenherr ranks amongst the school’s all-time best. He thanks his older brothers for that success — at least for toughening him up.
“We have a wrestling mat down in our basement,” he said. “We spent a lot of time down there practicing and goofing around. I think it helped us all. We’re a wrestling family.”
Noah Schoenherr could become the most successful of all of his clan before its all said and done.
“He could have a chance at 200 wins and I don’t know if anyone has had that many at our school. The records are kind of scattered,” admitted Thomas. “But one thing’s for sure, he’s a very talented young man.”
“I’ll just take it one match at time and hopefully I’ll be there at the end with another title,” added Schoenherr.
That would be an accomplishment to sail off into the sunset with and into Bay City Western wrestling lore.