By Ken Hansard
Lou Elsten is a highly decorated senior wrestler for the Lawrence High Lions. As a junior, Elsten finished with a record of 44-5, culminating in a third-place finish at the KSHSAA State Championships. He is a three-time State qualifier. He has placed at State each year (4th, 3rd, and 3rd), and he boasts a gaudy overall high school record of 129-25. But that’s just the beginning.
Elsten has been awarded the State of Kansas Academic All-State First Team (2023–2025). He has received the U.S. Marine Corps High School All-American Award (2023–2025); he is a Kansas All-State Wrestler (Placed 4th, 3rd, 3rd — 2023–2025). And, perhaps most impressively, he has earned the High School Character and Leadership All-American Award (2024–2025).
With all that success, Elsten has put himself in a great position to pass on his legacy to his younger teammates, “My role is to inspire and lead the team towards a common goal. Holding the team accountable builds better relationships with my teammates and boosts the team’s overall morale. While my main goal is obviously to win state, I also want to help build an enjoyable environment for the team, something to hopefully keep my teammates involved with the sport for the next few years.”
Despite his role as a leader, Elsten knows that he can still grow a lot as an athlete and a person, and he has dedicated himself to that task, “Over the offseason I worked on multiple set-ups that will help me get to my shots more efficiently. I watched countless videos of myself and of other high-level wrestlers to improve my set-ups.”
Although Lou’s record this year is a bit below the pace of his past standards, he is still optimistic about where he stands right now, “I think I’m in a very good spot right now. My wrestling feels better than it’s ever been, and as a team, I believe the hard work we have put in this season will show. I have wrestled against high-level competition, and my record is 13-5. That will only help me once state comes.”
Elsten is also a golfer for the Lions and will be one of the captains of this year’s team. Lou is also a star in the classroom, with an impressive 3.92 GPA and an equally impressive overall ACT score of 27. After high school, Lou plans to wrestle for the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Eventually, he would like to work in the Maritime industry, possibly in shipyard management.
