Two-sport star ready to put in work, urges others to give 110 percent
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
Second semester recently began at area high schools, and most seniors are counting down the days until graduation.
For Burlington High School senior Hegeman Tiedt, who capped off a February in which he signed to play Division 1 college football and medaled at the state wrestling tournament, this is only the start.
Moments after the 6-foot-5, 225-pound University of Wisconsin football recruit lost his third-place match (220) Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center in Madison, Tiedt was upset he made mistakes on the mat and ultimately didn’t win.
But Tiedt, who has been visiting Madison since September on recruiting trips, knows he will have to work harder than he ever has to carve out his niche on the Badgers football squad this summer.
“There were a lot of mistakes on my part,” he said in a hallway roughly 100 feet from the Kohl Center court. “My opponent is a very good wrestler. I need to get a lot better myself.”
“I’m disappointed and proud at the same time. I know I’m able to get to the championship, but I’m disappointed about all the mistakes I made.”
It was Tiedt’s first trip to state wrestling, and only three kids in Wisconsin finished better than him.
Burlington coach Jade Gribble noted the athleticism of the 220 weight class, as two kids that beat Tiedt will play Division 1 college football this fall.
“Heg realizes this is it for him in high school wrestling,” he said. “He’s worked his butt off and put everything into it that he can.”
Tiedt fell to the defending state champion, fellow Wisconsin Badgers football recruit Mason Stokke, in the semifinals Friday night. Oconomoc’s Brett Samson, who beat Tiedt for third place, will play tight end at Division 1 South Dakota.
Undersized as a defensive end, it’s possible Tiedt will pack on anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds in order to get on the field for the Wisconsin Badgers.
A self-motivated individual who speaks like a seasoned adult instead of a high school student, Tiedt sees the bigger picture and embraces the challenges ahead.
“It’s been absolutely phenomenal,” Tiedt said of his journey. “One thing I’ve pulled away is no matter what the score, no matter what the day, you’ve got to give 110 percent.”
Tiedt said he would take a few days off after Saturday to recover, but the grind is real.
By mid-week, it’s back in the gym and the weight room, training tirelessly to be ready for the rigors of college athletics. Tiedt, whose family lives in Brown’s Lake, plans on moving to Madison this summer.
“After a few days off, it’s straight back into training, to gain weight and gain muscle,” he said.
While many athletes fixate on becoming a starter or making the team, Tiedt’s humility puts him in a different mindset.
He simply wants to be great at whatever he does.
“My goal is to perform at my absolute greatness, no matter what that means,” Tiedt said. “If that means 110 percent every day of the week (in life) or going as hard as I can at practice.”
Check out the video
Southern Lakes Newspapers Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk filmed an exclusive video with Hegeman Tiedt after his final high school wrestling match Feb. 27 in Madison.
Visit www.myracinecounty.com for a state wrestling story along with the video interview of Tiedt.
Also, check out Standard Press Sports on Facebook and the Southeast Wisconsin Preps Report channel on YouTube for more videos of Tiedt from wrestling and football this past school year.
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