photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World photo

Lawrence High senior Jack Elsten, center, and his brother Lou, left, are pictured with LHS coach Pat Naughton. Both the Lions and Free State Firebirds are gearing up for this weekend's regional meet at Washburn Rural.

Lawrence High senior Jack Elsten claims to have practiced alongside every wrestler in town.

Elsten, a 132-pound leader within the LHS wrestling program, is one of just four LHS seniors — Elsten, Trevon Swearinger (138 pounds) Anthony Phommaseng (190 pounds) and Tucker Corbin (215 pounds) — preparing for the state regional meet at Washburn Rural in Topeka on Saturday.

Also making the trip is Elsten’s younger brother, Lou, after an impressive start to his Chesty Lion career. Lou, wrestling at 106 pounds, recently placed fourth at the annual Sunflower League meet, where Swearinger and Corbin grabbed two top-three individual finishes for LHS.

Jack Elsten said this week that one thing has become clear about his brother this season — he’s a contender. Wrestling with Jack since he was just four years old with the Sunflower Kids Wrestling Club, Lou currently sits at 27-7 in his freshman campaign.

Jack (18-3) didn’t wrestle at the league meet due to a lingering back injury from a tournament at Newton, but he plans to attend regionals.

“He doesn’t like to lose,” Jack Elsten said of Lou. “I want him to learn that he’s got to wrestle every match hard. He’s had some matches where he should’ve won — he’s lost seven times this year — and he should’ve only lost one of those. He’s learning there’s not going to be any easier matches at regionals or state.”

Next fall, Lou won’t have his brother Jack around on a daily basis. Jack plans to continue his academic and wrestling career at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York, one of the five U.S. service academies. Jack was uncertain about wrestling after high school until the academy’s wrestling program reached out to him last April.

Without his older sibling in the halls or on the mat, Lou’s leaning on the friendships he and Jack crafted with former Lion and current Fort Hays wrestler Kevin Honas, along with LHS junior Andrew Honas, Kevin’s younger brother, who wrestles for LHS at 126 pounds. Jack, Lou and Andrew have kept each other accountable, academically and athletically, throughout the season.

“They’re pushing me every day to get better,” Lou Elsten said. “It helps me with my score, knowing I have to have good grades to wrestle and having them push me along the way just helps a lot.”

LHS coach Pat Naughton, in charge of the program since 2007, said the Elsten brothers’ dynamic represents the critical value of character he preaches daily at practice.

Jack, as a sophomore, displayed early signs of leadership two years ago when the Lions fronted a fairly young, smaller roster.

“Jack has taken that role, not only with Lou and Andrew, but the entire team,” Naughton said. “He’s always there to help somebody with something that’s going on. Whether it’s in the room, on the mat or in the classroom. He’s had to tutor a couple of guys before. He knows if it benefits the team, then it benefits everybody.”

With three more years at LHS in front of him, Lou wants to follow his brother’s path and continue to wrestle after high school.

“It’s pretty cool having him as a teammate, on the sideline pushing me up and stuff like that,” Lou Elsten said. “He’s got me to push myself all year.”

LHS will be joined by the Free State Firebirds at this weekend’s regional meet at Washburn Rural. Both teams will be vying for team and individual qualifying at the Class 6A state meet, slated for Feb. 24-25 in Park City.