Ricky Bogard had an outstanding season for the Seymour wrestling team this winter.

He placed second in the 126-pound class in the sectional to qualify for the Jeffersonville Regional, then a week later he qualified for the Evansville semistate where he lost in the first round.

He finished second on the team in wins and had a record of 22-13.

For his performance, Owls wrestling Coach Dan Rasey named Bogard as the most valuable player.

“The most valuable player came down to two people. Ricky led us in pins,” he said. “He was a semistate qualifier. He scored 26 more team points than the second-place finisher.”

The Walt Wintin Coaches Award went to Brandon Mora.

That award is named after Wintin, who began the wrestling program at Seymour High School in the 1960s. Wintin was inducted into the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame and into the Seymour Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rasey said Mora, “Made everybody on the team better. He is a junior and was a regional qualifier. He gave everything he had for the team. He often wrestled athletes heavier than him in practice.”

Senior Sam Chandler was named the recipient of the Owls Award, and was named a team captain and was named academic all-state.

He finished with a record of 17-11 and was a semistate qualifier in the 152-pound class.

Rasey said, “The Owls Award is what it’s about to be a student and an athlete. It’s about sportsmanship. Sam represents everything you want your son or daughter to be.”

Jesus Aguilar was named the most improved wrestler.

He is a junior who wrestled at heavyweight.

“He went from zero to regional qualifier,” Rasey said.

Briley Compton, who wrestled at 160, was named freshman of the year, and had a record of 19-16.

“He led the freshmen in points,” Rasey said. He was a regional qualifier.

Chase Rogers was also named a captain. Rasey said, “The captains showed good leadership.”

Rogers, Eduardo Bustos and Alex Martinez were also named academic all-state.

Other Owls who won 20 or more matches were Charlie Bruce with 23, Brenden Bridgewater with 22, and Dane Botkin with 21. All were regional qualifiers.

The Owls were 14-10 in dual meets this winter after going 9-16 last year. The Owls won the Scottsburg Tournament, placed fifth in the Hoosier Hills tournament, fourth in the sectional and had seven regional qualifiers, and two wrestlers advanced to semistate.

Botkin, Logan Cunningham (182) and Bridgewater (222) placed second in the HHC tournament, Compton placed third, and Bruce, Liam Chandler, Bogard, and Mason Nugent were fourth.

Seniors on the roster were Chandler, Bridgewater, Rogers and Drew Banister.

Rasey said, “The seniors bought into what we were trying to do and I’m grateful for that. There are some very good leaders in that group and I know they’ll have success in the future.”

Rasey said open mats will begin in April and he encourages wrestlers to contact him to learn more about the spring and summer wrestling program.