Only two things have really slowed Shawn Lau in his illustrious wrestling career: Brice Gretch and deer hunting.
Last year, in claiming the 130-pound Class AA title, he took care of Gretch. But then deer hunting got him this fall.
Weeks before the start of wrestling season, Lau, a senior at Flathead High School, badly cut his thumb gutting a deer in eastern Montana. Bleeding profusely, he was taken to Glasgow where surgery was performed that night. The blade had sliced through a tendon and into a joint. Doctors reconnected his severed tendon with stitches.
Even Lau can’t wrestle without a thumb. So he took a month off of strenuous activity and missed the beginning of wrestling season. When he returned, he had to wear a pad taped to his thumb.
His thumb might function a little differently, but Lau’s results have been the same as ever – he dominated at the Mining City Duals on Dec. 11-12 and is ranked No. 1 in his weight class. Thus, his quest for a school-record third state championship begins in earnest.
Lau has been nearly unbeatable on the wrestling mat. As a freshman, he won the 98-pound Class AA title. As a sophomore he lost a close 2-1 decision to Billings Skyview’s Gretch in the title match for the 112-pound weight class.
Then last year, Gretch beat Lau again in the regular season. But Lau would never again cede the upper hand to the Skyview star. Later in the season, Lau defeated Gretch, then beat him again in the 130-pound title match. Gretch graduated, leaving the door open for Lau to achieve his final goal: a third state championship.
Burke Tyree won three straight state championships for the Braves between 1986-1988. Tyree is the only wrestler in school history to win three state titles, which, considering the Braves’ remarkable wrestling tradition, may come as a surprise to some. But there are plenty of very talented wrestlers who never even claim one title, let alone two or three. A lot can happen on the road to the championship.
T.J. Campbell won four titles from 1984-1987, splitting his time between Havre and Flathead. Campbell is on a short list of four-time winners, especially for Class AA. Lau, if not for that close second-place finish his sophomore year, would be seeking to join that exclusive list. Lau can also break the school record for most career victories.
As a team, Flathead is seeking its fifth straight Class AA state title. In the first poll of the season, released last week, Flathead was ranked No. 1 in the state, followed by Glacier at No. 2. Lau is one of four Flathead wrestlers ranked No. 1 in his weight class.
While Lau also plays tennis and runs cross country, those sports are mostly to keep him in shape for wrestling. He has wrestled since second grade. His older brother, David Lau, began wrestling at the same time. The older Lau claimed the 160-pound state championship for the Braves in 2008.
Potential wrestling matches between the Lau brothers, even friendly sessions at home, were usually stifled early on by a mutual understanding that David is quite a bit bigger than Shawn. Even now, Shawn concedes that he could never beat his older brother. But David, who works in the oil fields of North Dakota, believes the tables have turned.
“He probably could beat me now,” David said. “If he would have been the same weight, he probably could have beaten me before.”
Technique is what separates Shawn from the rest of the field, David said. Shawn innately understands positioning and technique, and he practices it incessantly. While Shawn has surely learned much from both his brother and coaches, David said he never imparted much wisdom to his younger sibling because “I didn’t need to.” Shawn was always self-disciplined.
And David points out an observation that could be demoralizing for opponents: Shawn’s “gotten a lot better.” So good, in fact, that David is taking time off of work to go to the state wrestling meet in Billings on Feb. 12-13. If his little brother is making history, he wants to be there to see it.
“He has more confidence; he’s mentally tougher,” David Lau said. “Even when he gets himself in a sticky situation, he keeps his wits about him and pulls through it.”
Lau is an exceptional athlete. He holds the wrestling program record for pull-ups with 27 and holds his own on the cross country course and tennis court. But head coach Matt Owen echoes David Lau’s belief that it’s Shawn’s technique and work ethic that put him on another level.
“He’s one of the hardest workers, if not the hardest worker, in the room everyday,” Owen said.
When the high school wrestling season is over, Lau’s work isn’t done. Each year, he travels to elite camps and tournaments across the West. As a freshman, he placed eighth at a Las Vegas tournament, a particularly strong achievement considering he was in the college division. Lau will wrestle in college, but he doesn’t know where yet.
Owen said it will be a challenge for Lau to win the state title: “It’s an incredible accomplishment to win two, let alone win his third.” But Owen said Lau is up to the task.
“It’s definitely a possibility with the way that he wrestles,” Owen said. “He’s really consistent. And he has the talent.”