By Matt Browning
Rose Hill’s Johnny Leck has had an incredible past year.
He won the 4A state wrestling championship at 132 pounds, while the Rockets won the team title. Leck then led the Rockets’ soccer team to a runner-up finish at the state tournament, including the upset of Bishop Miege in the semifinals.
Being able to balance both sports, while being elite in both, has proven to be challenging for Leck.
“Sometimes it’s tough balancing two sports, especially in the fall,” Leck said. “Most week days I went from soccer practice after school straight to club practice for wrestling. For wrestling I really never have an off season. I continue to practice after the high school season ends to prepare for Freestyle and Greco tournaments including Fargo.”
Even though wrestling is the more challenging sport for Leck, it’s his favorite.
“We have a great team that I enjoy being around, and great coaches that push us to get better every day,” Leck said.
Leck has been a part of four successful soccer and wrestling seasons, but 2024 was his most memorable year.
“My favorite memory for soccer is definitely beating Bishop Miege in the semifinals at state this year,” Leck said. “For wrestling my favorite memory is winning state as a team – a goal my class has been chasing since we were little kids. Those memories stand out to me because both teams were able to compete at a high level when we were under the most pressure.”
