LebCo Athlete of the Week: Ashton Kriss

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Featuring photos by Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

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Ashton Kriss

ELCO senior Ashton Kriss put together the kind of tournament run that turns a Regional weekend into a State-bound statement. Competing at the South Central AAA Regional Championships at 133 pounds during the week of February 16th, Kriss opened the tournament with three straight wins before eventually falling in the finals. His runner-up finish punched his ticket to the PIAA State Championship Tournament, and those performances earned Kriss the votes as he was recognized as LebCo Athlete of the Week.

Kriss will take a 34-6 record into Hershey, and he won’t be making the trip alone. He’ll be joined by teammates Klint Miller, Kane Kline, and Aleric Raihl, giving ELCO its largest State-qualifying contingent in school history. With the addition of Kylee Trostle on the girls side, there will be five Raiders hitting the mats at the Giant Center.

For Kriss, the qualification carries added meaning. Last season, he faced a major challenge before the year even began, tearing his meniscus and wrestling through the season on a bad knee. Even so, he nearly fought his way back to States, but came up just short, missing a berth by one place at Regionals.

This week, he’s headed back to Hershey for his second trip to States after also qualifying as a freshman — and with it being his senior season, Kriss won’t be taking the opportunity for granted.

With the postseason stage now set, Kriss’ goal is clear. He’s aiming to finish on the podium at States, a standard that matches both his season and the momentum he carried through the regional bracket.

Kriss also said his individual approach has always connected to the team’s bigger picture. His focus has been scoring as many points as possible in every match and every tournament setting, something that helped ELCO finish second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and take third at Sectionals.

When asked who he’d like to recognize, Kriss pointed back to the people who have poured the work in behind the scenes, crediting his coaches for everything they’ve done to help make the Raiders better wrestlers.

Outside of wrestling, Kriss keeps things pretty straightforward, as his main focus is wrestling. And when he isn’t training, he’s usually sleeping.

One thing about Kriss that tends to catch people off guard: He is colorblind. And when it comes to what he enjoys most about participating in sports, his answer is as direct as his style on the mat — being fit.

Congratulations to Ashton on being named LebCo Athlete of the Week, and good luck to him and his Raider teammates this week at the PIAA State Championships!

Photo by the Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Kasey Weimer

Past Winners

Jomar Hidalgo (Week ending 2/8)

Josiah Hayes (Week ending 2/1)

Nick Weidman (Week ending 1/25)

Grayden Summers (Week ending 1/18)

Jemar Pauleus (Week ending 1/11)

Austin Smith (Holidays)

Braden Demler (Week ending 12/21)

Oliver Funck (Week ending 12/14)

Ben Rhine (Week ending 12/7)