Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News: Caelan Oakes-Sudhish celebrates his 150th career victory at Southeast Valley last Friday with his brother, Xavier Nichols (far left); his stepmom, Michelle Graham; his father, Sudhish Madhavan; and his mother, Jen Scott (far right).

GOWRIE — Caelan Oakes-Sudhish finds himself in rare company these days when it comes to career victories on the high school wrestling scene.

What’s past is past, though. Oakes-Sudhish is only concerned with the wins he needs now, rather than the ones he’s already accumulated.

The Southeast Valley senior is preparing for this weekend’s Class 2A district tournament in Webster City. Last Friday, Oakes-Sudhish recorded the 150th varsity triumph of his four-year career, joining current Iowa Hawkeye football player Kyler Fisher (166) as the only Jaguars to reach the elite milestone.

“Reaching 150 wins for me is amazing because I never thought I would make it past 100,” Oakes-Sudhish said. “I had the dream and determination to get there, and I think that’s what kept me going.”

Oakes-Sudhish is currently 38-4 overall this season. Last month, he captured his second Twin Lakes Conference title.

The postseason trek begins on Saturday, when the Jaguars will compete in a challenging district against larger schools like Webster City, Humboldt, Carroll and Gilbert, among others.

“With districts around the corner, the goal is obviously return to state and place higher on the podium than last year,” said Oakes-Sudhish, who was 43-7 and a state quarterfinalist a year ago before eventually placing seventh in Des Moines. “It won’t be easy, but we’ll just take it one match at a time.”

Oakes-Sudhish has continued to learn and grow throughout the course of his time as a Jaguar, both on and off the mat.

“Wrestling has taught me so much — from discipline to techniques I’ve learned it all — but the most important lesson was the mental aspect of the sport,” said Oakes-Sudhish, already a three-time state qualifier. “The season is draining enough, but when I added in a short- and long-term goal for every season, it drove me to great lengths to complete them.

“I would like to thank my coach, Jackson Winkelbauer, for working with me personally for the past four years, along with (long-time Southeast Valley head coach) Jeff Miller, Keith Hefley, my brother Xavier Nichols, and the entire Southeast Valley community. Without them, I wouldn’t have the skill set or extra motivation to compete for wins.”

Oakes-Sudhish will be heading to Morningside University in Sioux City to wrestle in the fall. He plans on studying chemstry and biology, with the goal of being a physical therapist.

Oakes-Sudhish would also like to someday get into coaching at either the youth or high school level.

The well-wishes from around the area are never lost on Oakes-Sudhish, who has appreciated every congratulatory message or words of encouragement.

“Thank you to everyone from Southeast Valley school district and Fort Dodge area for supporting and following my career,” Oakes-Sudhish said. “I promise I won’t let you down.”