The Championship Season

I've asked mom to tell me more of the Wresting Medal story. She sent me the article that ran in the Ark Valley News in 2003 and it's a great story, so I've copied/abridged it below. Mom said that after Jake was declared the winner, pop was immediately on the mat with Jake. Security could not have kept him away from his grandson.

The caption under the picture reads: Jake Ashpole, left, receives a hug from his grandfather, Sonny Ashpole, after placing first at this year's state wrestling tournament.

A Family Affair

from the Ark Valley News, March 20, 2003

The Ashpole name is well-known to many Valley Center wrestlers, but the family's interest extends beyond casual involvement in a club or school sport. For the Ashpoles, wrestling is part of the family history.

Keith Ashpole, 44, and his three sons--Nick, 19, Jake 17, and Taylor 13--have been involved in Valley Center wrestling for more than a decade.

Keith and his wife, Becky, lived in Wichita with their boys when they heard about the Valley Center Wrestling Club. They were interested in becoming involved but didn't know who to contact.

"Tanner Stephenson was our neighbor in Wichita," said Keith. "So we asked him if he knew anything. He put us in touch with Paul and Virginia Riemann."

The Reimann's had been managing the club for about two years. Keith took Nick and Jake--then 5 and 7 years old--to practice one day and has never looked back.

"We started going to practice, and I would participate in practice just helping out," said Keith.

After a couple of weeks, Keith was named as the new head coach.

"I was kind of lost to start with," said Keith. "I contacted my old high school coach and he helped us set up a plan as to how we could do it." With the help of his high school coach, Dee Gard, and his father, Sonny Ashpole, Keith and the Riemanns got the word out about the club and interest in it grew.

After 3 years as coach, Keith decided it was time for him to back away from leading the program, but hasn't forgotten the people he was involved with through the club. He considers them like family.

"We would go to a tournament every weekend," he said. "What you see through the years is these kids and these families become very close because they're together every weekend. We have lifelong relationships with these people." Keith estimated that he worked with several hundred kids over his years as coach for the club. "I look back at old pictures of those boys wrestling when they were very young," said Keith. "A lot of them are very special to me."

In addition to running the club with Keith, Virginia and Paul Riemann had two sons who wrestled under the leadership of the Ashpoles. "Sonny was there all the time, and he supported my kids immensely," she said. "Sonny treats my kids like grandchildren, especially my older one. Sonny and Jeff were very close."

Before Sonny began mentoring Valley Center Wrestling Club members, he raised his own boys with an interest in the sport. Sonny was a state-qualifying wrestler for Wichita North High School in the mid-1950s and though he says he wasn't very good, he instilled some sense of love for the sport in his boys.

Keith and his brothers--Kevin, Ken and Kurt--all wrestled in high school, Keith at Heights and the others at Valley Center. Keith was a state qualifier for two years. He placed one year and went on to wrestle in college.

But the family of wrestlers doesn't stop there.

Along with Keith's three sons Nick, Jake and Taylor, who have wrestled for Valley Center over the years, Sonny has other grandsons who have taken to the sport. Kevin and Millie Ashpole's sons, Richie Rios and Matthew Ashpole also are on Sonny's list of wrestling matches he has to attend at Heights High School and Valley Çenter.

"Watching my grandkids wrestle and do well is great," said Sonny. Sonny helped Keith with the wrestling club for years and backed away when Keith did. Now he is a a spectator at about any tournament where there's a Valley Center kid wrestling.

"I just enjoy watching them compete and do well," he said.

A big event this year for the Ashpole family was Keith's middle son, Jake, winning the state title in the 130-pound weight class. "My dad was the first person Jake found after he won," said Keith. "Probably because my dad jumped over the wall to congratulate him."

Jake's high school coach said Keith and Sonny have been big influences in Valley Center wrestling, and having them so involved in Jake's performances has been great. Jake agreed that having his family involved is important to him. "My dad coached me my whole life before I got into high school," said Jake. "And my grandpa was always there. My grandpa was probably more excited about me winning state than me," he added.

(2009 Update--Pop attended the wrestling match of another grandson, Kevin's son Michael, at Heights several weeks ago. It was there that he first saw the blue "For Sonny Days" wristbands on the wrists of Michael and the Heights athletic director.)

Pop is still in the hospital, has 2 more chemo treatments and is tolerating them well. And as always, thanks for everyone's love, support and continued prayers.

love, Kat