TOWNSEND — The Rauser family has quite the history on the wrestling mats for Townsend. Father Kurt won a pair of titles in his day, then sons Jade (4) and Val (3) won a combined seven, with Jade going undefeated in his four years. Now, the third of four Rauser brothers, Kameron, is eyeing his first title.
“They put a lot of hard work in, time, they traveled all over the country all the time. Twelve months out of the year, they were always practicing. I learned that if you want to be the best, you’re going to have to do a lot of work, not just in the season, but in the offseason,” Kameron said. “They’ve definitely left a legacy. They’ve got their names all around the school, everyone knows who they are. They left a legacy, not just in Townsend, but around the state, as well.”
Kameron took a different route from his brothers, taking time away from wrestling in elementary school and spending time hunting, fishing and honing his athletic abilities, further adding to the Rauser family lore.
“Probably what Kameron brings to (the table) is, he’s an all-around athlete,” longtime Townsend wrestling coach John O’Dell said. “He’s all-state in football, all-state in track. So he’s a tremendous athlete, he’s not just a wrestler. He’s also a great student.”
The time away has only made him hungrier. All the motivation he needed came from seeing his brothers stand atop the podium as champions.
“My brothers have their brackets in our house still, and I look at those once in a while and just envision myself like, ‘Wow, this is actually possible. I have a chance of winning one of these. I want to have one of those next,'” Kameron said.
Whether Kameron is able to bring home a title or not, it won’t change the perception the Townsend community, coaches and teammates have of the Rauser family.
“They’re just tremendous leaders. They’re the hardest-working kids around. That’s the most important thing, is being of good moral character and hard working,” said O’Dell.
The Rauser household is already decorated with state championships, but Kameron is looking to add his own piece to the legacy. He takes aim at his first title in Billings at the Class B/C state wrestling tournament beginning on Friday at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark.
