KENYON — Will Van Epps has always wanted to do things the right way. And if there is something going on in the Kenyon-Wanamingo School District, there is a good chance he may be part of it. Van Epps learned at a young age to be “a good person” and an active one as well.
The Kenyon-Wanamingo senior has excelled in three sports for the Knights. The 18-year-old was a standout for the K-W baseball team this spring, the staff ace as well as elite hitter. He was named the Gopher Conference Player of the Year in baseball after finishing second for the award as a junior.
He helped the Knights win a conference baseball title outright for the first time since 1993, but sadly for Van Epps and his teammates, the season ended quickly once again in section play. K-W was the No. 3 seed in Section 1, Class 1A, but for a second straight season they were eliminated in the first round, this time with a 2-0 setback to No.
14 Mabel-Canton on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Van Epps said: “I feel like this season has gone really well for me, but I’m especially proud of my teammates right now." ADVERTISEMENT Last fall Van Epps was the quarterback on the football team that reached the Section 1, Class 1A title game before falling to Fillmore Central.
In wrestling, he had a thrilling senior season as he won the Class 1A state championship at 215 pounds in dramatic fashion, rallying to take the lead in the title match in the closing seconds. Over the years he has gone back and forth between bas.