By Christian Weaner | Photo by Jason Duchow Photography
Owen Wimmer, Senior
In the middle of a school day earlier this fall, an announcement came over the intercom at Sandpoint High School: Owen Wimmer—a three-sport athlete who competes in football, wrestling and lacrosse for the Bulldogs—had been named the September Athlete of the Month.
“I was kind of surprised because I know there [are] a lot of people out there that could definitely be in that position,” Owen said. “It was super cool to find that out.”
Sports have always been a big part of Owen’s life growing up. He has participated in football, wrestling and lacrosse since the first year he became eligible to sign up for each activity.
Although he loves wrestling and lacrosse, Owen admitted that football is his favorite. “I love football, and football season is my favorite time of the year,” he acknowledged. “It’s just different than any of those other sports. Being on a team with a whole bunch of people that you have grown up with, it’s different.”
Owen plays linebacker and running back for the Bulldogs and has excelled during his senior year. In Sandpoint’s Homecoming game against Homedale, Owen recorded a whopping 21 tackles.
Aside from football, Owen said that he has loved growing up in Sandpoint thanks to the myriad of outdoor activities that are available year-round. Fly fishing and camping are always on Owen’s to-do list when it’s warm outside, but he also enjoys heading up to Schweitzer Mountain when the snow and cold weather comes.
“We have got the mountain and the lake. Not many people [have both of those things]. It’s pretty sweet,” Owen said. “I love that during the summer you can go swimming. You can go mountain biking, and there are so [many] outdoor activities. And then during the winter, Schweitzer is 15 minutes away, and you can go skiing.”
Every time Owen considers his future, the idea of being a firefighter seems to stick in his mind. “Nothing else really caught my attention besides firefighting for some reason,” he shared. “I want to do something where I can help out the environment and other people, and be able to be more active and fit when I am older.”
After graduation this spring, Owen plans to immediately take part in forest firefighting during the summer, and he hopes to attend a university next fall where he will study fire science.