by Oran Sorenson, Coach
Only the Jesse James/ Dan Pansch invitational in Brandon would be shorter travel time this year for our local wrestling squad. The A and B tournaments were combined again this year in Sioux Falls, plus, for the first time in ten years the dual team tournament was reintroduced. Garretson would have two wrestlers earn the right to compete as well as one alternate, also something new this year.
In the sixteen-man bracket at 106 pounds, freshman Preston Bohl would compete for the second consecutive year. Preston would face the eventual runner up in round one, Gunnar Kvistad of Clark. After leading in periods one and two, Kvistad scored a late takedown to win by decision 4-2. In wrestle back round one Bohl would outscore rival Dakota Buck of McCook by a tight 2-1 score. Eliminating Bohl from further competition was a 5-1 loss to the eventual sixth place finisher from Kimball.
Also in his second year at state in the same weight class, Jayse Miller would represent Region II B in the 113-pound class. Miller would face the eventual champ, Andy Meyer of Canton, in round one. Meyer rolled in this match winning by tech fall. Sophomore Miller would end his competition with a 7-2 loss to his opponent from Phillip in wrestle back round one.
Dominic Abraham was chosen as the best of the non-qualifiers at 145 after finishing 5th at region and having better credentials than the three other fifth place finishers across the state. Dom would have only been able to compete if another qualifier at that weight failed skin checks or might have been sick or injured, and that did not happen.
Our Region II was well represented in this tourney. Parker, McCook, and Canton all qualified as one of the top eight best dual teams in the state. Canton would win this event by rolling past a good team from Winner on Friday night. In individual competition, the strength of Canton’s program came through in record fashion. They qualified 8 wrestlers for the finals and won six individual titles, something no program, A or B has ever done in known history! McCook would finish also on the trophy stand from our region in sixth place.
