New Salem/Almont took home the team title at the Linton Holiday Tournament with an impressive five champions and eight total top six finishers.  The Holsteins recorded individual championship performances from Clay Gerhardt, Tayt Wolding, Chauncey Dittus, Josh Irwin, and Isaiah Huus.  Only a freshman, Huus showed he is ready for a run at a state championship right now with a fall in 4:50 over #2 ranked Corbin Okeson of Bishop Ryan.  He also defeated #3 Clayton Mattern of Bowman County/Beach 7-4 in the semis.  The most anticipated match of the tournament happened at 120, where state champions Clay Gerhardt and Kindred’s Carter Schmitz met in the finals.  Gerhardt got the win via 4-1 decision, handing Schmitz his first loss since 2017.

Second place South Border placed four in the finals, and got bookend titles from 106 Marshall Lindgren and 285 Riley Molter.  Lindgren won his title from the fourth seed, defeating top seed Isaiah Carruth of Edgeley/Ellendale/Kulm and second seed Matthew Duchscherer of Carrington.  Molter navigated to his title with falls in each of his three matches.

Third place Carrington put three into the finals, but the Cardinals were unable to crown an individual champion.  State champion Kaden Wolsky was defeated at 220 pounds by Beau Jeffers of Bowman County/Beach in what was the most entertaining match of the evening.  Jeffers nearly pinned Wolsky before grinding out a 13-10 decision.

Hettinger/Scranton’s Kyle Burwick joined rarified air in winning his fifth Linton Holiday Title.  Burwick defeated Chandler Nagel of Linton 11-2 in the finals.

In a battle of state champions from bordering states,  Alex Aesoph of Faulkton, SD, deafeated Napoleon’s Nathan Weigel 6-4 in overtime.  Napoleon did register an individual champion a weight class later when Garrett Jangula defeated South Border’s Jake Herr via 13-2 major decision.

Other Linton Holiday champions were Gunnar Mogen (113 Velva), Riley Zachmeier (Rugby 138), and Coy Spooner (195).