COLLEGE

+Mary sent their entire lineup to the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis over the weekend and walked away with two placewinners.  Placing for the Marauders were 165 Dante Springsteen and 285 Dom Tudor.  Springsteen finished eighth after falling on the topside 4-2 to #1 ranked and national runner-up Nick Foster of McKendree in the quarterfinals.  Springsteen was forced to injury default to eighth sixteen seconds into his second consolation bout.  Tudor also lost in the quarters before winning his blood round match 3-1.  Tudor then won two consecutive Medical Forfeits falling in the third place match 2-1 to McKendree’s Caleb Gossett.  Mary was without All American 184 Phil Springsteen.   Springsteen will miss some time due to illness, but should return at some point this season.

+The University of Jamestown women jumped to second nationally in the latest NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll.  Junette Caldera (101) and Agatha Andrews (191) are both ranked third for the Jimmies.

+The Jamestown Men finished 0-4 at the Smokey Mountain Duals Friday evening in Tennessee.  133 Antonio Ruiz finished 2-2 for the Jimmies

High School

+The Carrington Al Larson Invite Can be found HERE! As for individuals, Carrington’s Michael Clifton and Tate Hoggarth remain undefeated on the season.  Both have yet to face a real test.  Linton will be a big test for both next weekend.  At 106, Minot’s Gabe Mortensen proved to me that he is a title contender on the A side with a 7-0 finals win over New Salem’s Cole Gerhardt. Gerhardt may not yet be a full 106, but he is loaded with talent and currently the favorite at 106.  Now down to 126, Velva’s Jeseb Mogen scored a victory over Lisbon state champion Caleb Nielsen 5-2.  Mogen now jumps into the title conversation.  Boeden Greenley’s move from 106 to 138 has been a success thus far.  Greenley is currently 11-0 heading into Valley City, where competition against some ranked Class A wrestlers should give us a great idea as to where he stands.  Napoleon’s Peyton Gruenfelder made himself the hunted witha 1-0 win over Lisbon’s #1 ranked Sam Reiger at 220.  Gruenfelder will move to the top slot next week if he win the Linton Holiday next weekend.  That is no guarantee though, as with the exception of Reiger, the rest of the ranked B 220’s should be in attendance.

+It will be hard (likely impossible) for anyone to beat Bismarck High this year in dual or individual tournament competition.  The Demons won the Mandan Lions two weeks ago and piggy-backed that onto an impressive showing at the Rapid City Invitational over the weekend.  Bismarck edged a strong Windsor, CO team led by University of Mary national champion Monte Trusty 188-175 last weekend.  More importantly, the Demons are still without LJ Araujo and Brandt Kringlie.  Kringlie is rehabbing an injury, and Araujo must wait until the Middle School season is over to join the Demons.  Both are title contenders at their respective weights and should bump the Demon team scores at the Bisamarck Rotary by 30 points or more.  The return to the mat of Demon 170 Gage Roaldson is huge for the Demons.  Roaldson, who I have enjoyed watching for the last three years because he busts his tail for six minutes every single time he’s out there, was forced off the mat last winter because injury.   Now, Roaldson looks poised to win a title as a senior.

+Demon national champion Wilfried Tanefeu cleared a big hurdle Saturday with his 8-3 finals victory over Cael Larson of Rapid City Central.  Larson pinned Tanefeu in their only matchup last season and placed higher than Tanefue at three tournaments.  The solid victory marks the development Tanefeu has made in the last year.

+St. Mary’s junior Reece Barnhardt continues to improve, and took home the Outstanding Wrestler Award Saturday in Rapid City due in part to his technical fall then pin of South Dakota’s #1 ranked 126 Riley Hollingshead of Sioux Falls Roosevelt.  Barnhardt has’t lost since the Rumble on the Red in his freshman season (coming up on two years), and his continued dominance regionally should put him on the Division I radar.

+LaMoure’s Garrett Hebl won a loaded 145 pound weight class at the LaMoure Invitational.  An undefeated freshman, Hebl defeated Jon Schockley of South Border in the semifinals and then Anton Carruth of South Border in the finals.  With Carruth beating current #1 Brock Roesler of Kindred in the semis, Hebl could secure the state’s number one ranking next week should he perform well in Linton.

+Century had a strong showing at the Grand Forks Sertoma over the weekend.  The Patriots edged Thief River Falls in the semifinals before falling to Perham 39-31 in the finals.  The difference in that dual was the four pins Century gave up to start the match.  The Patriots won six of the final ten bouts, but were unable to dig out of the 24 point hole.

What To Watch For this Weekend

+With essentially everyone but Lisbon battling it out in Linton this weekend for the Linton Holiday tournament, we should get a good gage as to the team most likely to give the Broncos a run.  There is a strong buzz around the South Border Mustangs and the depth they have from top to bottom.

+Aaron Larson has put together a great tournament in Valley City, and it is going to be the only opportunity fans have to Bismarck High and Lisbon go head to head.  With Lisbon’s strength in the upper-weights and title potential throughout,  they could be the only team in the state to really push the Demons in an individual tournament.  The crazy part about this showdown, is that there really arent any individual bouts with #1 vs. #1 unles we see movement.  Either way it should be interesting.