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Wrestlers place fifth at NYWA state meet |
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The seventh and eighth grade Caledonia/Houston wrestling team competed
in the NYWA State Tournament at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester
April 3 and 4. The team finished fifth of 22 teams from throughout the
entire state. Over the two day span the team wrestled five
matches winning three. From bottom to top the team wrestled with
confidence and determination and a “never say die” attitude. The
coaches stated that the team was very coach able; and that if they
continue on this path they will have a bright future in more state
level wrestling.
Thursday’s first match was against the TMB Panthers, beating them 34-
9. Highlights of the match where pins by John Ellenz, Casey
Stemper, Willy Krage, and Travis Frank.
The next match was against the NRHEG Panthers winning by a score of
30-12. Pins were recorded by Austin Fitzgerald, Connor McCormick,
and Casey Stemper. A highlight of the match was Shane Loken
defeating Jacob Staloch who placed fourth in individual
competition.
The thirrd match of the night was against Albert Lea, which the team
came up just short of victory with a score of 25-19. Connor
McCormick, and Casey Stemper both recorded pins; and other wins were by
Shane Loken and Travis Frank.
Friday’s first match against Becker came down to the last match with
Travis Frank recording a pin to put the team up 24-20.
Friday’s final match against Hastings was a loss with a score of 29-6. Recording wins were Willy Krage, and Casey Stemper.
The seventh and eighth grade NYWA team was put together six weeks prior
to the tournament. The focus of the team from the start was
respect, good sportsmanship, mental toughness, and confidence.
Alternative coaching methods were used for training including an
aerobic workout instructed by Gail McCormick; which proved to be a
workout for wrestlers and coaches alike. Conditioning was key in
practices.
Coach Nick Frank told the team, “I know you guys know how to wrestle,
so we have to concentrate on conditioning”. Carl Fruechte and
Casey Meiners were brought in to speak to the team about confidence and
mental toughness, which proved to be motivational for the team.
The team would like to thank Mitch Mullins, golf coach, for sharing the
use of the school multipurpose room for practice. We would also
like to thank all fans and family members who attended the tournament
and/or showed support for the team. We, as coaches, love this
sport and know that wrestling is a great influence in the lives of
young men and that these are experiences they will remember for the
rest of there lives. Thanks, and good luck in the future!
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