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Friday, December 5, 2008

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Top teams slated for W-DC tourney

WRESTLING

WADENA - The epicenter of northern Minnesota wrestling will be in the Wadena-Deer Creek High School gym beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Five of the eight teams are ranked by the Guillotine, Minnesota's amateur wrestling newspaper.

Class 2A runner-up Perham leads the way. The Yellowjackets are ranked second in 2A, while Section 8-2A rival Thief River Falls is ninth. Badger/Greenbush/Middle River is Class 1A's ninth-ranked team. Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale and W-DC are receiving "lean and mean" consideration.

Two-time Mid-State Conference champion Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus, as well as Long Prairie/Grey Eagle, and Sauk Centre will also compete.

State runners-up Steve Keogh (130-2A) of Thief River Falls and Perham's Nathan Schmitz (189-2A) highlight an individual field that includes 23 state entrants and 10 state placewinners. Twenty-five wrestlers are ranked, including top-ranked Keogh and Travis Peralta, both of Thief River Falls.

PL/PR-B brings a team that should contend for the top spot in Section 8-2A. Coach Tom Demars' Road Crew won the 33-team Big Bear tournament and the Mid-State Conference dual meet title last season before being decimated by injuries. Zach Humphrey (125), Nic Harrison (130), Dustin Campbell (145) are returning state entrants.

Others to watch from the Road Crew include Darian Rubner (103 last year) and Cody Schrupp (119).

B-H/V and W-DC represent Section 6-1A. BH/V advanced to the section semifinals last season, falling to eventual champion New York Mills. The Raiders are led by state wrestler Matt Moenkedick (sixth at 171). Jake Braaten (152) and Wade Moenkedick are returning state entrants. Amos Schmidt is also another formidable Raider.

Coach Norm Gallant's W-DC Wolverines return 12 starters from a team that went 15-5 and finished second in 6-1A. Mitch Steffens is ranked eighth at 103, along with Eddie Lustila, ranked 10th at heavyweight. Others to watch are Jordan Rentz (23-14 last season), Jared Wegscheid (28-12), Matt Hagen (24-11) and Josh Sweere (17-15).


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