December 1, 2010

Wrestling Wolves open season at Sidney Tournament

By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor

The Watford City varsity wrestling team will open its 2010-2011 wrestling season this Friday and Saturday when the Wolves compete in the Sidney Invitational that will feature 20 schools from Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Wrestling action will begin at 7:30 p.m. (CST) on Friday at the Sidney High School gymnasium. with Saturday’s action starting at 11 a.m. (CST).
While the varsity wrestlers are mixing it up in Sidney, the Wolves junior high team will be competing at the Williston Junior High Tournament  at the Phil Jackson Fieldhouse. Junior high wrestling action will start at 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The varsity Wolves team will be returning a solid lineup this season with five experienced seniors, Brady Lund, Jake Thomas, Kalin Mogen, Karson Knudtson and Nolan Kalberer, on the roster.
Leading the way for the Wolves will be Brady Lund, a state champion and two-time state runner-up. Lund, who will be wrestling at 135 pounds, brings a career record of 145-18 into his senior year.
Jake Thomas, who has placed at State the last three years including a third place finish last year, will be competing at 145 pounds this year. He has a 123-70 win-loss record coming into his senior year.
Kalin Mogen, who will be wrestling at 171 and 189 pounds this year, is a two-time place finisher at State winning fifth last year and eighth place as a sophomore. Mogen has an overall record of 68-39.
Karson Knudtson, who finished in fifth place last year at State, will be competing at 152 and 160 pounds this year. He has a 66-65 win-loss record coming into his senior year.
Nolan Kalberer, who was within one match of placing at State last season, had a 23-17 record last year as a junior. This season, he will be competing at 160 or 171 pounds.
Also returning to mat for the Wolves are juniors Gus Nelson and Clay Billing. Nelson, who qualified for State last year, will be competiing in the 135 and 140 weight classes. Billing, who suffered a broken leg bone in football, is expected to be in the lineup after Christmas wrestling at 145 and 152 pounds.
Sophomores trying to crack into the lineup are Austin Garmann, Richard Stuchlik and Joe Nelson. Garmann wrestled for the Wolves two years ago, and is expected to wrestle from 140 to 152 pounds. Stuchlik is a transfer from Bozeman, Mont. Nelson, who wrestled at 103 pounds last year, will be competing at 125 pounds this season. Nelson got a critical pin at the Region Tournament last season that helped the Wolves win their second straight Region title.
Freshman making the varsity squad are Trevor Kalberer, Carson Harwig and Jake Scott.
Kalberer, who wrestled at 119 pounds last season and was a region runner-up and state qualifier, is expected to wrestle at 130 pounds this year.
Harwig is back with the Wolves after taking a couple of seasons off. He will compete in the 112 and 119 weight classes.
Scott, who is a transfer from Columbia Falls, Mont., has had an outstanding background as an elementary and junior high wrestler and should be a great addition to the Wolves. He will be wrestling in the 112 and 119 pound weight classes.
Other members of the Wolves varsity squad are eighth graders Coleton Jore at 103 pounds, Logan Gumke at 103 pounds, Clay Jorgenson at 112 pounds, Keegan Thompson at 140 pounds and Logan Fettig at 189 pounds.
Seventh graders working out with the varsity include Jade Hepper, Jacob Rogness, Kyle Bolken, Dakota Garmann and Lane Wold.
The Wolves have a very challenging schedule ahead of them following the Sidney Tournament as the team will wrestle Carrington, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, and then compete in a tournament that will feature Carrington, Oakes, the No. 2-rated team, and Napoleon.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER