Governors Continue Winning Way at Les Tlustos Invitational in Brookings

As the postseason draws closer with just three more weeks of regular season competition, the Governor Wrestling team traveled to Brookings to compete at the Les Tlustos Invitational over the weekend.  The tournament provided the Governors with their first shot at a number of top twelve ranked teams including teams like Vermillion (#12) Madison (#11), West Central and Dell Rapids that they have yet to compete against resulting in a number of key match-ups they are likely to see come the state tournament.  This year for the first time the SDSHSAA will be seeding the state tournament increasing the importance for winning critical head-to-head match-ups to improve postseason draws.  “We won a majority of the matches we needed to for state seeding criteria,” said head coach Shawn Lewis.  “A couple of those that we did win we will likely see again next weekend in Yankton.”

The Governor Wrestling team poses at the conclusion of the Les Tlustos Invitational as they win their third straight tournament in Brookings.

Despite being slightly shorthanded with Michael Lusk out with an injury, the remainder of the Governors continued their team winning streak by earning the team title after outscoring the field by almost 30 points by racking up a total of 257 team points.  The Governors sent eight wrestlers into the finals, producing four champions, and five other place winners (including three unattached wrestlers).

Individual champions for the Governors over the weekend included William Turman, Lincoln Turman, Aric Williams and Spencer Sarringar.

Governors earned individual titles from Lincoln Turman, William Turman, Aric Williams, and Spencer Sarringer.  Lincoln Turman advanced to the finals with a 5-2 win over #4 ranked Colby Mennis from Madison, then faced off against #2 ranked Lucas Anglin from Vermillion.  Going scoreless into the third period, Turman scored two back-points against Anglin and then held on in the closing seconds as Anglin worked to secure a reversal.  William Turman won by pin over Jack Smith from Brandon Valley in the semifinals and then won 5-2 against #4 Jayden DeCou from Lennox to secure his first individual title of the season. 

William Turman secures  the pin against Blessing Taniah from Sioux Falls Washington during their opening round match.  

Aric Williams maintained control of Cole Houlska from Lennox in the closing seconds of his semifinal match to win 7-6, then needed an additional periods to win in sudden victory against #4 ranked Noah Guse from Madison 7-5.  Following an opening takedown by Guse, Williams looked in harmony as he proceeded to score three straight takedowns in order to secure the win.  At the 195lb weight class #1 ranked Spencer Sarringer defeated Cole Eidiem by major decision 11-2 in order to advance to the finals to wrestle #5 ranked Nate Guthmiller from Madison were he won a close 2-1 match to remain unbeaten in the state and earn his fourth individual title on the year.  Despite traditionally large scoring gaps for Sarringer this year, Guthmiller’s restrictive style made it difficult for him to rack up points and settled for the tight 2-1 victory.  Following a few of the key matchups with first time opponents this season assistant coach John Wayne Kalda noted “The wrestlers that we have seen before we continue to make minor adjustments.  The guys that we haven’t, we do our best to scout them so we are more confident in where we can create scoring opportunities when matches become more critical later in the season.”

Aric Williams secures position on Madison's Noah Guse during overtime of their championship match. 

Also advancing to the finals were Austin Senger, Lucas Stoltenburg, Levi Stoltenburg and Ty Paulsen.  During his semifinal match #2 rated Senger won by pin over #4 rated Bailey Mennis in a match-up with important state tournament seeding implications.  Down 0-2 after the first period, Senger rebounded to score 6 unanswered points which conclude a feet-to-back takedown for the pin late in the third period.  Senger eventually lost 8-2 against #1 rated Tyler Waterson from Spearfish in the finals.  Lucas Stoltenburg also performed well in his semifinal match against #5 ranked Jarred Mettler where a late second period reversal put him up 5-3 going into the third period where he threw Mettler to his back for the pin.  During the finals Stoltenburg lost by tech fall 17-2 against #2 ranked Colby Kost from Rapid City Central.  Levi Stoltenburg won by fall over Sam Detert from Harrisburg in the semifinals, then lost by fall over #2 ranked Timmy Paris from RC Central in the finals.  Ty Paulsen defeated #8 Donovan Spencer from RC Central by pin to advance to the semifinals where he matched up against #2 ranked Eddie Miller from Brookings, but eventually lost lost 3-0 to finish second. The eight wrestlers in the finals matched the performance of the Governors at the Mitchell Invitational establishing a solid team core that can put up the numbers needed at the state tournament.  “As a staff we have a certain mindset that we want our wrestlers to establish and show,” said Kalda.  “We need to be confident in our training and preparation for our matches and not get away from what we do well.  But we also have to have the ability to adapt during matches and understand situations that will allow us to win by not being one dimensional.” 

Ty Paulsen secures a pin against Keithen Funk from Spearfish in the quarterfinals.  Paulsen went on to finish second overall.  

Three other varsity wrestlers placed at the event including a 5^th place finish by Maguire Raske who defeated #7 ranked Briggs Havlik from Mitchell by pin in the quarterfinals before losing to #1 ranked Carter Lohr from Roosevelt in the semifinals.  Gage Gehring competed for the first time prior to The Clash and finished 7^th overall at 170lbs as did Jack Van Camp at 106lbs.  Lewis noted “We competed very well at Brookings.  We are definitely seeing the development that we need and our older kids are getting into post season form.  More importantly our younger kids are nailing down their consistency.”

Keegan Bineger works to turn Brooking's Justice Devine during their 145lb wrestle back match to secure placing at the event. 

An advantage of the Tlustos Invitational is the opportunity to also include non-scoring wrestlers as unattached into the brackets.  Three Governor wrestlers took advantage of the opportunity to compete in Brookings with Logan Meyer, Keegan Binegar and Pryce Dyk each finishing 7^th at the event.  “The coaches were pleased with the outcome of the non-varsity kids that placed,” said Kalda.  It shows the hard work these guys have been putting in all season and how deep our team can be.  It’s nice to know that in a pinch we have guys that are ready to step up.  However we can’t have these guys satisfied as they need to establish a mindset that they can wrestle with anyone and there is still room for improvement so that they can work toward higher placings in the future.”  Individual results for the Governors included:

• 106lbs – Jack Van Camp – 7^th (3-2)
• 113lbs – Lincoln Turman – Champion (4-0)
• 120bs – William Turman – Champion (4-0)
• 126lbs – Jace Bench-Bresher – DNP (1-2)
• 132lbs – Lee Snyder – DNP (1-2)
• 138lbs – Austin Senger – 2^nd (3-1)
• 138lbs – Logan Meyer – 7^th (3-2)
• 145lbs – Aric Williams – Champion (4-0)
• 145lbs – Keegan Bineger – 7^th (3-2)
• 152lbs – Maguire Raske – 5^th (4-2)
• 160lbs – Garrett Leesman – DNP (1-2)
• 170lbs – Gage Gehring – 7^th (3-2)
• 182lbs – Lucas Stoltenburg – 2^nd (3-1)
• 195lbs – Spencer Sarringer – Champion (3-0)
• 220lbs – Levi Stoltenburg – 2^nd (3-1)
• 285lbs – Ty Paulsen – 2^nd (3-1)
• 285lbs – Pryce Dyk – 7^th (3-2)

Pryce Dyk attempts to turn SF Lincoln's Dylan Muth during their opening round match-up.  Dyk went on to finish seventh overall as an unattached wrestler for the Governors.

The Governors do not have an opportunity to be placid as they travel to Yankton this coming weekend where they will face a majority of the top Class A and B teams.  Additionally, a tough Millard South team from Omaha will be in attendance which was the only team to beat the Governors in tournament competition last season when they won the Yankton Invitational by 1 ½ points.  

Governors Dominate Yankton 75-6 in ESD Matchup

Despite an early loss to Aberdeen in ESD Dual competition prior to the holiday break, the Governors are still eyeing a potential ESD title following a 45-23 loss on January 26th by Aberdeen against a Watertown team that is coming on strong late in the season.  The Governors had suffered a 34-33 loss to Aberdeen in December which required officials to utilize the 8th criteria to determine the team winner after the two teams tied following a win by Aberdeen at the 285lb weight class.  Pierre defeated Watertown 38-30 during the first weekend of action at the Watertown Dual Tournament which counted as their ESD match-up.  "Watertown beating Aberdeen makes all of the remaining duals that much more important," said head coach Shawn Lewis.  "If we can win out, and Aberdeen and Watertown do as well, it will be a three way tie for the ESD championships."  

Jack Van Camp works to maintain control over Yankton's Giovanni Ruffo during thier 106lb match.  Van Camp went on to win in overtime 5-3.  

With the hopes of maintaining the current three-way tie for the ESD title, the Governor Wrestling program traveled to Yankton on Friday evening to compete against the unranked Bucks.  The most competitive match-up of the night occurred at the opening match as #7 ranked Jack Van Camp squared off against #4 Giovanni Ruffo with the match requiring overtime to determine the eventual winner.  Van Camp knocked off the higher ranked opponent with a takedown down :42 seconds into the sudden victory overtime.  Lincoln Turman and William Turman extended the Governor lead to 15-0 with pins over Taten Bahm and Joseph Smith.  At 126lbs Yankton scored their only points in the dual as Kyler Lillie earned a second period pin over Jace Bench-Bresher who bumped up from his traditional 113lb spot.  

Lee Snyder looks to secure the pin over Yankton's John Sawyer during the 132lb match.  

Over the next nine matchups the Governors racked up a total of 45 team points with pins by Lee Snyder, Logan Meyer, Aric Williams, Maguire Raske, Garrett Leesman, Gage Gehring, Lucas Stoltenburg, Spencer Sarringar and Levi Stoltenburg.  Ty Paulsen finished the dual with an additional six points as the Yankton Bucks were open at 285lbs.  The complete results from the dual competition include: 

• 106lbs - #7 Jack Van Camp wins by decision over #4 Giovanni Ruffo in Overtime (5-3)
• 113lbs - #1 Lincoln Turman wins by pin over Taten Bahm (1:25)
• 120lbs - #2 William Turman wins by pin over Joseph Smith (0:44)
• 126lbs - Kyler Lillie wins by pin over Jace Bench-Bresher (2:42)
• 132lbs - Lee Syder wins by pin over John Sawyer (0:56)
• 138lbs - Logan Meyer wins by pin over Josh Rowell (5:11)
• 145lbs - #2 Aric Williams wins by pin over Ben Tellus (0:22)
• 152lbs - Maguire Raske wins by pin over Donovan Bain (1:15)
• 160bls - Garrett Leesman wins by pin over Connor Davenport (1:17)
• 170lbs - Gage Gehring wins by pin over Owen Warren (2:16)
• 182lbs - #4 Lucas Stoltenburg wins by pin over Korbin Postma (0:39)
• 195lbs - #1 Spencer Sarringar wins by pin over Trevor Ellis (0:19)
• 220lbs - #4 Levi Stoltenburg wins by pin over Cole Diedrichsen (1:41)
• 285lbs - #7 Ty Paulsen wins by Forfeit

Back in action for the first time since the holiday break Gage Gehring secures the pin over Yankton's Owen Warren to start the second period.

Over the weekend the Governors also competed at the Les Tlustos Invitational in Brookings where eight of the top twelve ranked teams in Class A battled. The Governors faced a number of highly ranked wrestlers from Madison and Vermillion for the first time this season.  Lewis noted, " Seeing Madison, Vermillion, West Central, and Dell Rapids for the first time can be critical in seeding.  Getting those match-ups and wrestling well will mean more then the team outcome this weekend."  

Governors Go Undefeated at East vs. West Duals

The Governor Wrestling program hosted their annual East vs. West Dual Tournament this weekend which included five of the top 10 rated teams in Class A.  The tournament pits Pierre (#1), Watertown (#5) and Brandon Valley as the east contingent against the best that West River has to offer in RC Cental (#4), Sturgis (#3) and RC Stevens (#6).  Over the past five years Pierre has gone undefeated in the event in front of their home crowd, with two spotlight duals ultimately concluding with #1 ranked Pierre and #2 ranked RC Central in 2013 and 2015 coming down to the HWT match to determine the tournament champion. "For the team, the East vs. West duals are the ones that the coaches and wrestlers really look forward to," said assistant coach John Wayne Kalda.  "There is a lot of electricity in the air even when we are not wrestling as it usually showcases some of the best teams in the state.  Any chance that we get to wrestle and show our talent our kids will feed off that atmosphere from the crowd, and they need a lot of credit as they are one of the more educated and passionate fan base and truly understand the sport."  

Jack Van Camp squares off against #2 ranked Jacob Wood of Sturgis in their opening match at 106lbs.  Wood went on to win the match 6-1.

During their opening dual, the Governors faced off against #3 ranked Sturgis with Jack Van Camp losing 6-1 against #2 ranked Jacob Wood.  A major decision by Lincoln Turman 10-2 against Tristan Permann and a pin by William Turman over Shae Owens put the Governors in the lead 10-3.  Jace Bench-Bresher bumped up to 126lbs and kept the match close with Chris Nash losing 10-3 and Michael Lusk scored a first period pin against Matt Willey to retain lead.  Austin Senger scored a last second takedown against Jeremiah Palmer to win by major at 138lbs bring the dual to one of the most anticipated match-ups for the day with #1 ranked Aric Williams squaring off against #2 rated Bailey Brengle.  A close takedown in the final seconds of the first period ended up deciding the match as Brengle went on to hold off scoring attempts by Williams to secure a 3-2 victory.  Following the match“We talked about making Bailey wrestle in our positions and not down on the mat where he is comfortable," said head coach Shawn Lewis. 

Aric Williams returns Sturgis's Bailey Brengle to the mat during their match-up against #1 and #2 ranked opponents in the state.  

A flurry of pins followed including one from from Maguire Raske over Jaren Puhlman, which was then countered by pins from Sturgis at 160 and 170lbs resulting in losses by Riley Kruger and Garrett Leesman.  Lucas Stoltenburg pinned Kody Cox in the first period and following a forfeit at 195lb to Spencer Sarringar, Sturgis earned their last points when #1 rated Joel Carpenter pinned Levi Stoltenburg.  A forfeit at 285lbs for Ty Paulsen sealed the 44-27 dual victory for the Governors. “The important take-away from the dual for our guys was figuring out how to score or help avoid bonus points,” said Lewis.  “Lincoln Turman and Austin Senger both scoring takedown as time expired to earn the major, and Jace Bench-Bresher scoring the escape with two seconds left were huge to create the separation that we needed.”

Against a RC Stevens team plagued by injuries, the Governors opened with a commanding 18-0 lead with pins from Jack Van Camp, Lincoln Turman and William Turman.  Again Jace Bench-Bresher bumped up to 126lbs to face off against #1 rated Spencer Stockman and despite a valid attempt to keep the match close, Stockman won by fall late in the second period.  Michael Lusk defeated Casey Moser 14-1 to earn the major at 132lbs and Austin Senger won by pin over Cody Secrest as Cooper Voorhees recovered from an ankle injury and sat out the dual.  Aric Williams also won by major against Nate Allen 13-4, and Maguire Raske defeated Justin Briese 7-3 to put the Governors up 35-6.  Forfeits at 160lbs and 170lbs resulted in Steven’s final points for the dual which were countered with a pin from Lucas Stoltenburg over Caleb Brink and a tech fall by Spencer Sarringar 16-1 against Hunter McMath.  Levi Stoltenburg scored the fall in the first period against Darrien Stutz and then Ty Paulsen won 2-1 during the first period of overtime against Tyrese Morris to lock up the 55-18 victory. 

Ty Paulsen works to takedown Tyrese Morris from RC Stevens during their 285lb match.  Paulsen went on to earn the 2-1 win in overtime. 

In the closing dual against Rapid City Central the Governor’s opened with a 10-0 lead with a forfeit to Jack Van Camp at 106lbs, and a major decision by Lincoln Turman over TJ Morrison 11-3.  Central countered with a pin at 120lbs by Kraye over Jace Bench-Bresher, followed by a pin by William Turman over Nick Preble.  The Governors then earned four straight wins with a major by Michael Lusk and Austin Senger over Kayleb Twomey (11-0) and Brayden Burrus (13-0) respectively.  Aric Williams earned the close 3-2 win over #3 ranked Riley McSherry which was then followed by a second period pin for Maguire Raske over Tanner Skaare.  Central rebounded with a pin at 160lbs by Blake Anderson over Garrett Leesman followed by wins by Zach Solano at 170lbs and Kolby Kost who defeated Lucas Stoltenburg by major 9-1.  The follow-up win by Spencer Sarringar with a first period pin over Anthony Knodell put the dual out of reach.  Number two ranked Timmy Paris won by pin over Levi Stoltenburg at 220lbs and  Ty Paulsen capped off the dual for the Governors with a late takedown over Aren Wells to close out a 4-3 win.  

William Turman looks to pin Nick Preble in their 126lbs match during the final dual against RC Central.  Turman won by pin in the second period of the match.

Governors finished with a 42-28 dual win and a 3-0 team finish on the day. Overall seven of the Governor wrestlers went 3-0 during the three duals with individual performances during the tournament include:

• 106lbs – Jack Van Camp – 2-1
• 113lbs – Lincoln Turman – 3-0
• 120lbs – William Turman – 3-0
• 126lbs – Jace Bench-Bresher – 0-3
• 132lbs – Michael Lusk – 3-0
• 138lbs – Austin Senger – 3-0
• 145lbs – Aric Williams – 2-1
• 152lbs – Maguire Raske – 3-0
• 160lbs – Riley Kruger – 0-1
• 170lbs – Garrett Leesman – 0-2
• 182lbs – Lucas Stoltenburg – 2-1
• 195lbs – Spencer Sarringar – 3-0
• 220lbs – Levis Stoltenburg – 2-1
• 285lbs – Ty Paulsen – 3-0

Spencer Sarringar works to turn Anthony Knodell during his final match of the day against RC Central.  Sarringar went on to win by pin in the first period and finished 3-0 on the day. 

Leading up to the Region tournament hosted in Mitchell this year, the Governors will compete at the Brookings and Yankton Invitationals over the next two weeks.  Lewis noted that as we head into our final two weeks "We start to individualize things a bit more for each wrestlers and begin to concentrate on improving individual positions and opponent match scenarios."  Getting the entire team healthy and back on the mat to compete at Regions will be critical if the Governors hope to win a third consecutive state tournament title.  

** Photos Provided by Todd Thompson Photography. 

Strong Showing by Governors Over Long Weekend

The Governor Wrestling program found themselves competing in opposite ends of the state over the extended weekend with the varsity repeating as tournament champions at the Jerry Opbreak Invitational in Mitchell on Saturday, while the JV competing at the Battler Invitational in Gettysburg producing an 8th place finish as a team. In Mitchell, the Governors racked up a total of 189 team points to outpace second place finisher Watertown by more than 30 points, and produced four individual champions at the event. 

Individual champions at the Jerry Opbroek Invitational included Aric Williams, Michael Lusk, Austin Senger and Spencer Sarringar.

At 132lbs, two returning state champions faced off with Michel Lusk taking on the current #1 ranked wrestler in the B's, and secured a 2-1 victory over Stas Sutera from Bon Homme to win his third straight Jerry Opbroek invitational. "Lusk's matchup with Sutera was an exciting one," said head coach Shawn Lewis. "Both returning state champs that are rated number one.  Stylistically it presented an interesting matchup as well.  Lusk is very technical and Sutera is very funky.  They both did a real nice job of shutting the other down."  

Michael Lusk defends a shot against Bon Homme's Stas Sutera during their championship match.  Lusk went on to win 2-1 in the match-up between Class A and B returning state champions. 

Austin Senger defeated Cooper Voorhees from Rapid City Stevens 10-2 in route to a major decision at 138lbs, and Aric Williams pinned Brandon Sharkey of Rapid City Stevens in the first period to win his championship match.  Finally, Spencer Sarringar defeated Evan Kizer of Howard in :48 seconds during his championship match to cap off the teams final champion at the event. 

In addition to the four champions in Lusk, Senger, Williams and Sarringar, four other Governors advanced to the championships at the event.  Lincoln Turman lost in the closing seconds of the 113lbs championship match to Wyatt Turnquist, with the loss snapping a 72 win streak.  Turman's last loss was against Duncan Stoebner from Bon Homme during the semifinals of this event two years ago.   William Turman was also upset by #5 ranked Caleb Crownover of Bon Homme by a 6-4 decision after giving up five in the second period and was unable to rally to take back the lead in the third period.  Lucas Stoltenburg lost 8-4 to #3 ranked Mason Wickherst from Watertown in his championship match, and Levi Stoltenburg injury defaulted due to a lingering shoulder injury from the Bismarck Rotary.  Jack Van Camp (4th), Maguire Raske (4th) and Ty Paulsen (3rd) also each placed in the top four at the tournament with Van Camp and Raske finishing 2-2, and Paulsen 3-3 respectively.  Following a first period loss to Ben Soukup from Wagner, Cade Hinkle unfortunately dislocated his elbow during the consolation semifinals against Trevor Peters from Winner and will be out for the remainder of the season. 

Jack Van Camp attempts to turn Howards' Lane Miller during the Consolation Semifinal's match.  Van Camp earned a second period pin during the match. 

When reflecting on the benefits of a smaller tournament requiring his team to face-off against some of the top B opponents, Lewis noted "Our schedule is set up to see the best competition possible.  We love to see the best the B's have to offer in order to make us better.  Seeing top notch competition that you don't see week in and week out only makes both sides better."  Overall results for the Governor varsity included:

• 106lbs - Jack Van Camp - 4th (2-2)
• 113lbs - Lincoln Turman - 2nd (2-1)
• 120lbs - William Turman - 2nd (2-1)
• 126lbs - Cade Hinkle - DNP (1-2)
• 132lbs - Michael Lusk - Champion (3-0)
• 138lbs - Austin Senger - Champion (3-0)
• 145lbs - Aric Williams - Champion (3-0)
• 152lbs - Maguire Raske - 4th - (2-2)
• 182lbs - Lucas Stoltenburg - 2nd (2-1)
• 195lbs - Spencer Sarringar - Champion (3-0)
• 220lbs - Levi Stoltenburg - 2nd (2-1)
• 285lbs - Ty Paulsen - 3rd (3-1)
• 285lbs - Pryce Dyk - DNP (1-2)

In action at Gettysburg, the Governors produced on single champion with Will Van Camp winning a 3-1 victory over Riley Whitley from Redfield in the championship match.  Van Camp won by tech fall over Lincoln Fortin, and then defeated Trey Neilan 3-0 in the semifinals to advance to the championships and win the 95lb weight class.  Assistant coach John Wayne Kalda noted "Will Van Camp had a nice tournament.  He finally had the chance to wrestle kids his own size, and we knew the potential was there, but sometimes it was hidden by the fact that he is giving up 20lbs in most matches."  

Jace Bench-Bresher lost to class B #6 ranked Dylan Wolf 10-6 in the quarterfinals, and battled back to earn fourth following a loss to class A #7 ranked Max Donovan from Chamberlain. Keegan Binegar and Easton Swartz each finished fifth, with Binegar losing to Gannon Martinmaas from Falkton by fall in the quarterfinals, but finished the tournament with a 4-2 record with three wins in the wrestler-backs.  Swartz also lost in the quarterfinals to Ellison from Lemmon by fall, then also earned three wins in the wrestle backs to pull out the fifth place finish. Finally, three governors finished sixth overall including Logan Meyer, Riley Kruger and Wesley Harsma as they advanced to the semifinals after wins in the first two rounds, but lost by pin in each of those matches.  "Our upper classmen like Kruger and Binegar had a good day," said Kalda.  "We would like to have a kid like Keegan around a lot longer, as he has a great work ethic and is a great leader for these guys.  His willingness to help so many guys learn the sport is always fun to watch."  

There are significant benefits from allowing JV wrestlers the opportunity to experience varsity competition.  "For us as coaches, we see two advantages from entering a tournament like this," said Kalda.  "First, it shows the guys that even though they are wrestling JV, they can compete on the varsity level with a lot of other teams across the state.  It gives them a little different view on their current situation.  Second, it gives these kids experience in a varsity setting.  The whole shock and awe factor shouldn't be an issue and they will be mentally and physically prepared for that next level when we need them to step up." Overall results for the Governor Wrestling JV included: 

• 95lbs - Will Van Camp - Champion (3-0)
• 113lbs - Jace Bench-Bresher - 4th (3-2)
• 120lbs - Trevor Adamson - DNP (0-2)
• 132lbs - Lee Snyder - DNP (0-2)
• 138lbs - Logan Meyer - 6th (2-3)
• 145lbs - Kegan Binegar - 5th (4-2)
• 152lbs - Dominic Howard - DNP (2-2)
• 160lbs - Riley Kruger - 6th (2-3)
• 170lbs - James Lees - DNP (1-2)
• 195lbs - Wesley Harsma - 6th (2-3)
• 285lbs - Easton Swartz 5th - (4-2)

The Governor's will be in action again this coming weekend on January 21st as they host the East vs. West dual meet beginning at 10:00 on Saturday morning.

Governors Dominate the Competition at the Rotary

Following a weekend of tough dual competition at The Clash, the Governor Wrestling program traveled north to compete in the Bismarck Rotary in dominating fashion.  Coming off a strong 238 point performance in 2016 where the Governors produced nine placers, including five finalists and three individual champions, the team was favored as it took on the ND #1 ranked Bismarck Century program.  The Rotary represents all of the North Dakota Class A wrestling programs, a handful of the top North Dakota B schools, three teams from Montana, along with six of the top twelve teams from South Dakota. "Once we got past the first day of The Clash the team got back on track with the goals that we set in place at the beginning of the year," said assistant coach John Wayne Kalda.  "We were humbled a bit in Rochester and it set up a great week of practice.  Wrestlers were focused going into the weekend, and knew they had to be to repeat their performance from last year."  

Levi Stoltenburg works to pin Valley City's Jaden Oestern during their fifth place match at the Rotary.  Stoltenburg went on to earn the pin :49 seconds into the second period. 

In the 38 team field, the Governors advanced eight into the semifinal round including Lincoln Turman, William Turman, Michael Lusk, Austin Senger, Aric Williams, Maguire Raske, Spencer Sarringar and Levi Stoltenburg.  "Putting eight in the semifinals was a difficult task," said head coach Shawn Lewis.  "This has to feed into our kids heads to let them know that any kid in our lineup can compete in every match every time out.  Hopefully this continues to build as we look to repeat this feat in February."  During this final round on Friday evening, four Governors eventually advanced to the finals for the afternoon session on Saturday, and then finished four-for-four during championship matches.  At 113lbs Lincoln Turman maintained his undefeated season with a 4-1 win over ND #1 ranked Jeremy Leintz from Beulah/Hazen.  Turman was able to advance to the finals with a 12-4 major decision over Mandans' Will Kleinknecht.  Michael Lusk advanced to the finals following a 3-1 win over Dawson Zerr from Turtle Mountain, then defeated Napoleon's Braydin Jangula 6-0 to finish as the Rotary champion.  Both Turman and Lusk earned their second straight Rotary titles with the wins.  

Michael Lusk maintains control of Braydin Jangula from Napoleon during the closing seconds of their championship match. 

At 145lbs, Aric Williams advanced into the championship match with a 12-6 semifinal win over Jacob Mortensen from Minot, then scored a take down in the closing seconds against Isaac Berger from Mandan to secure a tight 5-4 win.  Lewis noted "Williams was tested at the Rotary.  He proved to himself that he has work to do as he got sloppy at times.  He also showed he can battle back and when he trusts in his offense good things will happen.  Finally, Spencer Sarringar continued with a dominant performance earning two pins and a major decision to advance to the semifinals where he won by pin in the first period against Horswill from Williston.  In the finals, Sarringar faced off against returning state champion Jacob Rader from Bismarck Century and won 9-1 for a major decision.  Sarringar had pinned Rader at The Clash the previous week and the wins by both Williams and Sarringar marked their first championship during their final Rotary appearance.  "Sarringer wrestled as well as I have ever seen him," said Lewis.  "He scored bonus in every match he wrestled, and he only gave up one point throughout the tournament and that was an escape in the finals.  His performance was dominant."  As was noted by ND Headlock in their preliminary coverage of the tournament "Sarringar has been down right filthy [as in fifthly good] this season."

Spencer Sarringar attempts to turn Jacob Rader from Bismarck Century during their championship match at 195lbs.  Sarringar went on to win by major decision 9-1.

Despite a semifinal appearance, William Turman lost 3-2 in a rematch from the Rapid City Invitational against Cody Bevier from RC Stevens, then came back through the wrestle backs and defeated returning Montana state champion Christian Dean to finish third overall.   Austin Senger lost a close 5-4 match against Napoleon's Garrett Jangula in the semifinals, earned a pin in the consolation semifinals before winning 3-1 against Voorhees from RC Stevens to also finish third.  

During his quarterfinal round, Levi Stoltenburg defeated ND #1 ranked Hunter Swartwout from Minot 19-8, before being pinned in the semifinals.  Following a wrestle back loss, Stoltenburg finished 5th with a pin over Oestern from Valley City.  After winning this first three matches to advance to the semifinals, Maguire Raske lost to eventual champion Jared Franek from West Fargo, then lost his two remaining matches to finish sixth following a 9-2 loss to Aberdeen's Collin Haar. Lucas Stoltenburg also finished sixth with an overall 4-3 record at the tournament.  Stoltenburg lost to Rants from Bismarck Century in the quarterfinals, then following two wins in the wrestle backs he faced Rants again and lost 5-3 during the fifth place match.  Lastly, Ty Paulsen finished the day with a seventh place finish with key wins over in-state rivals Spencer from RC Central and then won with a 4-0 finish against Baguma from Fargo Davies.  When reflecting on the overall performance of their 10 placers Kalda stated, "Confidence is the word that comes to mind. There's not a doubt in their mind, no matter who is stepping on the mat that they will come out on top.  The wrestlers do a really good job of taking these tourneys one match at a time.  But they also take the time to study their opponents throughout and make really good adjustment.  With those strategies and maintaining their weight properly they have found a recipe that has worked."

Ty Paulsen works to turn Andre Baguma from Fargo Davies during their 7th place match which Paulsen won 4-0.

Three Governors failed to place at the event with Jack Van Camp finishing 2-2 on the weekend, and Riley Kruger filling in for an injured Garrett Leesman went 1-2.  Following a strong 3-3 performance at The Clash the previous weekend, Cade Hinkle lost a close match-up against Valley City's Parker Larson, then lost by pin in the first round wrestle-backs.  Individual performances by the Governors at the Rotary include:

• 106lbs - Jack Van Camp - DNP (2-2)
• 113lbs - Lincoln Turman - Champion (5-0)
• 120lbs - Will Turman - 3rd (5-1)
• 126lbs - Cade Hinkle - DNP (0-2)
• 132lbs - Michael Lusk Champion (5-0)
• 138lbs - Austin Senger - 3rd (5-1)
• 145lbs - Aric Williams - Champion (5-0)
• 152lbs - Maguire Raske - 6th (3-3)
• 160lbs - Riley Kruger - DNP (1-2)
• 182lbs - Lucas Stoltenburg - 6th (3-3)
• 195lbs - Spencer Sarringar - Champion (5-0)
• 220lbs - Levi Stoltenburg - 5th (4-2)
• 285lbs - Ty Paulsen - 7th (3-2)
• 285lbs - Pryce Dyk - DNP (1-2)

The Governor Wrestling Team following the conclusion of the Bismarck Rotary. 

Throughout the two day event the Governors racked up 222 points and out paced the South and North Dakota competition by more than fifty points.  "Repeating as champions at the Rotary was good for our team confidence," said Shawn Lewis.  "We wrestled well and fixed some things, and are headed in the right direction."  Kalda concluded noting "This is one of the few times throughout the year that from top to bottom we looked like a team on a mission.  Even in our losses we were in the matches. Obviously in a big tournament like this you need your guys in the finals but where the points started to rack up, were from the guys on the back side of the bracket.  Every win, every bonus point could be the difference between a title and second place.  We are starting to see everyone buy into that."  

Update: Following their successful performance in Bismarck the Governor Wrestling team was recognized as the High School Team of the Week by The Open Mat, a respected Online Wrestling Forum based out of Culver City, CA. 

Individual champions for the Governor Wrestling program include Michael Lusk, Aric Williams, Spencer Sarringar and Lincoln Turman. 

Governors Finish 3-3 Overall at The Clash

The tournament is designed to test a teams strength and depth, and the Governor Wrestling team was certainly put to the test in the opening day of The Clash on December 30th.  In the opening dual against #34 ranked Apple Valley the Governors were only able to produce four wins by Spencer Sarringar, Lincoln Turman, William Turman and Michael Lusk.  Apple Valley's ability to generate bonus points in seven of their ten wins earned them a 47-13 victory in the opening round of action.  

Lincoln Turman secures a takedown at the edge of the mat during his 113lb match against Apple Valley during the first dual at The Clash.  Turman went on to win 5-3. 

During the second dual, the Governors faced Owatanna, MN and lost five of the six weight classes by pin as the dual began at the 160lb weight class.  The first period pin by Sarringar at 195lbs generated the only team points as the Governors found themselves down 30-6 going into the 106lb weight class. However, a 5-2 decision by Jack Van Camp and pins by Lincoln and William Turman helped correct the score to 30-21.  Cade Hinkle earned a 15-2 major decision, and then a win by Lusk, and a pin by Austin Senger generated a 34-30 lead for the Governors.  Forced to show first at 145lb, the Governors were required to send out Logan Meyer who lost 6-1 to Owatanna backup Bryce Goodwin.  Owatanna had held Peyton Robb, two time state champion and SDSU commit at 145lb and bumped him to wrestle #1 ranked Aric Williams and earned a 9-2 victory to close out the 36-34 victory.   Head coach Shawn Lewis noted "Key factors in close duals like this is winning the bonus point battle.  We simply gave up too many and were unable to earn our own against quality opponents."

Aric Williams attempts to maintain control of Owatanna's Peyton Robb during their 152lb match.  Robb went on to win 9-2 and secure the win for Owatanna. 

To close out the first day of action the Governors wrestled Foley, MN and again fell behind 22-6 through the first five matches which began at 170lbs.  Foley forfeited to Sarringar yet earned bonus in the other four matches.  Governors then generated bonus points of their own with a major decision by Van Camp and a pin by Lincoln Turman which brought the Governors within six points as Foley held onto a 22-16 lead.  The two teams traded points with a win by William Turman and loss by Hinkle, the earned ten points from wins by Lusk, Senger and Williams to take the lead at 29-25.  However, a 6-2 loss by Raske and pin against Garrett Leesman sealed the 34-29 score for the win by Foley.   

For the second day of action, the Governors were placed into a four team pool with Thompson (AL) Pewaukee (WI), and Bismarck Century (ND).  The team produced a solid victory over Thompson 54-19 with wins by Lucas Stoltenburg, Sarringar, Levi Stoltenburg, Ty Paulsen, Lincoln Turman, William Turman, Hinkle, Senger, Williams and Raske.  During the dual, Lusk lost his first match of the year following a narrow 3-1 loss to #1 ranked Alabama wrestler Gabe Hixenbaugh. The Governors then narrowly defeated Pewaukee 36-33 where Sarringer opened the dual against Jacob Raschka, currently ranked #9 in the country at 195.  Sarringar saw his unbeated record snapped following a 7-3 loss.  "Spencer has seen a higher level of compeitition in this two years down at Florida but none with the level of wrestling his opponent had on Saturday," said assistant coach John Wayne Kalda.  "Obviously every time a wrestler steps on the mat the goal is a win.  But this was also a great opportunity to see what level Spencer was at.  We didn't feel like we needed to change any of our styles up and that allowed us to see what is working and what needs to be worked on in the upcoming months."  

Spencer Sarringar squares off against Jacob Raschka, #9 ranked wrestler in the country at 195 from Pewaukee, WI. 

In the dual, the Governors saw wins by veterans Turman, Turman, Senger, and Williams but also important wins by Van Camp, Hinkle and Raske.  For their first opportunity to compete at a tournament of this caliber underclassmen Van Camp, Hinkle and Raske each earned key wins for the Governors in numerous duals.  Pewaukee's attempted to avoid William Turman and shifted their 120lber to face Hinkle  during the dual; however the shift was without promise as Hinkle earned a 7-2 win which was influential in helping to secure the three point dual win following the third period pin by Raske.  "Our young guys did really well as they proved they are not scared of this level of competition," said Lewis.  "They focused on the things that they do well and wrestled with confidence.  That ability will lead them to great success as they grow and develop."  

Maguire Raske works to pin his Pewaukee opponent at 160lbs on Saturday. Raske earned the pin at the 4:45 mark in the match. 

In the final dual, the Governor's faced a familiar opponent that they see each year at the Bismarck Rotary as they competed against Bismarck Century.  The Governors opened with a pin by Levi Stoltenburg and Bismark tied the dual with wins over Paulsen and Van Camp.  Lincoln and Will Turman won by pin and injury default to extend the lead to 18-6 and traded bonus points with a loss by Hinkle at 126lbs and a pin by Lusk at 132lbs.  Having won the coin toss the Governors wrestled Lee Snyder against #1 ranked ND wrestler Mason Schulz who won by fall, then earned two pins and a tech fall from Senger, Williams, and Raske to put the dual out of reach.  In the closing two matches Lucas Stoltenburg lost 3-1 and then Sarringar finished with an overall 5-1 record with a second period pin to lock up the twenty point victory 47-27.  "The coin toss became important in the Bismarck Century dual as we needed to be able to dictate who to send out at 138lb and 145lbs" said Lewis.  "For the other two duals we had a plan in place to use Logan Meyer and then bump Aric Williams and Maguire Raske.  Both of those guys stepped up and wrestled up which ultimately lead to the success of the team."  The individual performance for each Governor wrestler during The Clash can be found below.

• 106lbs - Jack Van Camp - 3-3
• 113lbs - Lincoln Turman - 6-0
• 120bls - William Turman - 6-0
• 126lbs - Cade Hinkle - 3-3
• 132lbs - Michael Lusk - 4-2
• 132lbs - Lee Snyder - 0-1
• 138lbs - Austin Senger - 5-1
• 138bls - Logan Meyer - 0-3
• 145lbs - Aric Williams - 4-2
• 152lbs - Maguire Raske - 3-3
• 160lbs - Garrett Leesman - 0-3
• 182lbs - Lucas Stoltenburg - 1-5
• 195lbs - Spencer Sarringar - 5-1
• 220lbs - Levi Stoltenburg - 2-4
• 285lbs - Ty Paulsen - 1-3 
• 285lbs - Pryce Dyk - 0-2

The Governor's Clash team following the conclusion of their final dual against Bismarck Century.

In reflecting on the teams performance after a difficult first day of competition Kalda indicated that on Saturday it appeared that "We decided to compete as a team, and as we saw with Aberdeen a couple of weeks ago, a good dual team needs everyone at their best mentally and physically.  We left some points out there on Friday and gave up in some matches that cost us one, if not two duals.  At the start of the tournament on Saturday attitudes were better, kids were wrestling smarter matches and that allowed us to go 3-0 on the day."

The Governors will return to action on Friday December 6th as they travel to Bismarck, ND for the Rotary.  The two day tournament will conclude on Saturday afternoon and includes more than 30 teams from Montana, Minnesota, South and North Dakota.