It is difficult to suggest that the 2015-16 Governor Wrestling season was anything but successful, but when many coaches, wrestlers and parents reflect back on last years campaign many point to one significant blemish on a rather impressive run to a second straight Class A title. With team titles in Watertown, Rapid City, Elk-Point Jefferson, Bismarck, Mitchell and Brookings, the Governors traveled to Yankton last year to face-off against returning Nebraska Class A champions from Omaha's Millard South. Despite sending five wrestlers to the finals, producing three champions, and nine other place winners, the Governors were edged out of the team title by one and one-half points against a formidable Millard South team. In the weeks that followed, Millard South went on to win their second consecutive state team title, and the Governors repeated as Class A Champions.
Fast forward to this past weekend, these two top ranked teams from South Dakota and Nebraska squared off again at the Yankton Invitational with the Governors goal of eliminating any such blemish on this years tournament record. Overall, seven Governor wrestlers advanced to the finals, resulting in four individual champions in Lincoln Turman, William Turman, Aric Williams, and Spencer Sarringar and secured the team title in the closing rounds with a 232 point victory over Millard South who scored 224.5 total points. At the conclusion of the tournament head coach Shawn Lewis reflected on the teams continued success noting, "Beating Millard South was a want and not a need for our team. They are two time defending Nebraska State Champs and expected to three peat. We have been either banged up or not at full strength the last two years at Yankton and this year was the same story." Governors were without Levi Stoltenburg who missed due to illness.
The Governor Wrestling program earned a significant team victory over Nebraska Omaha's Millard South with four champions, three runner-up and six other top eight finishers.
In route to his championship match #1 ranked Lincoln Turman defeated #3 ranked Eli Kadoun from SF Roosevelt 14-1, and then faced-off against #2 ranked Lucas Anglin from Vermillion. Following a scramble during the second period, Turman scored a takedown to extend a 3-0 lead, and then eventually won 3-1 as Anglin worked to score from his feet late in the third period. William Turman avenged two earlier losses during semifinal and final matches. In the semifinals W. Turman won 1-0 over #2 ranked wrestler in Class B, Kaleb Crownover from Bon Homme and then produced a similar 1-0 victory over #1 Class A ranked Cody Bevier who had secured victories over Turman at the Rapid City Invitational and Bismarck Rotary earlier this year. "Beating Bevier was again a want more than a need," said Lewis. "He has seeding criteria over us for State and so the end result wouldn't have changed that. Essentially we believe that Will can beat anyone, and this match was important for Will to prove it to himself. Seeing him smile and the confidence that it restored made the long trip to Yankton worth it." Both matchups against Anglin and Bevier are likely again at the Class A State Tournament approaches in three weeks.
Lincoln Turman works to pin Alex Vacha from Millard South during his quarterfinal match. Turman went on to repeat as Yankton Invitational champion.
Number two ranked Aric Williams defeated Wagner's Colton Frei by pin in the second period during the semifinals and then scored a reversal late in the third period to regain the lead against Lennox's Cole Halouska to win his fourth straight individual tournament championship this year 4-3 victory. Important state tournament seeding criteria continued to play out during the tournament. "Williams beating Halouska for a second time will help him come State time, and the same for Sarringar with the win over Guthmiller," said Lewis. Retaining his #1 ranking Spencer Sarringar wrestled a close 5-0 match against #3 Carson Max from Mitchell in the semifinals where he then faced Madison's Nate Guthmiller who Sarringar narrowly defeated 2-1 last week during the championships in Brookings. Following a feet-to-back takedown to conclude the first period with a 4-0 lead, Sarringar went on to produce another nine unanswered points as he amassed a 13-0 lead before pinning Guthmiller early in the third period. When reflecting on the performance by Sarringar in the finals, assistant coach John Wayne Kalda noted "If I had to use one word to describe Spencer right now it would be 'overpowering.' He's hitting moves this year with a lot of force and it just wears on his opponents. He's at a whole different level right now, and yesterday presented a slightly different scenario for what we needed him to do for the team. In order to secure the team title we needed points, and if there is anyone that we want in that position it is him. It just goes to show what he's really capable of and can get done on the mat." The win resulted in Sarringar's fifth individual title in tournament competition this year, and he has retained an unbeaten record against South Dakota wrestlers (having only lost a 7-4 match against the #9 ranked wrestler in the country during The Clash).
Three other Governor wrestlers advanced to the finals and finished in the runner-up position. Michael Lusk earned the second seed and again faced off against Class B #1 ranked Stas Sutera who he had narrowly defeated 2-1 during the Mitchell Invitation three weeks ago. Lusk put on a dominant performance on his feet taking Sutera down three times, with one to his back for a 8-4 victory. In the finals against Class A #2 ranked Tyson Stoebner, Lusk appeared to have secured a 3-2 win but was taken down by Stoebner with two seconds remaining. "Michael losing to Stoebner will make things interesting at 132," said Lewis. However, no matter where Michael gets put in the state brackets he has the potential to win." Lucas Stoltenburg won by pin in :43 seconds during the semifinals against SF Roosevelt's Joey Otta, but lost 14-7 to Millard South's Josh Wiedner during the championship match to finish second. Similarly, Ty Paulsen won by an 8-5 decision over Lennox's Thomas Fischer to lose by major 8-0 against Dakota Valley's Ryan Parker.
Lucas Stoltenburg drives Quinlan Merrill Douglas forward during their opening round match. Stoltenburg eventually secured the pin in :50 seconds.
The Governors also placed five other wrestlers at the Yankton Invitational. At 106lbs Jack Van Camp finished eighth after losing to Wagner's Lance Soukup 4-1 in the quarterfinals. Van Camp finished with a 3-2 loss against SF Roosevelts Riley Hollingshead who has defeated him three times this year with slim one point margins. Austin Senger advanced to the semifinals and lost 3-2 against Bailey Mennis from Madison who he had defeated by pin at the Brookings invitational last week. Senger won by pin in the consolation semifinals and then defeated Voorhees from RC Stevens 3-0 to finish third overall. At 152lbs Maguire Raske finished 5th following a quarterfinal loss to Colton Jackson from Douglas, but then defeated Madison's Jarred Hodges 9-5 to finish with a 4-2 record on the day. After a first round win, Garrett Leesman lost in the quarterfinals but then defeated an important region opponent in Kyle Foote by major 18-4 in route to a sixth place finish overall. Lewis noted about Leesman's success in Yankton that "Garrett continues to pile on quality wins both for state and regions with his victory over Foote, as well as Christensen during the Huron dual on Thursday."
Garrett Leesman attempts to pin Douglas's Branson Taylor during their quaterfinal match. Leesman went on to finish 6th overall in Yankton.
In his third straight week in varsity action, Pryce Dyk finished fourth overall wrestling as an unattached wrestler for the Governors in Yankton. Dyk earned an opening round pin over Jake Mayville from Millard South before losing a 3-2 decision to Tri-Valley's Austin Leuning. In the wrestle backs, Dyk then went on to pin three straight opponents before wrestling Leuning again in the consolation finals, but eventually lost 3-1 in sudden victory overtime. At the conclusion of the event, Dyk earned the "Pinners Award" for the most pins in the least amount of time.
Pryce Dyk turn's Millad South's Jake Mayville during his first round match. Dyk went on to secure four pins during the tournament and winning the "Pinners Award" for his effort.
"Pryce is really wrestling confident and with a purpose, and is in a good place right now," said Kalda. "He's pushing himself in the room to get better and is setting some real good goals for himself. When you start to put those two things together good things are going to happen. We know he would rather be in the varsity lineup but is making the most of the situation." The complete results for the Governor wrestlers over the weekend include:
- 106lbs - Jack Van Camp - 8th (2-3)
- 113lbs - Lincoln Turman - Champion (3-0)
- 120lbs - William Turman - Champion (4-0)
- 126lbs - Jace Bench Bresher - DNP (0-2)
- 132lbs - Michael Lusk - Runner-Up (3-1)
- 138lbs - Austin Senger - 3rd (4-1)
- 145lbs - Aric Williams - Champion (4-0)
- 152lbs - Maguire Raske - 5th (4-2)
- 160lbs - Garrett Leesman - 6th (3-3)
- 170lbs - Gage Gehring - DNP (1-2)
- 182lbs - Lucas Stoltenburg - Runner-Up (3-1)
- 195lbs - Spencer Sarringar - Champion (3-0)
- 285lbs - Pryce Dyk - 4th (4-2)
- 285lbs - Ty Paulsen - Runner-Up (3-1)
Individual Governor champions in Yankton include William Turman, Spencer Sarringar, Aric Williams, and Lincoln Turman.
Lewis concluded that, "It is a hard time in the season as you start to focus on larger goals. We did, as a team, what we needed to in order to beat a very tough opponent. Credit to our kids for stepping up short handed. It was a good test and reminder that we need points out of everyone to be successful late in the season." The Governors will conclude their regular season with an ESD dual in Harrisburg on Friday evening. They will then be in action again the following week as they travel to Mitchell for the Region 3 tournament with a goal of sending their full line-up to the Class A State Tournament in Sioux Falls.
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