Governors Dominate Class A Field in Brookings

For the third straight year, the Governor Wrestling team outpaced the field of teams at the Les Tlustos Invitational in Brookings despite having two starters out of the lineup.  The tournament provided the Governors the opportunity to square off against a number of teams they seldom see throughout the year including Dell Rapids, Sioux Falls Lincoln, Washington, and Roosevelt, West Central, Madison, and Lennox just to name a few.  Across the field of 15 teams, the tournament boasted a number of top rated wrestlers and at least two #1 vs. #2 match-ups in the finals which included seven Governors (Bench Bresher, Will Turman, Lusk, Senger, Raske, Gage Gehring, and Pryce Dyk).  As the HWT matches concluded in the afternoon on Saturday, three Governors were crowned champions of their respective weight classes, and team out-paced Brandon Valley by 31.5 points to earn 239.5 points as a team.  The team was also able to wrestle a number of unattached wrestlers including Lee Snyder and Logan Meyer, as well as Tyson Johnson who finished with an impressive sixth place finish. Despite having a few JV wrestlers fill in at two weight classes, “We had all but one varsity wrestler win at least one match to score points for the team,” said head coach Shawn Lewis.  “When everyone can contribute to the cause we are hard to beat, and our big scorers did their usual putting seven in the finals.”

Hayden Shaffer defends a shot from Bahm (Yankton) during his quarterfinal match.  Shaffer went on to major Bahm and finished third overall. 

William Turman advanced to the finals with three straight pins. This included a first-period pin over the #4 ranked Kadoun from Sioux Falls Roosevelt in the semifinal match.  In the finals, Turman jumped out to a 7-0 lead before pinning #5 ranked Mennis (Madison) with :01 remaining at the end of the second period.  Four years ago Turman placed 5^th at this event as an unattached wrestler behind Austin Senger to place at his first varsity tournament.  With the pin over Mennis, Turman has generated a perfect 16-0 record with four straight individual titles at the Les Tlustos since that time.  Senior classmate Michael Lusk continued his unbeaten streak over in-state opponents as he defeated Trey Hage (Vermillion) 5-3 during their championship match. In route to the finals, Lusk defeated Heidbrink (Brandon Valley) by tech fall, then pinned Tellus (Yankton), and then generated an 18-4 major decision over  Carpenter (Mitchell) in the semifinals.  During the finals, Lusk scored two critical takedowns in the first period and then fended off a number of attacks by Hage throughout the second and third period to pull out the 5-3 victory over the #2 ranked wrestler at 145lbs.  “Both of these matches boiled down to two simple things,” said Lewis, “staying in good position at all times and being offensive.  Both wrestlers controlled the matches from start to finish.” 

William Turman finishes a takedown in his opening match against Damon Crane (West Central).  Turman finished the match with a first period pin and placed first overall. 

Pryce Dyk continued an impressive run over the past eight days as he earned the #1 seed in Brookings and proceeded to pin Rodriquez (Brandon Valley) and Ellis (Yankton) during his quarterfinal and semifinal matches.  In the finals, Dyk scored a takedown midway through the match against Krohnke (Brandon) and then extended the lead to 3-1 with an escape during the second period.  Following a scramble that initially looked like Krohnke would score a takedown to tie the match in the third period, Dyk came out on top for a takedown of his own and nearfall to win the match 8-1.  The individual title was the first in Dyk’s career with the Governors. "When Pryce is being offensive on his feet he is very hard to beat," said assistant coach Travis Heasley.  "He has to continue to push the pace and his shots will continue to come. Pryce placing high at the state tournament is a very big part of this team reaching their goal of winning the championship."  

Pryce Dyk works for a pin against Isaac Rodriquez (Brandon Valley) during his quarterfinal match, and finished first overall in his bracket. 

Four other Governors were successful in advancing to the finals on Saturday but were unsuccessful in pulling out the win in the final match.  Jace Bench-Bresher advanced into the semifinals with a bye in the opening round and then a pin over Heumiller (West Central) before defeating Williams (Lennox) in a tight 5-4 match.  In the finals, Bench-Bresher lost 10-4 against #1 ranked Hollingshead (Roosevelt) to finish in the runner-up spot on the podium.  The 160lbs weight-class produced a #1 vs. #2 match-up as Austin Senger faced Havlik (Mitchell) in what would be their four-match of the season.  After a scoreless first period, Havlik earned an escape and takedown in the second period.  Senger countered with an escape of his own midway through the third period and despite a throw with his feet remaining in bounds with :03 remaining, the official did not award a much-needed takedown to take the match into overtime.  Senger advanced to the finals with an opening round bye, a pin over Bowes (Brookings) and a 6-3 win over Hodges (Madison) in the semifinals.

Austin Senger works for a turn against Logan Bowes (Brookings).  After securing the first-period pin, Senger advanced to the finals where he eventually lost to Havlik (Mitchell). 

Maguire Raske secured a #2 seed at 170lbs and won by pin in the quarterfinals over Pletten (Brandon) following a first-round bye.  In the semifinals, Raske won an impressive victory over Kpeayeh (SF Washington) 11-7.  In the final, he was majored by Nick Schirado (Harrisburg), the current #3 ranked wrestler, 11-1 to finish in 2nd place.  Gage Gehring was the last Governor in the finals who’s path include an opening round bye before pinning Lembcke (Brandon) in the quarterfinals.  Gehring then wrestled #2 rated Otta (Roosevelt) where he racked up a 14-7 victory.  In the finals, he eventually lost 3-1 to Max (Mitchell) in the third match among these two wrestlers in the last three weeks.

After losing in the semifinals both Hayden Shaffer and Barry Browning were successful in their consolation semifinal matches and advanced to wrestle for third late on Saturday afternoon.  Hayden Shaffer won by fall over Eidem (Washington) in the opening round then won by major over Bahm (Yankton).  In the semifinals, he lost 4-0 to Archer (Brookings) then pinned his two final opponents on the back-side of the bracket to finish third.  Barry Browning won by pin in the opening round, then defeated Burris (RC Central) 7-3 in the quarterfinals.  In a high scoring affair during the semifinals, Browning found himself in overtime against the #1 seed (Johnson from Madison) but gave up a takedown in sudden victory to lose 11-13.  He concluded the day with a tech fall in the consolation semifinals before defeating Burris a second time for third place.

Barry Browning turns the corner to finish a takedown against Johnson (Madison) during his seminal match.  Despite an overtime loss to Johnson, Browning returned to eventually finish 3rd. 

Jack Van Camp advanced to the semifinals with a tech fall and decision in the opening two rounds.  He then lost to McGinnis (Mitchell) 3-1 when he was unable to score a takedown late in the third period.  In the wrestle-backs he lost to Kraye (RC Central) and then won by injury default over Tyson Johnson to finish with 5th place.  Cade Hinkle produced a 4-3 victory over Lehman from Brookings in the quarterfinals then lost to Stoebner 7-1 in the semifinals.  In the wrestle-backs, he lost 6-5 to Ideker (West Central) and then lost 3-2 against Lehman to finish sixth overall. As an unattached wrestler, Tyson Johnson lost his opening round match against Kraye, but stayed alive in the wrestle backs with four straight wins.  He injury defaulted against Van Camp for the fifth-place match from an injury suffered earlier during the tournament.  Filling in for an injured Lincoln Turman, Daniel Tafoya ended the day with a seventh-place finish after suffering an opening round loss to Thibeault (RC Central).  He was able to win the two next matches before losing to Marshall (Harrisburg).  He finished off the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Taniah (SF Washington) to earn the 7^th place finish. "Daniel and Tyson have continued to get better each time they have wrestled," noted Heasley.  "They both work hard in the room and its showing on the mat.  Wrestling at these tournaments helps them gain experience and confidence at the varsity level, and they both will be a big part of this team for the next three years and this experience will help them be successful in the future."  

Daniel Tafoya attempts a single leg attack against Ethan Thibeault (RC Central) during his opening round match.  Despite a loss during this round, Tafoya returned to finish seventh overall. 

The tournament was cut short for a small number of Governor wrestlers who didn’t make it on to the podium on Saturday.  Gunnar Gehring lost his opening match and then lost 6-0 to Miller (Brookings) in the second round of the wrestle backs.  James Lees lost by fall to Kraye (RC Central) in the opening round, then won a 10-4 decision over Ihnen (Brandon Valley) before losing his last match.  Finally, both Logan Meyer (160) and Lee Snyder (145) wrestled unattached but were unable to generate wins during competition at the event.  A number of the wins throughout the tournament certainly have state tournament seeding implications.  “Shaffer beating the Dell Rapids wrestlers in the consolation semifinals, and Hinkle going 2-1 against Lehman from Brookings could be critical,” said Lewis.  “However, others are still up in the air because of match-ups we could see in Yankton.”  

The Governors continue wrestling action with an ESD dual against Huron on Thursday and then travel to Yankton this coming Saturday, where they will face off against 20 Class A and B teams at their invitational.  With one more home dual on February 9^th the postseason is fast approaching as the Governor's head into the homestretch toward the State Class A Tournament. Individual performances for each of the Governors on Saturday include:

• 106lbs – Hayden Shaffer – 3^rd (4-1)
• 113lbs – Jace Bench Bresher – 2^nd (3-1)
• 120 – Daniel Tafoya – 7^th (3-2)
• 126 – Jack Van Camp – 5^th (3-2)
• 126 – Tyson Johnson – 6^th (3-3)
• 132 – William Turman – 1^st (4-0)
• 138 – Cade Hinkle – 6^th (2-3)
• 145 – Michael Lusk – 1^st (4-0)
• 145 – Lee Snyder – DNP (0-2)
• 152 – Barry Browning - 3^rd (4-1)
• 160 – Austin Senger – 2^nd (2-1)
• 160 – Logan Meyer – DNP (0-2)
• 170 – Maguire Raske – 2^nd (2-1)
• 182 – James Lees – DNP (1-2)
• 195 – Gage Gehring – 2^nd (3-1)
• 220 – Gunnar Gehring – DNP (0-2)
• 285 – Pryce Dyk – 1^st (3-0)

Governors Knock off #1, #3 and #4 at East vs. West Duals

Over the past seven years the East vs. West Dual Tournament has produced a number of exciting match-ups making it worth the price of admission for wrestling fans in central South Dakota. In route to their second state Class A title in 2013, the Governors faced a loaded Rapid City Central team designed for dual wins and escaped with the victory following an overtime win by Dylan Bennett.  Fast forward three years and the Governors faced a similar challenge, needing a win at HWT which was eventually secured by Levi Stoltenburg in a come-from-behind victory.  There are plenty other examples of key dual team match-ups made possible by this tournament, but to date, the field of teams has never been so impressive.  From the first whistle on Saturday morning fans were exposed to six of the top ten ranked team in the state as they squared off against each other to determine what can be described as the informal Class A Dual team championship.  The Governors went head-to-head with Sturgis (#3), Rapid City Central (#4) and Rapid City Steven (#1) in consecutive duals with a goal of establishing themselves as one of the most formidable dual teams over the past seven years. As the tournament concluded late on Saturday evening, the Governors concluded their three duals with a 3-0 record, ensuring the seventh straight year without a dual loss at this difficult event. "Success at East vs. West Duals has happened because of many different reasons," said head coach Shawn Lewis.  "Being in our gym and having the home crowd behind us is one that is easily overlooked but cannot be forgotten.  Taking the approach of one position, one match, and one dual at a time is something that our kids have really bought into over the years.  Lastly, East vs. West Duals was the equivalent of a Dual State Tournament.  Our kids have always wanted to prove that along with our ESD Duals and this event that we have beaten the best teams in the state."

Michael Lusk works to free himself from Wren Jacobs during the Sturgis dual.  

The Governors began action with #3 ranked Sturgis, and from the opening weight class, the Scoopers began making a number of line-up changes in an effort to generate early team points.  At 106lbs Hayden Shaffer lost an overtime to Olson, as Sturgis bumped #1 ranked Wood up to face Jace Bench-Bresher.  However, the 113lbs match took an extra period before Wood secured a 4-2 victory in overtime.  Lincoln Turman then earned a major over #3 ranked Permann who also bumped up from 113lbs, and then Jack Van Camp generated important bonus points with a pin over #5 ranked 120lber Shae Owens.  At 132lbs, William Turman won by tech fall over Burnham to generate a 15-6 lead for the Governors, which was further extended following wins by Cade Hinkle and Michael Lusk.  The Scoopers closed the gap slightly when #2 ranked Brengle defeated Barry Browning 3-0, but then the Governors secured two straight pins by Austin Senger and Maguire Raske, and then two back-to-back major decisions by Garrett Leesman and Gage Gehring to establish a 41-9 lead.  Number one ranked Carpenter pinned Gunnar Gehring at 220lbs, and then Pryce Dyk returned with a pin at 285lbs to finalize the dual with a commanding 47-15 victory.  "In this dual, they bumped their weights down low," noted Lewis and "this ultimately backfired a bit on them as we limited any bonus that they thought they may be getting and got some bonus of our own in return."

William Turman attempts to pin Justin Burnham during their 132lb match. 

For the second dual of the day, the Governor's began shifting early at the lighter weights against Rapid City Central, having Kahlor Hindman fill the 106lb spot against #2 ranked Larson where he lost by tech fall in the second period.  Hayden Shaffer shifted up a weight class and defeated Thompson in overtime before Thibeault defeated Jace Bench-Bresher 7-6 as he filled in for Lincoln Turman at 120lbs.  "Matchups were very important," indicated assistant coach Travis Heasley, "but even more important was for everyone to do their jobs.  We have a great group of kids who never complain about bumping up to face someone.  They all love competition and it shows when they go out and compete like they did this weekend."  Those would be the last points generated by Central for some time as Jack Van Camp and William Turman both secured decisions against Kraye and Morrison, to be followed by a pin for Cade Hinkle against Filipek.  The Cobblers forfeited to #1 ranked Michael Lusk at 145 and Barry Browning and Austin Senger picked up to decisions to extend the Governor lead to 27-8.  Bridger Kraye (#3 ranked at 182lbs) dropped down to fill a gap for the Cobblers at 170 and defeated Maguire Raske 11-3, and then Leesman lost a close 9-7 battle against Smith bringing the dual within twelve with three matches to go.  However, Gage Gehring locked up the dual with a pin over LaRoche, as Gunnar Ghering lost to #3 ranked Thompson by major decision.  Pryce Dyk closed out the dual with a pin over Olson resulting in a 39-19 victory.

Garrett Leesman attempts to maintain control over Smith from Rapid City Central during their 182lb match. 

Saving the best match-up for last, the Governors closed out the dual against the #1 ranked Rapid City Steven. Hayden Shaffer opened the dual with a 9-0 loss to #4 ranked Darien Malone, which was followed by a 7-2 victory for Jace Bench-Bresher over Declan Malone.  Back into the line-up, Lincoln Turman won by pin over Landen Fischer in the first period, before Jack Van Camp lost to #2 ranked Cody BeVier by 3-0 decision.  William Turman extended the Governors lead further with a first period pin over Logen Fischer in the first period producing a 15-7 lead.  Despite a very valiant effort by Cade Hinkle over #1 ranked Sharkey at 138lbs, he fell short when Sharkey secured a takedown late in the third for a 6-5 victory.  Michael Lusk then defeated Voorhees 5-2, and Stevens countered with an 8-3 victory by Allen over Barry Browning bringing the dual score within 5 for an 18-13 lead for the Governors.  Austin Senger generated needed bonus points with a pin over Fuegen, and Maguire Raske defeated Brink 3-0 to extend the gap with a 27-13 lead.  At 182lbs, the Governors inserted James Lees to wrestle #1 ranked Colicheski who lost by fall and shifted Garrett Leesman up to 195 to face off against Anthony Knodell.  Leesman secured a late takedown and back points to win a 5-1 match and Gage Gehring move up to 220lbs to compete against #4 ranked McMath who he also defeated with a late scoring opportunity 5-4.  With the victory sewn up, Pryce Dyk defeated Patterson 8-3 to further extend the gap with a 36-19 victory.  The shifts made by the Governor coaching staff certainly paid off as Leesman and Gehring were both able to secure victories that during previous match-ups this season did not occur.  When considering the amount of shifting that was necessary by all teams Lewis noted "It is always a bit of a gamble bumping kids out of their weight class and up into another.  As a coaching staff, you have to determine the risk versus reward of the move.  You also have to have the confidence in your kids to make such a move.  You only make the move if you think the match-up turns favorable toward your team."

Jace Bench Bresher attempts to free himself from the bottom during his match against Jacob Wood during the Sturgis dual. 

This coming week the Governors travel to Brookings on Friday for another important ESD dual and then will remain there on Saturday to compete at the Brookings Invitational.  Over the course of the three duals, the individual performance for Governor wrestlers included:

• 106 - Hayden Shaffer - (1-2)
• 113 - Jace Bench-Bresher - (1-2)
• 120 - Lincoln Turman - (2-0)
• 126 - Jack Van Camp - (2-1)
• 132 - William Turman - (3-0)
• 138 - Cade Hinkle - (2-1)
• 145 - Michael Lusk - (3-0)
• 152 - Barry Browning - (2-1)
• 160 - Austin Senger - (3-0)
• 170 - Maguire Raske - (2-1)
• 182 - Garrett Leesman - (2-1)
• 195 - Gage Gehring - (3-0)
• 220 - Gunner Gehring - (0-2)
• 285 - Pryce Dyk - (3-0)

Governors Finish Second Behind Stevens at Jerry Opbroek Invite

The Jerry Opbroek Invitational in Mitchell has been a unique tournament designed to bring together some of the top A and B wrestling program at the season's midpoint, providing wrestlers from both classes the opportunity to square off against competition they won't see as the postseason draws closer.  Despite winning the event during the past two years, the Governor's found themselves trailing Rapid City Stevens right away in the opening round, and despite taking the lead for the first time during the finals, the Raiders secured a 181.5 to 173 victory over the Governors as the upper weights concluded.  Despite just a field of nine teams, a total of seven teams ranked in the top 10 in their respective classes presented a unique mixture of talent when face-offs began at 4:00 on Saturday.  As the tournament concluded, the second place finish by the Governors was driven by 11 wrestlers placing in the top four, including going five-for-five in the finals (Turman, Turman, Lusk, Senger, & Raske).  Two of these match-ups included the #1 and #2 ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes.  "We are making progress individually," said head coach Shawn Lewis.  "Some of the things we have scouted against opponents is working and kids have been making the proper adjustments to beat opponents that have beaten them earlier or continue to widen the gap versus others.  We did lose a few close matches that we have to be able to win come post season.  Winning or losing close matches will ultimately decide how this team finishes at the end of the year."

Individual Champs for the Governors include Maguire Raske, Austin Senger, Michael Lusk, William Turman, and Lincoln Turman.

Leading off in the finals for the Governors was #1 ranked Lincoln Turman who defeated Fischer (Stevens) in the opening round by major 11-0, and then pinned Lhotak (Wagner) in the semifinals before winning by fall over Owens (Strugis) in: 45 seconds.  Two weight classes later, #2 ranked William Turman squared off against #1 ranked Spencer Stockman who defeated him in overtime last week at the Bismarck Rotary.  On his way to the finals, Turman won by pin in the opening round, then majored Sparks (Mitchell) in the semifinals 11-0.  Scoreless going into the second period, Turman took a 3-0 lead following a clasping and push-out violation and then was cut by Stockman.  Turman held on to the 3-2 lead late in the third to secure the victory and win his third Opbroek title over the past four years. Prior to the finals, William Turman was honored with the Adam Aslesen Award of Excellence given to an outstanding senior wrestler for their academic and athletic accomplishments at the Opbroek each year.  Turman follows Spencer Sarringar who was the recipient of this award last year.

Prior to the start of the championship matches, William Turman was honored the Aslesen family with the Adam Aslesen Award of Excellence

At 145lbs Michael Lusk won by pin over Pardy (Howard) during the opening round, and just missed a major decision against Werner (Watertown) with a 9-3 victory in the semifinals.  Lusk, the current #1 ranked wrestler at this weight then defeated Voorhees (Stevens) 5-2 in the finals to also win his third Opbroek title in the past four years.  Another highly anticipated match-up for the hometown crowd involved a rematch between Austin Senger and Briggs Havlik for the 160lbs finals.  Senger lost to Havlik in the semifinals of the Rapid City Invite earlier this year, and then by one point in the ESD Dual this past week.  Senger advanced to the semifinals with a bye in the opening round, where he defeated Class B #2 ranked Crownover (Bon Homme) 6-2.  Following a flurry of attempts, Senger was able to generate his first takedown of the year against Havlik late in the first and rode out the period.  Despite a takedown by Havlik in the third period, Senger hung on to a 4-3 lead as time expired and Havlik attempted a desperation throw which Senger countered to win the 160lb class with a 6-3 victory.

Austin Senger blocks the final shot attempt by Briggs Havlik during their championship match.  Senger avenges the two earlier losses and secured the 6-3 win. 

Maguire Raske earned just his second individual title of his young career at 170lbs earning a bonus for the Governors during each match.  He began with a first-round pin in: 38 seconds against Gall (Bon Homme), and then defeated #8 ranked Brink (Steven) 13-1 to generate the major.  Raske one the individual title with a: 30-second pin over Kramer (Howard) to conclude the five-for-five championship run for the Governors.

Cade Hinkle defends a shot attempt from Jacobs (Sturgis) in the consolation semifinal match.  He secured an 8-3 victory to advance into the third-place match.

Of the six remaining Governor placers, Cade Hinkle and Pryce Dyk were the only two who finished third following wins in the consolation finals.  At 138lbs Cade Hinkle won by fall in the opening round, then lost a 4-0 decision against Nedved (Wagner).  Hinkle came back strong with two wins in the wrestle-backs and then avenged his loss against Nedved with a late takedown and back points in the closing period to finish third with a 6-4 victory.  Pryce Dyk picked up an important third place victory over #6 ranked Patterson (Stevens) winning 5-3.  Dyk won by pin in the opening round against Petrik (Howard) before losing by pin against #2 ranked Stahl (Watertown) in the second period of their semifinal match.  A win by fall in the wrestle-backs helped advance Dyk into the consolation finals. "Pryce beating Patterson avenges an earlier loss," said Lewis when reflecting on the high notes from the tournament.  "Senger beating Havlik after two earlier losses.  Will beating Stockman after losing to him at the Rotary.  Hinkle coming back and beating Nedved after losing to him in the first round."

Price Dyk uses a Peterson roll to turns Zach Patterson (Stevens) to earn the 5-3 victory and finish third at the tournament. 

Jace Bench-Bresher had an impressive first-round win over Class B #2 ranked Jordan Rueb (Bon Homme) before losing 4-0 against Stockman (Stevens) in the semifinals.  He then won by decision in the wrestle-backs before squaring off against Class B #1 ranked Soukup who eventually caught him in a headlock early in the second period resulting in a fourth-place finish for Bench-Bresher.  Jack Van Camp defeated Murtha (Parkston) 4-0 in the opening round then lost to #3 ranked Coyle (Watertown).  He advanced in the wrestle backs with a major decision but then fell to McGinnis (Mitchell) 3-1 to finish fourth.  Barry Browning also won his first-round match by 4-0 decision against Feldhaus (Howard), and then had a tight match against #2 ranked Brengle (Sturgis) eventually losing 4-2.  He then won by pin in the wrestle-backs but lost his final match against Tuttle (Watertown) in his attempt for a third-place finish. Lastly, Garrett Lessman won by pin over Neugebauer (Parkston) to start the tournament but then fell to Feldhaus (Howard) by pin in the semifinals.  Leesman matched a pin against #3 ranked Max that he achieved in the dual against Mitchell earlier this week, but then lost by pin against Hartford (Watertown) to finish the tournament.  

Barry Browning looks for an opening during his semifinals match against Bailey Bringle.  Bringle maintained the 4-2 lead to advance into the finals, and Browning finished fourth overall.

Not placing at the tournament included Hayden Shaffer in one of the toughest brackets at the Opbroek when he drew #1 ranked Jacob Wood (Sturgis) in the opening round, and then lost 5-3 against Class B #4 ranked Weber (Parkston) in the second round. Despite a slight lead as time expired in the third period, Gage Gehring lost to Knodell (Stevens) on a last-second takedown and then lost to Max (Mitchell) 7-1 in the wrestle-backs.  Gunner Ghering had a similar 7-6 loss in the opening round to Foote (Mitchell) but avenged a loss to Winter (Mitchell) in the wrestle-backs by pin before he fell to McMath (Stevens). 

This week the Governors wrestling in Brandon Valley on Tuesday night for an important ESD dual, and then will host Stevens, Central, Sturgis, Brandon Valley and Watertown in the ESD Duals next Saturday in Pierre. Lewis noted "We have a grind of a two week period here with a lot of duals.  Anytime you have duals you only have to prepare for one match which means a lot of individual game planning.  Conditioning will always improve during this stretch as there is no simulation for live wrestling against a real opponent." Individual performances for the Governor wrestlers include: 

• 106 - Hayden Shaffer - DNP (0-2)
• 113 - Jace Bench-Bresher - 4th (2-2)
• 120 - Lincoln Turman - 1st (3-0)
• 126 - Jack Van Camp - 4th (2-2)
• 132 - William Turman - 1st (3-0)
• 138 - Cade Hinkle - 3rd (3-1)
• 145 - Michael Lusk - 1st (3-0)
• 152 - Barry Browning - 4th (2-2)
• 160 - Austin Senger - 1st (3-0)
• 170 - Maguire Raske - 1st (3-0)
• 182 - Garrett Leesman - 4th (2-2)
• 195 - Gage Gehring - DNP (0-2)
• 220 - Gunner Gehring - DNP (1-2)
• 285 - Pryce Dyk - 3rd (3-1)

3rd Place Finish at the Rotary for the Governors

After two very dominant performances at the Bismarck Rotary during the past two years, the Governor wrestling program experienced a slight set-back over the weekend as they finished third behind Rapid City Stevens and Bismarck High.  Stevens put together a solid team performance with ten of their wrestlers making the podium late Saturday, followed by a solid Bismark team that advanced four wrestlers to the finals, concluding with three champions.  When reflecting on the value of attending a tournament like the Rotary Shawn Lewis, head coach, noted "Going to the Bismarck Rotary Tournament is a great look at a State Tournament format (2 day) and caliber tournament.  We are exposed to different wrestling and officiating styles that can help us to continue to improve our craft." The Governors faced a difficult task after losing a Rapid City Invite finalist and seventh place finisher (Bench-Bresher and Browning) after the first two rounds without scoring team points.  However, at the conclusion of the first day of action the Governors remained in the hunt with seven wrestlers advancing to the placing rounds with two finalists in Lincoln Turman and Michael Lusk.  After early wrestle-back action on Saturday afternoon the Governors regained the lead with four of their five wrestlers earning bonus points to advance to the consolation championship matches, however solid performances by Stevens and Bismarck in the championship round extended the gap as the Governors finished with 186 points behind 192.5 for Bismarck and 211.5 from RC Stevens. "The biggest setbacks were not wrestling up to our potential and making way to many big mistakes," said assistant coach Travis Heasley.  "There are some matches that I wish we would have gotten a call to go our way but we had plenty of chances in each match to win without those calls.  As a team we need to have gumption and move forward." 

Lincoln Turman works to turn Watertown's Mason Stoick in a cradle during his opening round match.  Turman won by pin in 1:03 and finished second at the Rotary. 

Lincoln Turman advanced to his third straight Rotary championship match following a pin and tech fall in the opening two rounds.  In the quarterfinals he defeated Graves (Sidney) by major 9-1 and then earned the semifinal victory over Bowman (Jamestown) 3-1.  In the championship match, Turman faced returning North Dakota state champion Laken Boese who scored a reversal as time expired to secure a 8-6 victory.  The loss was Turman's second in the past three years as he has generated a 106-2 record since the start of his sophomore season. Michael Lusk also secured his third straight finals appearance at the Rotary beginning with pins during two opening rounds.  During the Quarterfinals Lusk pined Cihak (Aberdeen) and then won by decisions 5-3 against Voorhees (RC Stevens).  During the finals, Lusk squared off against current #1 ranked North Dakota wrestler Devin Steidler from Bismarck High.  These two faced each other at the Rapid Invite where Steidler defeated Lusk with a 4-3 victory.  The outcome would be repeated on Saturday as Lusk was hit with a second stalling call late in the third period ensuring a 4-3 victory for Steidler as opportunities for Lusk to score a late takedown failed.

Devin Steidler holds on during the closing seconds of their Championship match as Lusk attempts to score the late takedown.  Lusk finished in the runner-up position.

Despite a number one seed to open the tournament, William Turman finished his final Rotary appearance with his second straight third-place finish.  Turman secured bonus points for the Governors during the opening two rounds and then defeated Bitz (Bismarck Century) 9-0 to generate the major decision.  In the semifinal match, Turman faced Stockman (RC Stevens) who he narrowly defeated 4-3 at the Rapid City Invite. After going 0-0 in the first three periods, Turman lost in overtime when Stockman scored a takedown as the clock expired.  In the wrestle-backs Turman defeated Fleck (Mandan) 3-0 and then pinned two time Montana State Champion Reyling (Glasgow) early in the second period.

William Turman upends Levi Lang (Napoleon) during their second-round match.  Turman won by fall in 4:44 and finished 3rd at the tournament. 

Austin Senger entered the tournament with a third seed in a bracket featuring the #5 ranked wrestler in the country at 160lbs.  After a first-round bye, Senger defeated Erickson (Beulah/Hazen) 7-5 and then secured a major decision against Scheett (Legacy) with a 12-4 decision.  In the semifinals Senger match-up against #1 ranked Clapp (Glendive/Dawson County) and eventually lost 6-2 as Senger attempted a throw late in the third period.  Senger then defeated Weigel (Napoleon) by major decision to advance to the consolation championship where he squared off against SD #1 ranked Collin Haar (Aberdeen).  Senger earned a critical second period takedown to produce a 3-2 victory.  After the match Lewis indicated "Senger, although not making the finals, picked up a big win against Haar.  That win along with a couple of others during the next few weeks will be critical come Region and State Seeding."  Assistant coach Travis Heasley added that "Senger showed that he can win a state title this weekend.  Taking on the #1 wrestler and beating him was great for his confidence." 

Austin Senger elevates Thomas Scheett from Bismarck Legacy during his quarterfinal match.  Senger earned the 12-4 major on his way to a third-place finish. 

Maguire Raske also finished with an impressive third-place finish in a difficult 170lbs weight class.  After a first-round bye, Raske won by tech fall in the second round and advanced to the semifinals with a major decision against Stoebner (Aberdeen).  In the semifinals, Raske lost to #1 ranked Kost (RC Central) by fall, but earned a: 47-second pin in the wrestle-backs and then defeated Peterson (West Fargo) 5-3 to earn his best performance to date in his young career.  In reflecting on the young Raske, Heasley noted "I think Raske is realizing he belongs.  As a coaching staff, we have noticed his attention to detail in the room and wanting to continue to learn more.  He's figuring out what works for him and sticking to the game plan.  He was wrestling with the number one ranked wrestler until he made a mistake but it was a learning experience that he will not make again." 

In his second round match, Maguire Raske finishes the takedown on Jacob Carmichael (Minot) and eventually earned a tech fall to advance to the quarterfinals. 

Gage Gehring was the fourth Governor to advance to the consolation finals who advance there with two important first-round pins.  In the quarterfinals, he fell to #1 ranked Kaylor (Legacy) and then produced a solid victory in the wrestle-backs against Wilkie (Turtle Mountain) 14-8 before pinning Thorson (Watertown) in the second period of the consolation semifinals.  His path to a third-place finish was hampered with a quick takedown by Rapid City Steven's Knodell early in the sudden victory period.  "Gage had a great performance this weekend," said Lewis.  "He finally got rolling like we all knew he could.  It was only a matter of time but it was nice to see it.  Gage has a motor that doesn't stop and his improvement was due to fixing body awareness and positioning."

Gage Gehring finishes a takedown on Ryan Brink (Stevens) during the second round of action in Bismarck.  He finished the match with a fall in 1:03 and generated a fourth-place finish for the Governors.

Finishing off the placers for the Governors was Hayden Shaffer who finished his first Rotary with a sixth-place finish as he continues to perform well during his rookie campaign.  Shaffer won by pin in the opening round before losing a close 9-8 match against Malone (RC Stevens).  However, in the wrestle-backs he earned four straight wins (three by pin) before suffering his second loss to #1 ranked Althoff (Watertown) by 5-0 decision.  In the fifth-place match, he again lost to Malone by major decision 11-2.  "Hayden Shaffer placing at Bismarck as an 8th grader was big.  He continues to improve every time out but also to rack up bonus points," said Lewis.

Hayden Shaffer hooks up a cradle against West Fargo's Kaleb Porter in the 5th round wrestle-backs.  Shaffer secured the pin in :48 and finished sixth at the tournament. 

Despite not placing at the Rotary a number of other Governors were in the hunt, eventually losing one match prior to the placing round.  Jack Van Camp won by fall in the opening round before losing by pin against #1 ranked Ripplinger (Bismarck).  In the wrestle-backs he generated two pins before losing a 6-0 decision against #3 ranked Coyle (Watertown) After a first-round loss, Pryce Dyk generated three pins in the wrestle-backs before losing to Horner (Sidney) to end his tournament run.  Cade Hinkle took a similar path as he lost by fall in the opening round but generated two pins and a major decision in the wrestle-backs before losing a 5-2 decision against Winter (Sydney) just one match short of the placing round.  Garrett Leesman and Gunner Gehring each lost their opening round matches by fall, yet rebounded to return with a pin in the wrestle-backs before exiting in the second round wrestle-backs. Wrestling unattached for the Governors, both Daniel Tafoya and Tyson Johnson lost their opening match against high seeds and then both pinned their second opponent before losing in the second round of the wrestle-backs. Despite solid performances early in the season both Jace Bench-Bresher and Barry Browning struggled in the opening rounds eventually losing their first two matches and failed to generate team points for the Governors.

When reflecting on the teams performance over the two days Lewis noted " The team is still developing at this point and time.  We continue to learn things about ourselves that we can and need to improve on. The thing from this weekend we learned is that every one of us has something to improve no matter what level we are at. Most of the things from this point on are mental in each person's approach to preparing for matches."  The Governors will next be in action on Tuesday as they face Mitchell in their first home dual at 7:00 p.m. Then this coming Saturday they will travel to Mitchell to participate in their invitational with a combination of the top A and B teams in the state.  Individual performances for the Governor wrestlers include:

• 106 - Hayden Shaffer - 6th (5-3)
• 113 - Jace Bench-Bresher - DNP (0-2)
• 120 - Lincoln Turman - 2nd (4-1)
• 120 - Daniel Tafoya - DNP (1-2)
• 126 - Jack Van Camp - DNP (3-2)
• 126 - Tyson Johnson DNP (1-2)
• 132 - William Turman - 3rd (5-1)
• 138 - Cade Hinkle - DNP (3-2)
• 145 - Michael Lusk - 2nd (4-1)
• 152 - Barry Browning - DNP (0-2)
• 160 - Austin Senger - 3rd (5-1)
• 170 - Maguire Raske - 3rd (5-1)
• 182 - Garrett Leesman - DNP (1-2)
• 195 - Gage Gehring - 3rd (5-1)
• 220 - Gunner Gehring - DNP (1-2)
• 285 - Pryce Dyk - DNP (3-2)