contributed photo
At the opening round of the individual regions tournament in Pierz, Sartell’s Jayce Gruber (left, top) grapples with an opponent.
by Dennis Dalman
The Sartell Sabre youth wrestling team will travel to Rochester this weekend, to compete in the statewide wrestling 1-class championship tournament of the Northland Youth Wrestling Association.
The Sartell wrestlers, in grades K-6, will wrestle in team competition at the Mayo Civic Center on April 1 and 2. There are 32 teams from throughout Minnesota that will compete in dual matches in 15 weight classes.
The state tournament in the individuals category will take place starting March 30 and continue through April 2.
The Sartell team is the first state-qualified in the wrestling program at any level with an 8th-place finish in Region 4 out of the 18 teams that competed March 18 in Pierz. There, they won matches against Pierz and New London-Spicer and had losses to Foley, Paynesville, Long-Prairie-Grey Eagle and Browerville-Eagle Valley.
In addition to the team’s qualification win, eight Sartell wrestlers also qualified to participate in the state tournament’s individuals category. Some others will have a chance to participate in an invitational tournament that will run parallel with the state tournament.
Here is a list of the eight individual state qualifiers:
Otto Lang, first place.
Jayce Gruber, second place.
Jack McGrew, second place.
Jack Seesz, second place.
Landon Thom, second place.
Liam Thom, second place.
Emmett Coffin, third place.
Bryce Cummings, third place.
Kamden Gallus, fourth place, qualified for state invitational.
Corbin Scherer, fourth place, qualified for state invitational.
The Sartell individual regional-qualifier participants are Trent Pesta, Dexter Schoenberg, Micah Smith, Owen Wiger and Hudson Winkelman.
The Sartell team is coached by Dustin Coffin, Nick Gruber, Alex Pachan, Justin Smith, Avery Starz and Corey Winkelman.
The youth program is offered thanks to the support of the Sartell Wrestling Boosting Club.
At the opening round of the individual regions tournament in Pierz, Sartell’s Jayce Gruber (left, top) grapples with an opponent.
Sartell Sabre youth wrestler Jack McGrew (right) takes on an opponent in the opening round of the individual regions tournament in Pierz.
Landon Thom (front), a Sartell wrestler, prepares to flip an opponent during an individual regions competition at Pierz.
Sartell Sabre wrestler Rowan Stewart (left) is declared the winner at a team regional match in Pierz.
