By Rich Winter

605 Sports

Class B wrestling teams from across the state will gather Saturday with region championships and state tournament berths on the line. In order for athletes to qualify for the state tournament they must finish in the top-four of their respective weight classes. 

Host sites are:

Region 1B - Britton-Hecla High School

Region 2B - Freeman

Region 3B - Wagner (moved from Miller High School)

Region 4B - Fort Pierre

Region 1B – BRITTON-HECLA

Teams: Britton-Hecla, Clark/Willow Lake, Deuel, Faulkton Area, Groton Area, Hamlin Castlewood, Ipswich/Leola/Bowdle, Iroquois/Doland, Kingsbury County, Potter County, Redfield, Sioux Valley, Sisseton, Tiospa Zina, Warner/Northwestern, Webster Area.

Redfield, the No. 5 ranked team in Class B, looks to be the region favorite but the Pheasants will get tested by Kingsbury County (No. 3 ranked dual team) and No. 9 ranked Webster. 

Top Wrestlers: 

(106) - Redfield’s Brady Risseter spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in this weight class. He is currently ranked No. 4 in the state and won’t face a ranked wrestler at the region tournament. 

(113) Sisseton’s Holden Hawkins (No. 4) and Kingsbury County’s Cannon Gilliagan (No. 5) look to be headed for a clash in the finals of this bracket. 

(120) Top ranked Ian Metz of Sisseton looks to be the region favorite with Haeden Jorgenson of Webster (No. 10) the stiffest competition in Saturday’s region. 

(126) Redfield’s Jacob Fehlman (No. 7) and Britton-Hecla’s Bryce Hawkinson (No. 10) look to be headed for a clash in the finals. 

(132) Dylan Zell of Kingsbury County (No. 3) is having a terrific season. In the way of a region championship is Faulkton Area’s Parker Geditz (No. 5) and Redfield’s Keaton Rohlfs (No. 6). 

(138) Webster’s Cael Larson has been the top ranked wrestler for much of the season. The future Northern State wrestler’s path to a region title will be met by Warner/Northwestern’s Clayton Dulany (No. 10) or Clark/Willow Lake’s Ethan McElhone (No. 12). 

(145) Redfield’s Mason Whitley (No. 9) and Groton Area’s Christian Ehresmann (No. 10) are the top ranked grapplers in this weight class. 

(152) Clark/Willow Lake’s Gunner Kvistad (No. 6) is the only ranked wrestler in this bracket. 

(160) Redfield’s Mason Fey (No. 5) along with Sioux Valley’s Russel Sheets (No. 7) and Groton Area’s Cole Bisbee (No. 11) round out a tough bracket. 

(170) Clark Willow Lake’s Lucas Kannegieter (No. 4) is your region favorite. Joe Hornick from Sioux Valley (No. 7) and Deuel’s Dominic Constant (No. 11) will battle for the other finals spot. 

(182) No. 2 ranked Corbin Schwartz will have clear sailing to the finals with Sisseton’s Mason Schultz (No. 12) the only roadblock to a region title. 

(195) Redfield’s Sean Domke (No. 5) and Kingsbury County athlete Nate Kersting (No. 11) are the top ranked wrestlers in this bracket. 

(220) Top-ranked Caleb McGregor of Webster has been dominant late in the season. His stiffest competition may come from Redfield’s Gavin Nichols (No. 12).

(285) Perhaps the toughest weight class from Region 1B as Redfield’s Grady Fey (No. 2), Groton Area’s Lane Krueger (No. 5), Clark/Willow Lake’s Avery Nichols (No. 10) and Faulkton Area’s Parker Bode) will battle for region supremacy. 

Region 2B — FREEMAN

Teams: Canton, Chester Area, Elk Point-Jefferson, Flandreau, Garretson, Howard, Marion/Freeman/Freeman Academy, McCook Central/Montrose, Parker, Tri-Valley, Viborg-Hurley.

No. 3 ranked and four-time defending Class B champion Canton should run away with the region title. The stiffest competition will come from No. 8 ranked McCook Central/Montrose.

Top Wrestlers: 

(106) No. 5 ranked Conner Geidd of Howard should sail into the finals. Waiting in the finals could be Canton’s Zach Bartels (No. 10) or Parker’s Alex Kuchta (No. 11).

(113) McCook Central/Monrose athlete Trystan Traupel (No. 3) is the only ranked wrestler in his weight class. 

(120) With no ranked wrestlers in this weight class, state tournament slots will be up for grabs as wrestlers have nothing to lose. 

(126) Canton’s Teague Granum (No. 6) should roll to the finals. Waiting in those finals will likely be Tri-Valley’s Brody Dybvig (No. 8) or Jayse Miller of Garretson (No. 12).  

(132) Canton’s Kale Ask (No. 2) is the heavy favorite here although Marion/Freeman’s Riley Tschetter (No. 10) has been wrestling well as of late. 

(138) Andy Meyer, Canton’s No. 3 ranked wrestler, should roll to the finals. No. 8 ranked Andrew Evan of Parker is the lone ranked wrestler between Meyer and a region championship. 

(145) Defending state champion (132) Jackson Remmers of McCook Central/Montrose is ranked No. 2. Parker’s Jack Even (No. 8) is the lone ranked wrestler between Remmers nailing down another region title. 

(152) One of the more intriguing brackets in region 2B as Flandreau’s Tathan Hedrick (No. 3), Canton’s Luke Richardson (No. 5) and McCook Central/Montrose athlete Weston Remmers will likely hold down the top three places. 

(160) Could be a heck of a region championship here as Howard’s John Callies (No. 2) and MCM’s Carter Randall (No. 6) appear to be headed for a showdown in the finals. 

(170) Elk Point-Jefferson junior Ben Swatek hasn’t wrestled in over a month. He will wrestle at region Saturday and will likely be the class of this bracket. Mason Henderson of Tri-Valley (No. 10) could make noise at regions. 

(182) Loaded weight class here as EPJ’s Gavin Jacobs (No. 4), Parker’s Charlie Patton (No. 5), Canton’s Josh Merkle (No. 7) and Howard’s Griffin Clubb (No. 10) battle for region supremacy and state tournament seeding. 

(195) Top ranked Tanner Meyers should emerge as region champion with EPJ’s Noah McDermott (No. 12) the stiffest challenge along the way. 

(220) Canton’s Marshall Baldwin (No. 2) and Parker’s Levi Wieman (No. 3) are the class of this bracket and will likely meet for a battle in the region final. Tri Valley’s Isaac Nehlick (No. 5) could be a factor in who reaches the finals. 

(285) Canton’s Isaac Suter (No. 3) has a clear path to the final. Flandreau’s Chase Reed (No. 6), MCM’s Elliot Chase (No. 9) and Garretson’s Jaden Richter (No. 11) round out a very challenging bracket. 

Region 3B — WAGNER

Teams: Andes Central/Dakota Christian, Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon, Burke/Gregory, Crow Creek, Hanson, Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes, Lower Brule, Miller/Highmore-Harrold, Mount Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney, Parkston, Sunshine Bible, Wagner, Wessington Springs/Woonsocket/Wolsey-Wessington, Winner Area

No. 1 ranked Winner Area and No. 2 ranked Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes will battle for the Region 3B championship. With No. 7 Wagner, No. 10 MVPCS, No. 12 BH/S/A and No. 14 Burke/Gregory in the mix.  

Top wrestlers: 

(106) KWLPG’s Gavin Braun (No. 2) and Wagner’s Karstyn Lhotak (No. 3) appear to be headed for another championship tilt. BH/S/A’s Jackson Kaul (No. 7) will be a dangerous semifinal opponent. 

(113) Winner Area’s Maxton Brozik (No. 1) and Miller/Highmore-Harrold’s Teagen Herrick (No. 2) will likely wrestle for a region title. KWLPG’s Johnny Lenz (No. 8) and BH/S/A’s Brock Kotalik (No. 9) will make it challenging for a wrestler from any other school to make the state tournament. 

(120) Another loaded bracket with MHH’s Kellan Hurd (No. 3), KWLPG’s Kasen Konstanz (No. 5), Winner Area’s Karson Keiser (No. 6) and Parkston’s Kaden Holzbauer (No. 7) all in the mix. 

(126) This bracket features Winner Area’s Kaleb Osborn (No. 1) and MVPCS’s Hadley Tobin (No. 2). Vying for state tournament berths will be KWLPG’s Iden Myers (No. 4) and Parkston’s Carter Sommer (No. 9). 

(132) Top-ranked Owen Hansen (Burke/Gregory) suffered his only loss of the season to Wagner’s Jhett Breen (No. 4). Parkston’s Wyatt Anderson (No. 8) and MVPCS’s Austin Hauge (No. 9) make this another difficult bracket for any other wrestler to make the state tournament. 

(138) KWLPG’s Chase Varilek (No. 2) has a clear path to the finals. His opponent there will likely be either BH/S/A’s Brady Bierema (No. 6) or Winner Area’s Jude Sargent (No. 7). 

(145) You can almost pencil in Winner Area’s top ranked Kaden Keiser as region champion. The three-time defending state champion’s toughest competition will be KWLPG’s Carter Lenz (No. 4), and MVPCS’s Drew Gerlach (No. 5). 

(152) KWLPG’s Grayson Hanson dropped from 160-152 in recent weeks and has looked strong since the drop. The No. 2 ranked wrestler has Parkston’s Porter Neugebauer (No. 4), MVPCS’s Griffin Tobin and Wagner’s Gannon Knebel (No. 8) to deal with. 

(160) Top ranked Riley Orel of Winner Area will be hard to beat. KWLPG’s Lucas Lenz (No. 8), BH/S/A’s Turner Nicholson (No. 9) and Parkston’s Kolter Kramer (No. 10) will be vying for the other state tournament slots. 

(170) No. 2 ranked Keegan Haider (WS/W/W-W) has a clear path to the finals. Who he meets there will likely come from either Winner Area’s Joey Cole (No. 6) or KWLPG’s Holden Havlik (No. 8).

(182) Top ranked Isaac Crownover of BH/S/A has a clear path to the finals. Winner Area’s Jack Kruger (No. 3), MHH’s Tate Hoffman (No. 7) and Burke/Gregory’s Gunner Stephens (No. 9) will likely round out the state qualifiers. 

(195) Another deep and loaded weight class with No. 2 ranked Levi Nightingale of KWLPG being your top ranked wrestler. Burke/Gregory’s Taron Serr (No. 4), Winner’s Charley Pravecek (No. 6) and Wagner’s Nolan Dvorak (No. 8) make this a weight class worth watching. 

(220) Winner Area’s Achilles Willuweit, No. 4 and MVPCS’s Cole Pranger (No. 9) are two ranked wrestlers in this bracket. 

(285) Top-ranked Quinten Christensen, of WS/W/W-W, will have to fend off challenges from Wagner’s Brennan Leines (No. 4) MVPCS’s Kellen Cassidy (No. 7) and KWLPG’s Kameron Styles (No. 8). 

Region 4B — Fort Pierre

Teams: Bennett County, Custer, Elk Mountain, Faith, Harding County, Hill City, Hot Springs, Lead-Deadwood, Lemmon/McIntosh, Lyman, McLaughlin, Mobridge-Pollock, Newell, Philip Area, Red Cloud, St. Thomas More, Stanley County

Two weeks ago Philp Area edged Custer at the Black Hills Classic tournament. Expect those two West River powers to battle for the top spots Saturday. 

Top Wrestlers: 

(106) Top ranked Tray Weiss of Custer and Philip Area’s Tukker Boe (No. 7) are the only ranked wrestlers in this bracket. 

(113) Four ranked wrestlers in this bracket will make for an interesting battle. Lemmon/McIntosh’s Gage Anderson (No. 6), Bennett County athlete Gavin Risse (No. 7), Custer’s Riley Scott (No. 10) and Harding County’s Cade Costello (No. 11) will likely all advance to the state tournament. 

(120) Late in the season Stanley County’s Chase Hanson vaulted into the No. 2 ranking. Philip’s Kipp Cordes (No. 4) and Harding County’s Cade Martian (No. 8) will likely provide the final opponent for Hanson. 

(126) Custer’s Landon Woodward (No. 3) and Philip’s Jace Blasius (No. 5) will battle for a region title. 

(132) Philip Area’s Gage Ravellette (No. 7) and Lyman’s Kellen Griffith (No. 12) are the ranked wrestlers in this bracket. 

(138) Custer’s Braden Wiess (No. 4) along with Lyman’s Shilo Mowry (No. 9) and St. Thomas More’s Tyson Durham (No. 11) round out this competitive bracket. 

(145) Newell’s Chase VanDerBoom (No. 6) and Philip’s Thane Simons (No. 7) are the top ranked wrestlers in this bracket and should meet for a region title. 

(152) Top ranked McCoy Peterson is likely to roll to a region title. In his way stands Lyman’s Tance Wagner (No. 9), Custer’s Ryder Bailey (No. 11) and Hot Springs athlete Xavier Wright (No. 12). 

(160) Custer’s Jonathan Lewis ranked No. 4 is your top ranked athlete. Ty Allen of Bennett County (No. 12) will be in the mix for a state tournament berth.

(170) Defending state champion Burk Blasius of Philip is the heavy favorite here. A tough bracket though with Levi Stover of Stanley County (No. 5) and Rory McManus of Lyman (No. 12) battling for state tournament berths. 

(182) Gunner Johnson of Lyman (No. 8) and Sterling Sword of Custer (No. 11) are your top ranked grapplers. 

(195) Hot Springs athlete Caleb Rickenback (No. 3) will be hard to beat. Custer’s Zane Severyn (No. 9) and Philip Area’s Jensen Fitch (No. 10) will battle for the other finals spot. 

(220) The region champion will come from Hill City athlete Tanner Davis (No. 7) Mobridge-Pollock’s Aiden Schoenhard (No. 8) and Philip Area’s Lincoln Koehn (No. 10). 

(285) Without a ranked wrestler in this bracket, state tournament berths will be a highly sought after affair.