By Rich Winter

605 Sports

As the calendar gets ready to turn to February, the wrestling action ratchets up just a notch. 

Saturday’s wrestling action features tournaments in Parker, Wagner, Brookings (Lee Tlustos Invitational), Aberdeen (Lee Wolf Invitational) and Belle Fourche. 

Wagner Invitational: Andes Central/Dakota Christian, Bennett County, Bon Homme/Avon, Elk Point-Jefferson, Faulkton Area, Garretson, Hamlin/Castlewood, Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes, Marion/Freeman, Mount Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney, Parkston, Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers, Redfield, Stanley County, Sully Buttes, Tri-Valley, Wagner

(106) - Redfield’s Brady Risetter (Class B No. 1) will likely see Hamlin Castlewood’s Brody Randall (Class B No. 4) or Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers Carter Kendrick (Class B No. 5) in the final. 

(113) - If the seeds hold Tri-Valley’s Cole Hendrixson (Class B No. 2) would meet up with either Parkston’s Gage Reichert (Class B No. 5), Bon Homme Avon’s Jackson Kaul (Class B No. 6) or Redfield’s Conner Zens (Class B No. 7)

(120) - Wagner’s Karstyn Lhotak (Class B No. 2) will have to fight off Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers Kipp Cordes (Class B No. 4) or Kimball/White Lake Platte-Geddes athlete Gavin Braun (Class B No. 5). 

(126) - Kimball White Lake/Platte Geddes athlete Kasen Konstanz (Class B No. 1) and Stanley County’s Chase Hanson (Class B No. 2) would make for a heck of a final in this weight class. 

Stanley County's Chase Hanson (top), defending state champion and ranked No. 2 in Class B (126) could meet up with KWLPG's Kasen Konstanz (Class B No. 1) in the finals of the Wagner Invitational - Trey Kaul - 605 Sports

(132) - Parkston’s Wyatt Anderson (Class B No. 2) and KWLPG’s Iden Meyers (Class B No. 3) are likely headed for a showdown in the finals. 

(138) - This weight class features three very highly ranked wrestlers: Wagner’s Jhett Breen (Class B No. 1), Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers Jace Blasius (Class B No. 2) and Tri-Valley’s Brody Dybvig (Class B No. 4). 

(145) - Mount Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney’s Drew Gerlach (Class B No. 3) could meet up with Faulkton Area’s Garrett Cramer (Class B No. 5 in the finals. 

(152) - Loaded weight class with Class B’s No 2 (Porter Neugebauer, Parkston), No. 3 (Blair Blasius (Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers), No. 4 (Kimball/White Lake/Platte Geddes’ Carter Lenz) and Bon Homme/Avon’s Brady Bierema (Class B No. 5) all fighting for seeding points at the state meet. 

(170) - A finals match between Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall Badlands Brawlers Burk Blasius (Class B No. 1) and Elk Point-Jefferson’s Ben Swatek (Class B No. 2) would have the fans on their feet. 

 

Parker Invitational: Canistota, Chester Area, Deuel/Deubrook Area, Hanson, Marshall, Minn, McCook Central/Montrose, Parker, Sioux Valley, Tea Area, Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda and Yankton

(170) - Tea Area’s Sam Werdel (Class A No. 2) could meet up with Class B No. 5, MCM’s Weston Remmers if the seeds hold. 

(220) - Parker’s Levi Wieman took over the No. 1 Class B ranking (220) this week. MCM’s Austin Hoiten is Class B’s No. 2 ranked wrestler at (285) but did wrestle at (220) during a dual meet this week. 

Parker's Levi Wieman assumed the No. 1 Class B ranking (220) after defeating MOPO's Aiden Schoenhard in the finals of the Winner Invitational - Wieman will be wrestling at Saturday's Parker Invitational - Trey Kaul - 605 Sports

Les Tlustos Invitational (Brookings): Beresford/Alcester-Hudson, Brandon Valley, Brookings, Dakota Valley, Dell Rapids, Harrisburg, Madison, Milbank, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City Central, West Central, Yankton

Entering February Class A’s top ranked team Brandon Valley has five top-ranked wrestlers: Trevon Oehme (113), Jordan Oehme (132), Alex Mentzer (138), Trason Oehme (145) and Navarro Schunke (285). 

(113) - Brandon Valley’s Trevon Oehme (Class A No. 1) should meet West Central’s Karson Vessells (Class A No. 2) in the finals.

(126) - Nolan Mills of Brookings (Class A No. 1) would likely meet Brandon Valley’s Zander Nielsen (Class A No. 5) in the finals. 

(132) - Brandon Valley’s Jordon Oehme (Class A No. 1) will likely see Madison’s Caleb Hodges (Class A No. 3) or  Dell Rapids’ John Mortrude (Class A No. 4 in the finals. 

(138) - Expect a showdown here between Brandon Valley’s Alex Mentzer (Class A No. 1) vs. Pierre’s Tristan Spencer (Class A No. 2).

(152) Mitchell’s Jagger Tyler (Class A No. 1) could see Harrisburg’s Logan O’Connor (Class A No. 3 in the finals. 

(160) - West Central’s Justin Zirpel (Class A No. 1) will see either Pierre’s Deegan Houska (Class A No. 3) or Brandon Valley’s Gavin Chapman (Class A No. 4 in the finals. 

(170) - Milbanks’ Barrett Schneck (Class A No. 1) will have to fight off Brandon Valley’s Lucac Slack (Class A No. 3) or Pierre’s Trey Lewis (Class A No. 4) in the finals. 

(182) - Class A’s No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 wrestlers (Chance Carda, Pierre, Tyson Brandt, Brookings and West Central’s Chet Carda) will make for an interesting bracket. 

Class A No. 1 (285) Navarro Schunke of Brandon Valley defeated Class A No. 1 (220) Chamberlain's Noah Hutmacher in the finals of the Brandon Valley tournament several weeks ago - Trey Kaul - 605 Sports

Lee Wolf Invitational (Aberdeen): Canton, Chamberlain, Clark/Willow Lake, Huron, Miller/Highmore-Harrold, Mobridge-Pollock, Sioux Falls O’Gorman, Sioux Falls Jefferson, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, Watertown, Wessington Springs/Woonsocket/Wolsey-Wessington, Winner Area along with three North Dakota schools make this tournament a bruiser. 

Canton rolls in with three top ranked Class B wrestlers: Ayson Rice (138), Tanner Meyers (195) and Traun Cook (285). 

Winner Area brings two top ranked athletes: Riley Orel (160) and Jack Kruger (182).

Watertown is loaded in the lower weight classes: Gage Lohr (Class A No. 1 at 106), Sloan Johannsen (Class A No. 1 at 120) and Weston Everson (Class A No. 2 126) will score some big points for the Arrows. 

Place highly at this tournament and wrestlers will fare well in next month’s South Dakota state tournament. 

(220) - Chamberlain’s Noah Hutmacher (Class A No. 1) could meet up with Mobridge-Pollock’s Aiden Schoenhard (Class B No. 2) in the finals. 

Canton's Traun Cook wrestling Pierre's Joshua Rydberg in the finals of the Mid Dakota Monster. Cook, the Class B No. 1 (285) will be wrestling at the Lee Wolf Invitational in Aberdeen while Rydberg grapples at the Les Tlustos Invitational in Brookings - Rodney Haas - 605 Sports

Belle Fourche Invitational: Belle Fourche, Custer, Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood, Harding County, Hill City, Hot Springs, Lead-Deadwood, Lemmon/McIntosh, Newell, Rapid City Stevens, Spearfish, St. Thomas More, Sturgis

Look for an interesting team battle here with Sturgis, Custer and Rapid City Stevens battling for top honors. 

(113) - Custer’s Tray Weiss (Class B No. 1) vs. Teryn Zebroski (Class A No. 4) would be an interesting final. 

(152) - Rapid City Stevens wrestler Corter Doney (Class A No. 2) vs. Belle Fourche’s Thomas McCoy (Class A No. 4) or Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood’s Kale Crowser (Class A No. 5) makes for an interesting weight class. 

(220) - Sturgis wrestler Zac Juelfs (Class A No. 3) and Harding County’s Grey Gilbert (Class B No. 3) would make for an interesting final.