Week Nine/Ten Recap:

Another two eventful and action-packed weeks are in the books.  We’ve had over 25 wrestlers take the Varsity mat this season – many of whom are in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of wrestling.  The importance of team depth continues to hit home as our line-up has looked very different nearly every meet.  That’s been especially true recently with a number of wrestlers missing action due to sickness or injury.  Despite the challenges fielding a consistent line-up, the team finished 2-3 in duals over this two week stretch.

While it’s always hard to see good wrestlers miss time – for whatever reason - it’s been fun to see some of our younger and less experienced wrestlers’ step in and compete.  Making that jump from JV to Varsity can be a bit of a learning opportunity.  We have some talented kids stepping in and I’m confident they have bright futures ahead of them.  The Varsity experiences they are getting are valuable opportunities that will accelerate their growth going forward. 

Two team dual highlights came last Thursday

• First year freshman Jonah Prum earned his first career Varsity win/pin
• Junior Connor Peterson earned another milestone – picking up his 150th career win. 

Congratulations Jonah and Connor!            

We also had a crazy 5 different individual tournaments in the last two weeks.  Some of the individual highlights are listed below:

Boys Varsity Individual Champions: 

• Thomas Schlangen (Park Center – with a tech fall in the finals) 
• Connor Peterson (Orono – via Tech Fall in all 4 matches)

Boys Varsity Individual Runn-ups

• Noah Fox (Orono)

Girls Individual Champions 

• Russo Capel (Orono)

Girls Individual Runner-ups 

• Russo Capel (St. Croix Lutheran)
• Kathrine Melton (St. Croix Lutheran, Park Center, and Orono) 
• Carol (Cici) Stevenson (St. Croix Lutheran)
• Ayah Ismaiel (Orono)
• Elizabeth Ofuasia (Orono)

9th grade section place winners (Girls): 

• Carol (Cici) Stevenson (1st),
• Aushika Davis (2nd), 
• Brooklyn True (3rd).

9th grade section place winners (Boys): 

• Lincoln Rudek (1st)
• Ollie Bielat (4th)
• Nathaniel Nelson (5th)
• Gavin Muehlstein (6th)
• Jonah Prum (6th)
• Logan Belchak (7th)
• Owen Yamaya (8th)
• Travis Kusie (8th)

Boys JV Individual Champions: 

• Ollie Bielat (Park Center – closest match being a 9-0 victory) 
• Gavin Muehlstein (Park Center)
• Cole Tabler (Park Center)
• Alex Fox (Orono)

Three wrestlers have earned the opportunity to participate in the 9th grade state tournament:

• Lincoln Rudek
• Carol (Cici) Stevenson
• Aushika Davis

While it’s exciting to see our athletes competing as well as they are, the most exciting matches are yet to come.  The post season has already started for some wrestlers while others will be finishing off their regular seasons this week and next.  The plan is to have two phenomenal weeks of practice and competition and enter the post season on fire.

Here’s the information you’ll want to know for the upcoming TWO weeks’ worth of Crimson wrestling: 

 

Week 11 Practice/Meet Schedule:

 

Monday, 1/27

• Weight Room at 2:10p
• Wrestling at 3:10p

Tuesday, 1/28

• Wrestling room at 3:10p. 
• NOTE:  There is no morning practice this week.

Wednesday, 1/29

• Tri meet at Andover with Anoka.  Bus leaves at 3:15p.  Weigh-ins at 4p.  We will be wrestling at roughly 5p and 6:30p. 
• Our girls’ wrestlers will be skipping this meet and having a girl only practice at the 3:10p (due to lack of girls to wrestle).

Thursday, 1/30

• Wrestling room at 3:10p

Friday, 1/31

• Home Tri. with Coon Rapids and Wayzata.  This is also Senior and Senior Parent Night.  Weigh-ins at 4p with wrestling beginning at 5p.  I anticipate we’ll wrestle the 2nd and 3rd matches. 
• There will be a team Pot Luck/Social to follow the meet in honor of the Seniors and the Senior Parents.

Saturday, 2/1

• 9th grade Individual State (Lincoln Rudek, Carol ‘Cici’ Stevenson, and Auskika Davis) at Champlin Park.  Details to be relayed as they are received. 
• Plan for everyone else is to practice at 9a. 

 

Week 12 Practice/Meet Schedule:

 

Monday, 2/3

• No School. 
• Practice at 9a

Tuesday, 2/4

• Morning practice at 5:45 AM for Varsity wrestlers and others who bring a partner.
• Lifting at 2:10p 
• Wrestling at 3:10p

Wednesday, 2/5

• Lifting at 2:10p 
• Wrestling room at 3:10p

Thursday, 2/6

• Wrestling Room at 3:10p.

Friday, 2/7

• Girls Sections at St. Michael timing/Bus schedule TBD. 
• Boys Tri at Blaine with Totino Grace.  Boys bus to leave at 3:15p with wrestling at 5p, 6:15p, and 7:30p.  Not sure which of the duals we’ll be in as of yet. 

Saturday, 2/8

• Girls Sections continued (timing TBD)
• J.V. Conference at Park Center
• Varsity practice at the high school.  Details to be shared at a later date.

 

2024 – 2025 Wrestler of the Week Honors:

• Week 1:  Logan Belchak, Joseph Natysin
• Week 2:  Elizabeth Ofuasia, Jonah Prum, Thomas Schlangen
• Week 3:  Charlie Cooper-Lennon, Kathrine Melton, Khoa Nguyen,
• Week 4:  Ethan Hong, Jonathan Hjelmstad
• Week 5:  Connor Peterson, Russo Capel
• Week 6:  Damian Seubert, Carol (Cici) Stevenson, Amir Bouzouma
• Week 7:  Ollie Bielat, Benyam Reda
• Week 8:  Ben Schultz, Gavin Muehlstein, Jackson Kilzer
• Week 9:  Richmond Tarquio, Reese Redlinger
• Week 10: TBD

 

We are somehow already entering the final stretch of the season.  9th grade state, girl’s individual sections, and JV Conference are all coming at us in the next two weeks.  With Boys team and individual sections as well as the high school state tournament also just around the corner, some of the most fun matches of the season will be wrestled in the next few weeks.  We’ve come a long way this season specifically with this next stretch in mind.  So many of our wrestlers have given us impressive glimpses of what they can do.  It’s time to see if we can put it all together and finish strong.  As always – looking forward to it!  Let’s Go Crimson!

Coach Troy

Mgwrestling99@gmail.com

763-913-0601