Wadena-DC ninth at Kaatz Memorial Tournament

The Dennis Kaatz Memorial Wrestling Tournament brought some of the area's top wrestlers to the Wadena-Deer Creek High School gymnasium on Dec. 1. The event lived up to its billing with Thief River Falls claiming the team title with 213.5 points. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville finished second with 207 points.

Badger-Greenbush-Middle River finished third, followed by Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie in fourth and United North Central in fifth. The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines finished the tournament in ninth place with 47 points.

Cody Wheeler was the top individual finisher for the Wolverines. The 170-pound wrestler finished in second place. He opened the tournament with a fall victory over Gideon Ervasti of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie at the five minute and 56 second mark. He carried the momentum into the semifinals were he defeated Badger-Greenbush-Middle River's Caleb Vacura by fall at the 1:40 mark.

However, his run came to an end in the championship when he was defeated by Staples-Motley's Owen Bjerga by a 23-8 technical fall. Wheeler finished the tournament with a 2-1 mark overall.

Mason Snyder finished the tournament with a 2-1 mark after he finished third at 120 pounds. He was defeated by Thief River Falls' Griffin Lundeen in the quarterfinals by a 6-4 decision. Snyder responded with a 5-0 decision victory over Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie's Reese Thompson in the consolation semifinals. He finished it out with a 4-2 decision win over Thief River Falls's Griffin Lundeen.

Simon Snyder, Jayson Young and Logan Wegscheid finished in sixth place in their respective weight classes, while Connor Dirks, Braeden Sibert, Brayden Kleinke and Garrett Redning did not place in the tournament.

Dennis Kaatz Memorial Tournament

Team Scores

Thief River Falls 213.5, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville 207, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River 169.5, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale-Parkers Prairie 148, United North Central 112.5, Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus 112, Staples-Motley, Wadena-Deer Creek 47

Wadena-DC Individual Results

106: Simon Snyder (1-3) sixth place

120: Mason Snyder (2-1) third place

132: Jayson Young (0-3) sixth place

138: Connor Dirks (0-2) did not place

145: Braeden Sibert (0-2) did not place

152: Brayden Kleinke (0-2) did not place

160: Garrett Redning (0-2) did not place

170: Cody Wheeler (2-1) second place

285: Logan Wegscheid (0-3) sixth place

1/3: Wadena-Deer Creek’s Mason Snyder works the back of Thief River Falls’ Griffin Lundeen during the quarterfinals at 120 pounds of the Dennis Kaatz Memorial Tournament. Jason Groth/Pioneer Journal

2/3: Wadena-Deer Creek’s Jayson Young tries to control the leg of Thief River Falls’ Brady Kasprick during the quarterfinals at 132 pounds of the Dennis Kaatz Memorial Tournament. Jason Groth/Pioneer Journal

3/3: Wadena-Deer Creek’s Connor Dirks lifts up Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie’s Trevor Arceneau during their match at 138 pounds. Jason Groth/Pioneer Journal