Wrestlers start season with strong showing
The Staples-Motley wrestling team lived up to their number ten preseason ranking by winning their first two dual matches of the season then crowning five champions in the Wadena-Deer Creek tournament.
The Cardinals built leads in the lower weights then held on to beat United Clay Becker 39-27 and New York Mills 36-33 in a triangular meet Dec. 2 at NYM. They came back the next day to place third in the W-DC tournament, as Spencer Miller, Owen Bjerga, Eric Lisson, Dalton Holmberg and Alex Erpelding all placed first in their weight class.
Team results
Staples-Motley 39, United Clay Becker 27
106 - Sam Jennissen L fall; 113 - Brayden Christensen L 6-4; 120 - Spencer Miller W fall; 126 - Blake Gerard W ff; 132 - Blayne Dumprope W ff; 138 - Eric Lisson(SM) W fall; 145 - Dalton Holmberg L 4-1; 152 - Matt Miller W fall; 160 - Isaac Swendsrud L 6-4; 170 - Jonathan Lisson L 3-1; 182 - Alex Erpelding W fall; 195 - Shaine Guggenberger W 4-1; 220 - Nathaniell Rodrigues L fall; 285 - Kyle Serich L 6-1
Staples-Motley 36, New York Mills 33
106 - Jennissen L fall; 113 - Christensen W 3-1; 120 - S. Miller W fall; 126 - Gerard W fall; 132 - Dumprope W ff; 138 - Owen Bjerga L 4-3; 145 - M. Miller W ff; 152 - Holmberg W dec.; 160 - Swendsrud L 1-0; 170 - J. Lisson L 5-1; 182 - Erpelding W fall; 195 - Guggenberger L fall; 220 - Rodriques L fall; 285 - Kyle Serich L fall
WDC tournament
Perham 271.5, Thief River Falls 180.5, Staples/Motley 159.5, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie 131, Badger/Greenbush/Middle River (BGMR) 131, United North Central 99, Wadena-Deer Creek 84, Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus 83, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville 81
Cardinal placers:
113 - Christensen 5th place
120 - S. Miller 1st place
126 - Dumprope 4th place
132 - Bjerga 1st place
138 - Lisson 1st place
145 - Holmberg 1st place
182 - Erpelding 1st place
285 - Serich 2nd place
