Novy Takes Second at NEC Tourney and Tostenson Named Champ

Milbank took sixth place at the NEC wrestling tourney in Groton, on December 20, despite what Coach Josh Schmeichel called multiple injuries and sickness. Schmeichel noted the Bulldogs were not functioning at their peak and had a difficult time gaining momentum. Wrestlers able to compete, however, stepped up to take top places. 

Schmeichel said. “Lawson Novy at 285 pinned his opponent to make it to the finals. In the finals, he met his match and lost (11-2 against Gavin Englund of Groton) to earn second place. Reese Rabe at 165 pounds wrestled his way to a fourth-place finish.” In his third-place match, he was defeated 9-2 by Collin Dean of Redfield. Joe French at 157 pounds was forced to forfeit for medical reasons part way through the tournament. He was still able to take home a fourth-place finish.  

Schmeichel said, “Tate Schlueter at 175 had high hopes of being a repeat NEC champ. It was a close match, but he ended up getting taken down to his back with only 20 seconds left. Jesse Schneck at 190 had a good tournament.” Jesse pinned his way to the final before finally losing to the same wrestler he had fallen to the previous week in Faulkton.

Team Rankings: 1) Clark-Willow Lake – 198 (2) Sisseton – 148 (3) Redfield – 121 (4) Groton – 110  (5) Deuel – 77 (6) Milbank –  70.5 (7) Webster – 61 (8) Britton-Hecla – 60.5 (9) Hamlin-Castlewood –  35 and (10) Tiospa Zina – 0

What’s next? The wrestlers can take a long winter’s nap during the holiday break to get ready for the match they will host on Saturday, January 4. 

Girls Wrestling:  Kyra Tostenson Namd NEC Champ of the Year
Coach Schmeichel said, “We brought five  girls with us to the conference tournament and placed all five girls. The first two girls were our new seventh- grade girls – Alondra Ramero Mondragon at 107 and Andrea Luna Sanchez at 114 . Both wrestled tough and each earned a fourth-place finish. Aza Scavariel had a hard fought first round match. She finished in third place. Mackenzie Mueller went up against a ranked wrestler from Webster and showed a lot of growth from last year.” 

Kyra Tostenson was named NEC Champ of the year. Coach Schmeichel commented, “At only eighth grade, Kyra is our veteran girl wrestler. She participated in the youth season growing up and this is her third year participating through the school. Kyra had two  good two days at the NEC tournament.” On Friday, Kyra was named the 185 NEC champion. “On Saturday, she had three  pins on her way to the finals before she lost  to the sixth- ranked wrestler in the state,” Schmeichel said. “ Kyra is now ranked No.7 at 185.”

Photo: Lawson Novy