Good showing for Aggies at state
Good showing for Aggies at state
By CINDY KITELSON
and STU MERRY
The Velva Garrison Max Aggies returned from last weekend’s state wrestling tournament in Fargo with a fifth place dual team trophy and five place winners, including a state champion. In the team tournament the Aggies finished seventh.
Velva senior grappler Troy Jespersen went 4-0 at the meet to capture first place in the final match of the tournament at 285. Jespersen ended the season with 35 pins, just short of the state record at his weight class, which is 36.
Jespersen also won all three of his matches for the Aggies during the dual team state tournament, where VGM finished fifth.
Garrison’s Eric Wilcox opened up with a win, sticking Standing Rock’s Philip Dukart in the second period. After losing to number one seed Patrick Nord of Lisbon, Wilcox made his way back through wrestlebacks to the fifth place match.
“Eric came in the eighth seed and took sixth,” Coach Mike Thingstad said. “He wrestled well and won some big matches.”
Other individual wrestlers at state for the Aggies included Garrison’s Dillon Sprenger (0-2) at 135.
Wilcox finished the season with a 33-16 record. Placing 2nd in the Region and 6th in state at 160 pounds. Fellow senior Sprenger finished the season with a 14-18 record. Placing 3rd in the Region.
Reflecting on the final performances of their high school wrestling careers, Coach Dan Splichal observed that Wilcox had a great tournament, coming in seeded sixth, but coming home with a sixth place finish in his weight class.
“He wrestled very well the last day, upsetting the Carrington wrestler in the third round of the wrestle-backs who was the No. 5 seed in the tournament,” he said.
