This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing The Guillotine Subscription.

High School Girls Preview

We are ready to embark on a third exciting - and barrier-breaking - year of girl’s wrestling in Minnesota. Participation numbers continue to grow, Apple Valley returns as the defending state champions, and a thirteenth weight has been added for competition.

This preview will be a combination of information for the upcoming season and a feature we call “Better Know A Senior,” where some of the wrestlers from around the state can tell some of their own stories.

Wrestlers to Watch

Senior Skylar Little Soldier of Hastings is undefeated over the last two years, compiling a 22-0 overall record in high school. Four wrestlers have the opportunity to win their third state championship this year. Those wrestlers who have won two state titles are:

  • Skylar Little Soldier, 12th, Hastings
  • Aspen Blasko, 12th, Forest Lake
  • Ella Pagel, 11th, Northfield
  • Charli Raymond, 9th, Simley
View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

High School Class A Preview

The Minnesota High School wrestling season is set to kick off, and with it comes the excitement of intense competition and the pursuit of state championship glory. The goal of these previews is to provide a glimpse into the top contenders, rising stars, and dark horses that are poised to make a mark this season. From Section 1A to Section 8A, the talent pool is deep, and the battles for section supremacy and state tournament berths promise to be fierce.

Section 1A

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights and the Chatfield Gophers are the frontrunners in Section 1A, while the Dover-Eyota Eagles and the GMLOS Bulldogs are considered dark horses.

The section boasts sixteen returning state qualifiers, including seven state medalists. State champions Kail Schott and Javier Berg from Chatfield are back, along with medalists Gage Bartels (6th) and Bolton Thesing (4th) from Dover-Eyota, and Will VanEpps (5th) and Gavin Johnson (3rd) from Kenyon-Wanamingo.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

High School Class AA Preview

Class AA: A Bright New Day

A competitive high school wrestling season looms on the horizon in Minnesota for Class AA. Heavy graduation losses accompanied by an exodus of talent to Class AAA opens up both the team and individual races to the state tournament in March. This season will also see an adjustment in weight classes as we drop to thirteen weights. They will start at 107 pounds. The top four weight classes have been consolidated into three, with a jump from 172 directly to 189, virtually eliminating the old 182-pound class.

Simley is the defending state champion after beating New Prague by a 46-20 score in last year’s final. It was the Spartans' fifth straight state title. This year, they return three state placewinners and are the early favorite to win a seventeenth overall Class AA team title this season.

Individually, six returning state champions take the mat this year. However, only three of those champions will defend their Class AA titles, while three others will move to Class AAA. Jack Nelson, a senior from Mound-Westonka, returns as a three-time champion. Nelson has the opportunity to become the state’s thirty-third four-time champion. The last Class AA wrestler to win four state titles was Tyler Wells from Princeton. He won his fourth title last season. The first four-time champion from a current Class AA school was Marcus LeVesseur from Minneapolis Roosevelt, who won titles from 1998 to 2001.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

High School Class AAA Preview

With one of the most exciting championship finishes in State Tournament history last season, this season’s class AAA race looks to be one of the deepest in a long time. It will be hard to beat Hastings’s dramatic twenty-four-point comeback, but the depth of the teams this year may bring even more excitement to the X.

Section 1

With the addition of Albert Lea, Section One is even deeper than last year, with five teams capable of winning this section. The Tigers return four AA state entrants, three of them placewinners. Senior Michael Olson will try to improve on his second-place finish at 113 last season. Junior Logan Davis (3rd at 120), Nick Korman (5th at 132), and freshman Ryan Collins (106) will be the leaders on a strong Albert Lea team. Rochester Mayo and Owatonna are the two most experienced teams.

Mayo, who punched their first ticket to state last season, return six state entrants led by junior fifth-place finisher Calder Sheehan (145). Junior Juan Cobarruvais (113), senior Ethan Peper (220), freshman Kellen Burger (132), freshman Caleb Loomis (285), and eighth grader Andrew Trimble (106) also competed at state. Owatonna graduated state runner-up Cael Robb but still return seven state entrants.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

Fighting For The Kids – Travis Hoffarth and Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus

By Brian Jerzak

When Pequot Lakes-Pine River-Backus head wrestling coach Travis Hoffarth took over the Roadcrew's head job, he did so with hall-of-fame mentors to back him up. All three of his varsity high school coaches from Albany are in their sports' Minnesota coaching halls of fame. Even though he didn't always listen to them when he competed for them, how he approaches dealing with his wrestlers now proves he listened when it counted.

"It is all about fighting for the kids," Hoffarth said, "making sure they know you are going to do anything you can."

The Roadcrew coach has been involved in wrestling his entire life.

"Wrestling has been part of our family since I have known. My uncles wrestled. My dad wrestled for part of his high school career. My brother (Brad) is ten years older than I am. He was a wrestler. He was the key for me – showing me the moves in the living room when I was four or five years old. He became a head coach at Osakis, the athletic director, and now is the high school principal."

With a future wrestling coach learning his craft in the living room teaching his younger brother, the younger Hoffarth had an advantage early.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

The Guillotine – November 2, 2023

The November 2, 2023 issue of The Guillotine has arrived. In the headlines: Auggies Seek Back-to-Back National Championships | Gophers Reshaped by Offseason Changes | Lace ‘Em Up | Camps, Clinics, and Training | MWCA Report | Cobbers Loaded with In-State Talent | Bison Face Rebuilding Year After Departure of Six Wrestlers | Johnnies Poised for Improvement This Season 3 | Northland Women’s Program Set to Debut This Season | Huskies Aim For National Title in 2023-24 | Jackrabbits Eye Highest Finish Ever at Big 12 and NCAA Championships | Yellowjackets Return Five National Qualifiers, Set to Continue Tradition of Excellence | Performance Nutrition - The Little Things | Mustangs Look to Rebound After Rough Season | Pioneers Focused on Building Strong Team Culture | The Dream of Wrestling at ‘The X’ – Jack Nelson | Officially Speaking | Vikings Gear Up for an Unforgettable Season | Ask The Doc | Dragons Optimistic Heading into 15th Season Under Coach Kris Nelson | New Coach Sprenger Sees Untapped Potential in Auggies | Vikings Planning for Another Season of Success | Mavericks Enter 2023-24 Season With New Faces and Potential | Warriors Coaches Expecting Multiple All-Americans, Top 10 Finish | Bluejays Enter New Era Under Coach Brayden Curry

View this issue below.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

Gophers Reshaped by Offseason Changes

Blockhus, McKee, Gliva, Sparks, Salazar, and Joles Lead University of Minnesota Lineup

By Matt Krumrie

The offseason brought forth a whirlwind of changes for the Minnesota Gophers wrestling program, reshaping the team's dynamics and raising questions about what the 2023-2024 season has in store. Yet, amidst the changes, the Gophers still have a strong group of experienced wrestlers and several hungry returnees looking for an opportunity to be a part of a Gophers team looking to improve on last year's 15th-place finish at the NCAA championships.

"This season our team will be a blend of familiar faces, and some new names will also emerge," said head coach Brandon Eggum, now in his eighth year as head coach of the Gophers. "We have Patrick McKee, Jake Gliva, Michael Blockhus and Garrett Joles all returning for their sixth seasons. Isaiah Salazar and Andrew Sparks will also provide some veteran leadership. We have had a few guys sitting behind established starters the past few years and now some of those guys will have their opportunity in the lineup."

This year's Gophers lineup has talent and experience throughout the lineup, but heading into the season, it does not feature those highly ranked hammers of years past. That is going to make it an interesting, exciting, and perhaps even nerve-wracking season for Gophers fans. No matter what, it should be fun to watch this team's journey.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.

Yellowjackets Return Five National Qualifiers, Set to Continue Tradition of Excellence

Rochester CTC Boasts Strong Freshman Class, Led by Minnesota Standouts

By Matt Krumrie

Rochester Community & Technical College is a perennial power in NJCAA wrestling, and the Yellowjackets have another strong team that should continue that tradition of excellence into the 2023-2024 season.

The Yellowjackets finished second in the NJCAA national tournament in 2023 (non-scholarship division) and have a roster of 26 wrestlers ready to create their own legacy at the state's top NJCAA wrestling program.

RCTC returns five wrestlers with national tournament experience and a strong freshman class (including many from Minnesota) who are ready to rumble. That group includes returning All-Americans Antony Tuttle (4th/184/Stillwater) and Nate Beberg (285/8th/Andover), and returning national qualifiers Jackson McCormick (133), Jake Thompson (141/Byron), and Martin Prieto (197/Plainview/PEM HS). Tuttle, Beberg, McCormick, Thompson, and Prieto also won MCAC titles to qualify for the national tournament.

View exclusive subscriber content with The Guillotine Subscription. Current subscribers log in.