High School News

USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, named for late Brian Keck, set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1

USA Wrestling has named its popular Preseason Nationals tournament after the late Brian Keck, who helped create the event and served as its event director for more than a decade.

The 2020 USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals will return to Hyvee Hall inside the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, October 30 – November 1.

Keck worked with USA Wrestling to found the Preseason Nationals in 2008, a major early season national folkstyle wrestling event for athletes of all ages. The first event was held in Des Moines, then spent nine years in Cedar Falls, Iowa, before returning to Des Moines in 2018. During its 12 years with Keck’s involvement, the competition grew in size and prestige.

Keck tragically passed away at the age 48 during a trip to Mexico in November, 2019.

Continue readingUSA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, named for late Brian Keck, set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1

MSHSL Board of Directors address Fall Activities

The Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors, at its meeting on Aug. 4, approved moving forward as scheduled with four Fall activities. Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys and Girls Soccer and Girls Swimming and Diving beginning on Aug. 17 with limitations. The Board of Directors also approved moving Football and Volleyball to a modified spring season. 

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Kenneth Bergstedt 1923-2020

Hall of Famer Kenneth Bergstedt of Maplewood passed away on July 3rd. He was 97 years old.

Bergstedt wrestled for the Minnesota Gophers in the late 1940s and was a life-long fan. He started the wrestling program at Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville when the school opened in 1953. He taught at the school (now Roseville Area HS) for 32 years and was a wrestling coach there for 28 years.

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MSHSL Return to Participation Task Force continues its work

Group will make recommendation to Board of Directors on Aug. 4

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s announcement today of Executive Order 20-82 provides Minnesota schools direction for how they will return to learning for the 2020-2021 school year.

With that direction, the Minnesota State High School League’s Return to Participation Task Force will continue its work in developing programming options for the 2020-2021 school year to present to the League’s Board of Directors for final consideration and approval.

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Wayzata wrestlers waiting for off-season opportunities

April, May and June are usually off-season wrestling months for the grapplers from Wayzata High School, but the COVID-19 situation has put the Trojan wrestlers in lock-down mode.

“We’re not alone,” Wayzata head coach Eric Swensen said last week. “No school in the state has its guys working out.”

That is not to say the Trojans are idle, however. They can’t get on the mats yet, but state 138-pound champion Cael Swensen has been leading outdoor conditioning. One of his favorite training regimens is running the bleacher stairs on the home side at Wayzata High Stadium.

“When will we be able to start? That’s the million-dollar question,” Eric Swensen said. “This is the longest my kids [Cael and younger brother Logan] have ever been away from the mat. It is super frustrating for them and for our other boys.” Continue reading at hometownsource.com