The January 15, 1973 issue of The Guillotine. In the headlines: Anoka beats Albert Lea | Panthers win own dual meet tournament – Spring Lake Park | Sweat Box | Tournament results | Stockholm wrestlers make hit in Grand Rapids appearance | Last dual meet for Mankato – End of an era, two schools next year | Fertile Beltrami only unbeaten team in region 8 | Kenyon expects its best season | Coaches Spotlight – Darril Larison, Lynden Nelson, Darrell Jaeger | Wrestler Spotlights – Randy Baker, Doug Mayres, Tim Schuster, Jeff Hermann and Gary Pederson.

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The January 1, 1973 issue of The Guillotine. In the headlines: Owatonna coach gets 200th victory | Edison has six tourney champs | Sweat Box | She’s 81 but loves to watch wrestling meets | Plainview teams are improving | Tournament results | Winona State Warriors win | Scheuer never lost a match | Coaches wives to sell wrestling lapel button | Wrestler Spotlights – Jim Ewoldson, Larry Lahman, Tom Leuer, Sil Nistler, Bill Johnson, Jeff Nelson, Tom Knickrehm | Coaches Spotlight – Dick Maher, Jim Trucke, Doug Ouick.

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The December 1, 1972 issue of The Guillotine. In the headlines: State champions shooting for 50 | Parkers Prairie defends titles | Panthers are coming back very strong – Spring Lake Park | State champ is back at Osseo – Mike McArthur | Sweat Box | Seniors lead Canby squad | Gaylord lists 11 lettermen | Champ Wayzata strong again | Tigers take on tough schedule – Albert Lea | Trojans have 37 straight in SW conference – Worthington | Nine wrestlers in Theis family | 12 sets of brothers at Kerkhoven | Senior-less Kato crew downs Augustana 28-11 | Rockets of Rochester have lots of power | Thoughts From The President By Don Dravis | Bucs loaded with lettermen – Blue Earth | Six lettermen at Brainerd | Caledonia at 63 not stopping | Wrestler Spotlights – Bill Spell, Tom Wendorff, Ken Arens, Paul Hackenmueller, Herb Pellinen, John Holler, Bob Wright, Gary Greb | Coaches Spotlight – Joseph Sidoti, Jim Beshey, Ken Droegemueller, Stan Hendrickson, Garth Lappin.

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The November 1, 1972 issue of The Guillotine. In the headlines: State matmen win 67 places in AAU age group tournament | State grapplers ‘on the scene’ in Europe | Sweat Box | Grand Rapids meets Swede team | Dilworth outlook promising | Fertile Falcons have high hopes | Prosperity Best Olympic showing since 1928 | Early day wrestling at Albert lea high school 1943-1957 | Lament Of A Wrestler’s Mom | Coverage of Wrestling is improving | Cooper graduate class a success | Wrestler Spotlights – Michael Dahlheimer, Dennis Braaten, Bruce and Mark Johnson, Scott Miller, Terry Baker, Jim Brihan | Coaches Spotlight – Fran McCann, Gerry Gingles, Don Larson.

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This issue of The Guillotine focuses heavily on the results and highlights of the 35th annual Minnesota High School State Wrestling Tournament. St. James High School, known as the “James Gang,” captured the state championship with 59.5 points, setting a historic precedent by taking the team title without earning a single individual championship. Osseo High School finished in second place, anchored by individual state champions Mike McArthur, Tom Wilmes, and Dalfin Blaske. The issue provides detailed coverage of place winners across all weight classes, complete team standings, and celebratory photos from the tournament floor.

In addition to state tournament coverage, the issue highlights collegiate wrestling achievements and news across Minnesota and the Midwest. It reports on Gary Svendsen of St. John’s University and Pat Marcy of Augsburg College both claiming NAIA national titles, while Ken Vogt of Willmar State captured the 190-pound junior college national crown. Conference results are also featured, including St. John’s University winning the MIAC team championship, the University of Northern Iowa taking the NCC title, and the Minnesota Gophers placing fourth in the Big Ten Tournament.

The publication also serves as a comprehensive resource for the upcoming off-season wrestling community. It showcases profiles of standout high school wrestlers and coaches, features editorials on sportsmanship and team development, and includes updates from the Minnesota Coaches Wives Association. Extensive listings and advertisements promote summer wrestling camps across the region, including programs hosted by Mankato State College, the University of Minnesota, Winona State College, St. John’s Prep, Camp KO-AC, and Camp Mishawak.

This issue of The Guillotine focuses heavily on the high school wrestling postseason in Minnesota, highlighting the intense regional tournament action that sent top individual contenders and winning teams to the state tournament. Featured articles celebrate regional team champions such as Albert Lea, St. James, Canby, Osseo, Willmar, Staples, Grand Rapids, and Fertile, alongside preview lists of standout wrestlers across various weight classes. Historical features recount the origins of the first unofficial state tournament in 1937 and chronicle past state champions from 1938 to 1971, contrasting the sport’s humble beginnings with its massive growth into over 15,000 active high school wrestlers across the state.

Beyond high school tournament coverage, this issue shines a spotlight on notable wrestlers, coaches, and collegiate programs across the region. Individual profiles highlight state champions and top competitors like Loren Bendson, Mark Costello, Pat Neu, and Kevin Kuehl, while coaching features honor figures such as Paul Ehrhard of Albert Lea, John Grygelko of Robbinsdale, and Ron Malcolm of Anoka. The publication also covers major collegiate developments, including Rochester State Junior College’s long-standing success, Augsburg College’s first undefeated dual-meet season, and Worthington’s preparations to host the National Junior College Wrestling Tournament.

Additionally, the newspaper highlights community involvement, organizational updates, and upcoming events within the wrestling landscape. Articles detail unique local initiatives, such as Caledonia High School’s mat-fundraising drive and Mankato High’s newly formed “Mat Maids” student group. The issue also outlines schedule details for state tournament social events, provides updates from the State Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, promotes summer wrestling camps, and announces upcoming national events, including the U.S. Olympic tryouts hosted in Anoka.

This issue of The Guillotine centers heavily on the leadership and organizational structure driving Minnesota wrestling. Front and center are profiles on state wrestling leaders Paul Bengtson, president of the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, and Don Meyers, the executive secretary and official league liaison. Bengtson outlines the growth of high school programs, the importance of promotional efforts, and the expanding interest in youth age-group wrestling. Editorial commentary highlights the necessity of coaches joining state associations to give the sport a unified voice, while advocating for better state tournament ticketing and accommodations for all coaches across the state.

A major focus of the publication is the debate surrounding a proposed Three Class Plan for Minnesota high school wrestling. The issue provides an extensive analysis, complete with regional breakdown maps and historical state tournament statistics, arguing that dividing schools into Class AAA, Class AA, and Class A based on enrollment would triple participation opportunities for student-athletes at the regional and state levels. Additionally, feature stories highlight prominent coaches such as Loie Grandprey of Windom and Skip Nalan of Grand Rapids, alongside Luverne Klar of Mankato, who recently achieved a historic 200th career coaching victory.

The issue also delivers comprehensive coverage of high school and collegiate wrestling results from around the region. Results and photos showcase team and individual champions from major holiday events, including the Paul Bunyan, Albert Lea, Grand Rapids Indian, Fairfax, Fridley, St. James, and Robbinsdale Invitational tournaments, alongside innovative events like Cooper’s “black mark” penalty point meet and Augsburg’s 5th annual Takedown Tournament. Individual wrestler spotlights profile top high school talent, while organizational updates announce upcoming major events like the Junior College Nationals in Worthington and the 1972 Olympic Trials scheduled for Anoka.

The inaugural December 1971 issue of The Guillotine newspaper opens by establishing its mission as a dedicated platform to promote Minnesota high school and collegiate wrestling, highlight outstanding teams, and share personal stories from coaches, wrestlers, and fans across the state. The front page features the reigning 1971 state champion Albert Lea Tigers, showcasing their dominant tournament performance and returning lettermen led by two-time state champion Tom Jean. Alongside high school coverage, early pages cover statewide coaching clinics, national wrestling administrative news, and high school participation figures across the United States.

A significant portion of the publication dives into high school team previews, wrestler spotlights, and key organizational discussions. Features highlight individual athletes such as Mark Lange, Dan Doering, Hal Wolff, and Bob Usset, while spotlighting high school programs including St. James, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, Owatonna, Blue Earth, and Staples. Crucial administrative matters are also addressed, detailing state coaching meetings and discussions surrounding a proposed three-class state tournament structure to accommodate Minnesota’s rapidly growing wrestling landscape.

The issue concludes with an extensive look at the collegiate wrestling scene alongside editorial commentary and lighthearted content. Features cover major Minnesota college programs—including Mankato State, Winona State, Southwest Minnesota State, Concordia, St. Olaf, and UMD-Morris—detailing season outlooks and roster rebuilds. Additionally, the paper offers coaching spotlights, a historical retrospective on the growth of Minnesota amateur wrestling, and a playful set of wrestling-themed riddles to round out its first edition.