Readers’ Choice: Wrestling Rivalries

One of my favorite things about athletics is the rivalries. The Vikings against the Packers, enormous in my baseball-crazed house, the Twins vs. the White Sox, the Gophers against Iowa – in any sport but for my money, football and wrestling, and some personal favorites from my youth that still gets my blood boiling: Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota in hockey (go Bulldogs), Milaca against Foley in anything, but especially wrestling, and Milaca against Princeton regardless of the sport.

As noted a few times, wrestling is saturated with great rivalries. A few months ago, I thought it would be fun to ask you – the reader – who you thought were the best high school wrestling rivalries in Minnesota. I decided to post a question on my Twitter page. What is the best high school wrestling rivalry in Minnesota? The rivalry that got the most votes would be the subject of my next story for The Guillotine. I got a great response from across the state. Here are the results:

1 Simley vs. Kasson-Mantorville
2 Albert Lea vs. Owatonna (tie)
2 Minneota vs. Canby (tie)

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A Team From Top to Bottom – Minneota Wrestling

Minneota head wrestling coach Matt Myrvik has been involved in Minneota athletics his entire life. He grew up wrestling under long-time Minneota wrestling coach Joel Skillings. Before he graduated from high school, he started the transition into coaching. This year, he took on the task of replacing a Minnesota coaching legend – Skillings. How does Myrvik plan on keeping the Minneota Vikings’ wrestling legacy going? He will continue to make the program focus on team – from the highest levels of the program to the last wrestler in the youth program.

“I started wrestling around third grade,” Myrvik said. “I don’t know how I got into it, probably there just wasn’t much to do at the time. I don’t think basketball started until 4th grade, so I tried wrestling. My family didn’t have much to do with wrestling, I just kind of found it.”

“I wasn’t the greatest wrestler,” Myrvik admitted. “I liked the hard work and that it was up to you how good you were going to be. The coaches I grew up with – Coach Skillings and some of the youth coaches at the time – did an outstanding job helping the program grow. I was fortunate to make the state tournament as a senior. I always had a winning record, but our section was tough. A lot of it was team-related for us, and that was the reason I was involved with it.”

Myrvik was involved in coaching even before he made the state tournament.

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The Guillotine – April 17, 2020

The April 17, 2020 issue of The Guillotine has arrived! Featured content in this issue includes: Committed to Football, With a Little Help from Wrestling - Craig Orlando | Uncommon Passion, Uncommon Results - Patrick Kennedy | One-on-One with Andrew Sparks | The Guillotine High School Pound-For-Pound Class Rankings | Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Awards | A Team From Top to Bottom - Minneota Wrestling.

More content in this issue: Lace 'Em Up - The Pandemic Experience | MWCA Report | Camps and Training Opportunities | Ask The Doc | Performance Nutrition - Staying fit during COVID 19.

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The Guillotine – January 1, 2010

The January 1, 2010 issue of The Guillotine has arrived! Content in this issue includes: Minnesota Christmas Tournament | Big Bear Tournament | Lace ‘Em Up | Open Tournament Calendar | Milestones | High School Ratings | MWCA Report | One-on-One with Tim Hartung | Years Ago | Minnesota College Connection | Officially Speaking | Fastest Falls | Christmas Tournament Action | SMSU - Return to the Past | Three fathers - Three sons | Ask the Doc | Through the Eyes of Mom | Where Have They Gone? - Stan Christ | Schmoker Honored | Upcoming Camps, Clinics, and Training | The Clash Brackets | The Clash 8 Field Update | High School Results | College Results.

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The Guillotine – December 22, 2006

The December 22, 2006 issue of The Guillotine has arrived! Content in this issue includes: Lace ‘em up | MWCA President‘s Report | Open Tournament Calendar | Time to Bring Back Winona State | Class AAA Ratings | Class AA Ratings | Class A Ratings | Up on My Soap Box | Milestones | The View From the Matbird Seat | Next Generation of MN Heavyweights | MN Christmas Tournament Action | Minnesota Christmas Tournament | Minneota - Where the Past Shapes the Future | Big Bear Tournament | Officially Speaking | Fastest Falls | Saint John‘s - Emerging from the Shadows | Years Ago | Ask the Doc | Through the Eyes of Mom | Lakeville North - Imagine the Possibilities | Where Have They Gone? | College Results | High School Results | The Clash V Notes | The Clash Brackets.

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