Open Tournament

Minnesota standouts help win NHCSA National Duals

Four Minnesota wrestlers helped Team Kong United win the National High School Coaches Association (NHCSA) National Duals held on May 29-31 in Virginia Beach, VA.

The three day event featured over 160 teams from around the country and included over 80 nationally ranked wrestlers.

Minnesota state champions Blake West of Shakopee, Max Petersen of Byron, Quayin Short of Simley, and Gavin Layton of Coon Rapids wrestled for Team Kong United, which had 15 wrestlers from nine different states competing on their championship team.

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NYWA to host a State Tournament in 2021

Northland Youth Wrestling Association lost much of their 2020 season to the pandemic, including their flagship state tournament. The obstacles for holding a typical NYWA season in 2021 have been nearly impossible to overcome. So, despite the challenges, NYWA has figured out a way to provide an opportunity for youth wrestlers to compete this season – an NYWA State Tournament Open.

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MN/USA Wrestling Produces COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for Tournaments

MN/USA Wrestling has published a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for MN/USA Wrestling Tournaments on their website along with the following statement:

“Minnesota/USA Wrestling is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all our members, workers, officials, coaches, parents, and participants. To ensure we have a safe and healthy environment, MN/USA Wrestling has developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tournament organizers and hosts are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our tournaments and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our workers and management. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.”

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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.

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Pickell named OW at InterMat Classic, Noble repeats

EDINA, Minn. — On Saturday, Charlie Pickell made a statement at the InterMat Classic, dominating a weight class that included three state champions, along with a state finalist.

Pickell, a two-time state champion and four-time state finalist, cruised to the title at 132 pounds, picking up a technical fall in the finals over Charlie Dojan (Irondale, Minn.), 18-3. Dojan defeated a pair of state finalists on his run to the finals before losing to Pickell, who finished his tournament with three first-period pins and a technical fall.

Pickell was named the event’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Christian Noble (Big Lake, Minn.) was the lone repeat champion at the InterMat Classic. Noble pinned every opponent he faced in the tournament for the second straight year. He pinned Colton Bornholdt (New Prague, Minn.) in the first period in the championship match at 113 pounds. Noble, a state third-place finisher last season, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after a takedown and two-point nearfall. He built his lead to 6-1 before securing the pin. Continue reading at intermatwrestle.com