By Chris Schad,
for the Enterprise
VOLGA – The Flandreau Fliers hit the mat as they competed at the Big East/Lake Central Conference Tournament at the Cossack Center on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Junior Karter Headrick finished in first place for the Fliers, earning four straight pins to win the 190-pound bracket and Brayden Wiese took third at 138.
Coach Cody Chamblin was happy to see someone stand at the top of the podium, his team’s first of the year.
“Karter had a great day with getting to the top and getting first.”
Headrick began the tournament by pinning Clark/Willow Lake’s Riley Popp at 1:51 in the first round before pinning Parker’s Jake Stone in 31 seconds in the quarterfinals. Headrick pinned Kingsbury County’s Breyten Johnson in 52 seconds during the semifinals before pinning McCook Central/Montrose’s Will Rotert at 2:36 of the championship match. Rotert is ranked fifth in Class B.
Headrick improved to 28-8 on the season with the tournament title.
Wiese pinned Vanden Virchow of Sioux Valley in 59 seconds during the first round and pinned Tanner Baker of Mt. Vernon/Plankinton at 3:32 of the quarterfinals. After he was pinned by Parker’s Michael Even in the semifinals, Wiese rebounded by pinning MCM’s Ray Sandine in 22 seconds during the consolation semifinals and earning a 7-4 decision over Baker in the third place match.
With records on the day of 2-2, Cam Blair at 106, Teague Bergjord at 113, Zach Pederson at 120 and Gabe Frias at 126, came just short of placing.

Chamblin also saw good things from those wrestlers:
“Cam had a big day just falling short of placement, but he overcame some a loss from Tuesday night and beat the same opponent at conference. Pederson and Frias each picked up some wins but a few small mistakes are holding them back.
“Bergjord, in probably one of the toughest brackets, had a few wins but fell short the round before placement. But has been wrestling really well and has his eye making to state tournament.
“Alex Lopez was the only wrestler to go without a win, but he showed improvement even from Tuesday.”
The Fliers finished in ninth place at the tournament with 62 team points.
Parker finished in first place with 177 points while Kingsbury County finished in second place with 147 points. Howard finished third with 120.5 points, Beresford/A-H finished fourth with 105.5 points and Mt. Vernon/Plankinton finished fifth with 100 points.
Fliers have two quads this week and then will focus on the region tournament and earning their way to state.
“We are really having some good practices and really starting to wrestle hard grinding six minute matches. We are looking to peak at the right time.”
Tuesday, the Flier were to make up a quad at Beresford. Thursday, they’re at the Tri-Valley quad and then have a week off before the Region 2A meet in Tea on Saturday, Feb. 17.
BE/LCC Invitational results:
106 Cam Blair: Lost 9-4 Kingsten Feldhaus, How; bye; won 7-4 over Gage Landmark, Deu; WBF :30 Brysen Baloun, Park; LBF 2:52 Chase Hendrickson, KC
113 Teague Bergjord: Bye; LBF 3:43 Keagen Hill, MVP; WBF :47 Bentley Fokken, Deu; won 5-0 Bennett Farley, BAH; lost 16-2 MD Landon Flogstad, MCM
120 Zach Pederson: LBF 1:59 Daniel Dorsey, MVP; Bye; won 8-3 Jaden Buchmann, Ham; WBF Mason Severson, CWL; LBF 2:05 Dorsey, MVP
126 Gabriel Frias: Bye; lost 17-2 TF Luke Swatek, EPJ; Bye; won SV 6-4 Otto Uberty, MCM; lost 10-2 MD Tate Lyle BAH
138 Brayden Wiese: WBF :59 Vanden Virchow, SV; WBF Tanner Baker, MVP 3:32; LBF 2:22 Michael Even, Park; WBF :22 Ray Sandine, MCM – 3rd Place
175 Alex Lopez: Bye: LBF :43 Calvin Halverson, How; LBF 2:53 Sam Leen, Deu.
190 Karter Headrick: WBF 1:51 Riley Popp, CWL; WBF :31 Jake Stone, Par; WBF :52, Breyten Johnson, KC; WBF 2:36, Will Rotert, MCM - 1st Place