PARKSTON - Too many forfeits caused the Flandreau Fliers to drop all three matches in a wrestling quad Tuesday, Jan. 12.
The Fliers lost to Parker 72-10, Parkston 57-12 and West Lyon, Iowa 69-12.
Despite small numbers on his roster, Coach Derek Genzlinger was pleased with how the boys wrestled.
“We wrestled three teams that fill full rosters, and we were shorthanded only having around 5 guys available,” he said.
“In our match against Parker we won 3 out of the 5 matches we wrestled and that was very big with conference and region seeds coming up soon.”
Tri-Valley Tournament
Four of the state’s top ranked Class B wrestling teams and several highly ranked wrestlers were in attendance Saturday giving the Fliers some tough competition. The lone Flier to place was 106 pounder Brayden Wiese.
The tournament was a 16 man bracket but none of the brackets were full.
“Again, we were shorthanded on guys Saturday, but four out of our five guys won matches on the day. Tri-Valley will be the toughest tournament we will attend this year with ranked guys up and down the brackets,” said Genzlinger.
After a first round bye, Wiese decisioned Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Brock Kotalik, 4-0 and then loss by fall to top rated 106 pounder, Kasen Konstanz of Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes. The loss dropped him to the wrestlebacks where his next opponent had hit the four match rule and was forced to forfeit. Wiese met Holden Hawkins of Sisseton, another ranked wrestler, and lost by fall to take fourth.
Other Fliers at the meet were Dylan Christensen at 113, who had a first round bye, then lost to Tyler Tjeerdsma of BHSA, defeated Hayes Johnson of Elk Point-Jefferson before the freshman dropped out of the competition with a lost to Iden Myers of KWLPG.
At 138 pounds, eighth grader Karter Headrick started his day with a loss to Aaron Gilchrist, a senior from Winner who eventually took first, to put him in the wrestlebacks. Here he had a bye and then pinned Connor Wendel of EPJ before meeting up with Garretson’s Trevon Cross who ended the Flier’s day.
In his first match of the year, the Fliers’ 152 pound Tathan Headrick faced an undefeated and top ranked Riley Orel from Winner to open. He lost to the eventual champion and moved to the wrestlebacks where he took a bye and then pinned Jack Even of Parker. The Flier junior battled hard in his third wrestleback but EPJ’s Skyler Swatek won the match, 9-3.
Caleb Pitsenberger was in the 160 pound division and lost his opening match to Tyrus Bietz of BHSA, had a bye and then lost to Dawson Anderson of Lennox, 6-3 to close out his day.
Genzlinger added, “We were able to avenge some early season losses and beat some Region foes in the matches we won. I was very happy with that. Dylan, Karter and Tathan all beat kids in our region. Dylan beat a kid that beat him by 4 the week before so that was a big win for him.”
Coach Genzlinger also said that the week was a bit rough due to being shorthanded, but they are trying to get their wrestlers completely healthy and have a full lineup back for the late season push and into the Region tournament.
“We hope to be back to full health on Thursday - our last home event of the year.”
Thursday’s quad starts at 5 p.m. in the Flandreau Elementary Gym.
