Spartans Compete in Dual and Host Individual Tournament
The Spartan wrestling team traveled to New Prague last Thursday for a dual meet. The perennially tough conference foe made short work of Orono’s first 7 weight classes and jumped out to a 0-38 lead. Noah Arneson (152) was finally able to get the Spartan scoring effort going with a 7-1 decision over Carter Bornholdt. Nick Simafranca (160) followed with a 11-1 major decision over Ethan Gregory to narrow the team score to 9-38. Orono was on the short end of the next 3 weight classes. Danny Striggow (220) put on a takedown clinic earning 8 in his major decision win 17-8. The victory was Junior’s 125th career win. In the final match, Shea Albrecht (285) recorded a 3rd period fall to complete the Spartan scoring effort. New Prague won the dual 17-54.
On Saturday 15 teams converged on the Spartan Field House to compete in the 6th annual Spartan Invitational Tournament. This event is rapidly becoming one of the area’s premier events with many state ranked wrestlers in attendance. 9 Orono wrestlers placed with Danny Striggow leading the way to a title at 220. Top seeded Striggow advanced with a bye in the opening round followed by falls in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. #4 AA ranked Striggow followed with 6-3 decision in the finals over St. Thomas Academy’s Phil Skeps currently ranked #7.
Jacob Schmid’s journey to 145 pound championship final went through top seed Prestin Bradley of Dassel-Cokato. Schmid’s 5-2 win over Bradley, currently ranked #6 in AA 145 set up a final round show down with New Prague’s Max Scheffler. Scheffler went on to win the match leaving Schmid with 2nd place honors.
Henry Beck (138), David Wilfert (195), and Shea Albrecht (285) were all tripped up in the semifinal round after winning their opening round matches. Beck went on to earn 3rd place with a 4-1 decision over Bryce Lofton of New Prague avenging a loss to him Thursday evening. Wilfert scored early in the first period with a takedown and never gave up the lead to win 5-3 over Dassel-Cokato’s Josh DeBoer and end the day 3rd. Albrecht earned a takedown in overtime over Carlos Agee of St. Cloud Tech to place 3rd.
Noah Arneson (152) and John McCuskey (17) both won opening round matches before losing in the quarterfinal round. Each then won a consolation match but lost in the placing round to end up in 6th place.
Eli McKown (120), and Johnny Harstad (182) both lost their opening round matches but then battled back to win their remaining bouts to place 7th for the day.
In a companion note, the Orono Wrestling team earmarked the tournament as a Randy Shaver Takedown Cancer event. Proceeds from the free will donations totaled $750 and have been sent to the fund.
On Sunday, the youth club hosted a 6-team dual meet tournament. The young Spartans went 2-1 on the day beating and Edina and Rogers/Monticello. Youth Coach Eric Seppelt applauded the efforts of his young squad for earning the 2 wins after losing the opening round dual to the eventual 1st place team, Norwood Young America.
The Spartans will travel to Mound Westonka on Thursday for a triangular dual with the Red Hawks and Glencoe and will then compete Friday in a quadrangular dual at Totino-Grace High School.
