Killdeer wins Region 4 tournament

• Jerad Lee-Gay

Press Photo by Royal McGregor Killdeer senior Jerad Lee-Gay, right, throws Hettinger-Scranton sophomore Christian Hughes on Saturday during the Region 4 wrestling tournament at the Killdeer High School gymnasium. Lee Gay won the 132-pound championship and the Cowboys were crowned region champions.

Talk about it

KILLDEER — The Killdeer wrestling team wanted to repeat as the Region 4 champions and their wish came true.

The Cowboys qualified 12 of its 14 wrestlers for the Class B state tournament while scoring 220 points to become back-to-back region champions Saturday at Killdeer High School.

“We’re happy to get the regional title,” Killdeer head coach Shane Olson said. “We’re hoping to carry some of that momentum into state.”

Killdeer’s individual champions were eighth-grader Derek Tabor at 113 pounds, Logan Schaper (126), River Voight (152) and T.J. Moore (285). Olson said he was excited with the production his eighth-grader has shown this season.

“Derek Tabor is only an eighth-grader and to win is pretty exciting,” Olson said.

Hettinger-Scranton was second with 180 points and headed into finals with a chance to beat Killdeer.

“I was real proud of all the boys,” Hettinger-Scranton head coach Randy Burwick said. “We had some shots there and we made it interesting anyways. We did battle hard.”

The biggest moment for Hettinger-Scranton didn’t come in a place matchup, but rather the consolation round when Colbey Steeke pointed upward for brother Calvin, who died in an ATV accident on Sunday at age 4.

Though Steeke’s state tournament chance disappeared with an 8-6 decision to Killdeer’s Garett Tabor, he received a huge ovation from the Hettinger-Scranton crowd and a hug from Burwick.

“It was hard,” Burwick said. “He said, ‘I let my brother down.’ I told him, ‘You didn’t Colbey. You’ve got to understand that two weeks ago that kid beat us 17-2.’”

Steeke is only an eighth-grader and Burwick enjoys seeing him take the mat each time out.

“This guy is going to be an absolute dude for us for a long time,” Burwick said. “I was so proud of him.”

Hettinger-Scranton qualified 11 guys for the state tournament with senior Sean Elkins (138), junior Codi Tomac (120) and sophomore Rodney VanHoff (145) coming away with individual championships.

The biggest upset of the tournament at 182 pounds where Killdeer senior Lane Oversen suffered his first loss of the season to New Salem-Almont’s Dalton Reinfeld by a 7-6 decision.

The senior is now 34-1 and Olson said he’s likely to see Reinfeld in the state tournament, which begins Thursday at the Bismarck Civic Center.

“That was the first match this season between those two,” Olson said. “That will probably be No. 1 and No. 2 in the state again next week. Some things didn’t go our way in the match and Lane will be looking to improve this week.”

Killdeer heads into the state tournament with a top-five team finish in mind and Olson said his team has some confidence now.

“A lot of those matchups that we had tonight could be finals matches coming up here in a week,” Olson said. “We’ll be seeing some of those kids again. Hopefully this will give the guys a little boost and some confidence going into the state tournament.”

The Night Hawks are just as eager for the state tournament, where they and Killdeer will also be competing in the team duals.

“We set out to get back into the state duals and we’re going to be the underdog,” Burwick said. “There’s no doubt about it. It’s going to be an experience. We’re all excited.”

Region 4 Tournament

Team scores

Killdeer 226, Hettinger-Scranton 180, Beulah-Hazen 159, New Salem-Almont 148.5, Watford City 112, Standing Rock 79, Beach 78, Bowman County 51.

Individual results

106

Championship: Cullen Seeger, New Salem-Almont, pinned Chauncey Hughes, Hettinger-Scranton, 5:27. Third place: Logan Gumke, Watford City, dec. Talon Nielsen, Beach, 12-6. Fifth place: Tyrel Mellmer, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Matt Carlson, Bowman County, 3:21.

113

Championship: Derek Tabor, Killdeer, tech. fall Coleton Jore, Watford City, 16-0. Third place: Preston Mellmer, Hettinger-Scranton, maj. dec. Josh Snyder, Beulah-Hazen, 12-2. Fifth place: Sterling Lee, Bowman County, dec. Kobe Murphy, 6-1

120

Championship: Codi Tomac, Hettinger-Scranton, injury defalt Colton Neumiller, New Salem-Almont. Third place: Hunter Eslinger, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Tanner Rohde, Killdeer, :52. Fifth place: Austin Nailley, Bowman County, bye.

126

Championship: Logan Schaper, Killdeer, pinned Trevor Abrahamson, Hettinger-Scranton 1:52. Third place: Troy Steele, Beach, pinned Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, 2:07. Fifth place: Mason Faut, Beulah-Hazen, maj. dec. Brenden Harrison, Standing Rock, 15-5.

132

Championship: Cody Neumiller, New Salem-Almont, dec. Jerad Lee-Gay, Killdeer, 7-4. Third place: Christian Hughes, Hettinger-Scranton, pinned Josh Johnson, Watford City, 2:23. Fifth place: Alex Krebs, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Eric Bucholz, Bowman County, 2:25.

138

Championship: Sean Elkins, Hettinger-Scranton, dec. Hunter Fredericks, Killdeer, 9-2. Third place: Logan Eisenbeis, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Jacob Reisenauer, 1:51. Fifth place: Curtis Summers, Beach, injury default Gus Nelson, Watford City.

145

Championship: Rodney Vanhoff, Hettinger-Scranton, dec. Trevor Kalberer, Watford City, 8-6. Third place: Chris Regeth, Killdeer, pinned Owen Makelky, Beach, 3:24. Fifth place: Evan Reich, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Steven Harrison Jr., Standing Rock, 3:29.

152

Championship: River Voight, Killdeer, pinned Evan Mellmer, Beulah-Hazen, 1:37. Third place: Jeff Abrahamson, Hettinger-Scranton, pinned Austin Garmann, Watford City, 4:45.

160

Championship: Taylor Heins, New Salem-Almont, tech. fall James Ternes, Beulah-Hazen, 15-0. Third place: Garett Tabor, Killdeer, dec. Joe Nelson, Watford City, 8-1. Fifth place: Colby Steeke, Hettinger-Scranton, bye.

170

Championship: Isaiah Krebs, Beulah-Hazen, pinned David Murphy, Standing Rock, 3:57. Third place: Mathew Gerving, Beach, maj. dec. Keegan Thompson, Watford City, 13-0. Fifth place: Riley Rohde, Killdeer, bye.

182

Championship: Dalton Reinfeld, New Salem-Almont, dec. Lane Oversen, Killdeer, 7-6. Third place: Gauge Harrison, Standing Rock, pinned, Sterling Quintennela, Bowman County, 2:43. Fifth place: Isaac Ripplinger, Beulah-Hazen, pinned Josh Rockeman, Watford City, 1:39.

195

Championship: Ty Doll, New Salem-Almont, pinned Grady Houghton, Killdeer, 1:38. Third place: Kevin Sandgren, Hettinger-Scranton, forced forfeit, Jayden Reich, Beulah-Hazen.

220

Championship: Aaron Thunder Hawk, Standing Rock, pinned Denby Lueck, Hettinger-Scranton, 3:01. Third place: David Dukart, Killdeer, pinned Ryne Storsved, New Salem-Almont, 3:19. Fifth place: Jacob Stoveland, Beach, bye.

285

Championship: TJ Moore, Killdeer, pinned Joe Charleston, Beach, :32. Third place: Donald Medicine Horse, Standing Rock, pinned Mac Stuber, Bowman County, :37.

Tags: region 4, high school wrestling, killdeer cowboys, hettinger-scranton night hawks, sports, wrestling, preps