Dickinson High is taking 16 wrestlers to the West Region individual tournament Saturday and head coach Cody Wolf has high expectations.
"There's no reason we can't come out with everybody qualified," Wolf said.
While Dickinson wants to take as many wrestlers as they can to the Class A state tournament, seniors Pat Tangen (145) and Ryan Yates (215) represent its best hopes for region championships. Yates is 30-6 overall while Tangen is 27-7.
Bringing home titles isn't going to be easy though.
Both Tangen and Yates are ranked third in the West Region, but could be seeded as high as second in the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tangen is chasing Bismarck High's Drew Spaulding (32-2), who won the 130-pound state title in 2009. Yates hopes to challenge Bismarck Century's Meyer Bohn (29-4).
"It's not going to be an easy task," Wolf said.
It won't be easy for anyone.
Ryder Peterson (215) is ranked sixth in Class A at 135 pounds, but he's fourth in the West.
Seven of the 14 weight classes have four or more West wrestlers ranked in the state's top six. West Region leaders Bismarck High, Bismarck Century and Belcourt are the top three ranked teams in the state, respectively.
"The West Region is tough," Wolf said.
Wolf said it could take some luck for Dickinson to get everyone qualified for the state tournament individually. To qualify, wrestlers must finish in the top eight at Saturday's tournament.
Alec Lindsey (22-16 at 125), Mark Dolechek (19-19 at 140), Jade Dirk (23-14 at 171) and Adam Grimsley (13-9 at 189) all have chances of placing high.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Everybody has beat at least one guy in the West," Wolf said. "It all depends on how the draw works. Where you get drawn into the bracket, where you fall into the consolation bracket for some of the guys."
No matter how many wrestlers the Midgets get into the state tournament individually, the entire team is already going because they earned the West's No. 4 seed in the Class A state dual tournament.
Dickinson had a 4-4 dual record in the West and won a tiebreaker with Mandan to earn the trip to state. The Midgets (7-6 overall) face fifth-ranked Fargo South, which is 16-3 and defeated Dickinson 48-33 at the Grand Forks Multiple on Jan. 22.
"I'm looking forward to keeping the ball rolling into regions and hopefully it snowballs into state," Wolf said.
