Kenmare ND - Features
Real People. Real Jobs. Real Adventures.
Thanks for reading some of the latest features about area people and events.
To view every page and read every word of The Kenmare News each week,
subscribe to our ONLINE EDITION!
Ford pins 7 opponents in wrestling tournament...
To say Skyler Ford crushed his opponents in the Velva Wrestling Tournament Saturday is an understatement.
12/10/19 (Tue)
Equivalent of a perfect game... Wrestling at 152 pounds on Saturday, Skyler Ford secures a championship pin over Tyler Erickson of Watford City in 3:55. It was the second time Ford wrestled Erickson, pinning him earlier in the day at 3:27. Ford pinned al seven opponents he faced, including three in less than a minute. Photo by Robin James
By Marvin Baker
To say Skyler Ford crushed his opponents in the Velva Wrestling Tournament Saturday is an understatement.
Ford pinned all seven wrestlers he faced, including three of them in less than a minute en route to the title at 152 pounds.
“There are expectations for Skyler,” said head coach Danny Mogren. “He should be in the top four in every tournament.”
Ford opened the tournament with a pin over Kelson Mascol of Velva in 21 seconds. He followed it up with Coy Okeson of Minot Ryan in 2:44; Kyan Toliver of Minot High in 59 seconds; teammate Isaac Nelson in 14 seconds; Tyler Erickson of
Several other Honker wrestlers had a good tournament with Payton Witt taking third; Maverick Ford, fourth; Zane Miller, fifth; Diontrea Anderson, fifth in the consolation bracket and Andrew Christensen seventh.
As a result, the Honkers scored 112 points as a team and finished seventh in the tournament of 15 teams.
Velva won the tournament with 273, followed by Minot Ryan and Carrington. The Honkers finished ahead of Beulah-Hazen,
Witt took an interesting route to third place at 145 pounds. He won his first match in a pin, decisioned his next opponent 1-0, then received two byes before losing to Jayden Ybarra of Alexander. That dropped him into the third-place bracket where he beat Eric Hoffman of Larimore in a 3-0 decision, the same grappler he beat 1-0 earlier in the day.
“It was close at 145,” Mogren said. “Payton and Diontrea (Anderson) almost wrestled each other for third. Just imagine if they did.”
Maverick Ford lost his semifinal match against Ethan Wanzer of
Zane Miller, at 285 pounds, wrestled far better than his fifth place finish indicates.
Miller lost in the quarterfinals to Cole Schneibel of
Diontrea Anderson, wrestling at 152, along with Skyler Ford, pinned two of his opponents and like Miller, pinned his opponent in the fifth-place match, dropping Trey Polivka of Watford City in 1:10.
Andrew Christensen, wrestling at 170, finished in seventh. Christensen had a long day on the mat, winning three and losing five, but what was important was a win in his final match granting him seventh place.
Christensen decisioned Nicholas Dossenko of
Several other Honker wrestlers competed including Alex Bly, Lynddon Feldner, Derrick Handeland, Isaac Nelson and Sheldon Skar, who finished ninth at 160.
Numerous junior high wrestlers also competed in a tournament but results weren’t immediately available.
Mogren was happy with the way things worked out, especially in the middle weights.
He said a number of wrestlers will be moving around, some up and some down in order to fill more weight classes as the season progresses. Six Honker wrestlers competed in three weight classes.
“I’m hoping Friday (Kenmare tournament) we’ll be in the top three,” Mogren said. “If the kids perform like they did Saturday, we’ll be in the top three.”