By Mike Petersen
Sports Editor & Staff Writer 

Bryce Dodge qualifies to wrestle at state meet

4 others from Okoboji/HMS also earn trips to Des Moines

 

February 16, 2023

MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS

Bryce Dodge makes quick work of first round opponent Jeremiah Tegland of Forest City, winning the match by fall in 35 seconds. He went on to place second at 152 pounds, qualifying for the state meet.

After having just one state tournament qualifier the past two seasons, Okoboji/HMS will have five wrestlers competing this week at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Among them is H-M-S senior Bryce Dodge, who placed second at 152 pounds during the 2A district meet at Estherville on Feb. 11. It is the first time that Dodge has qualified for the state meet, where he will compete in a field of 24 qualifiers.

Dodge earned a quick win by fall in the quarterfinal round, needing just 35 seconds to defeat Jeremiah Tegland of Forest City. He then pinned Ian Fehr of Algona in 1:40 to win his semifinal match.

That set up a first-place match with Sheldon/South O'Brien's Coy DeBoer. Dodge trailed 5-0 after the first period and 13-0 after two periods before scoring three near-fall points. DeBoer then scored a reversal and went on to pin Dodge at the 5:03 mark of the match.

Four other Pioneers who also punched their tickets to the state meet are Sam Pas, champion at 220 pounds, and runners-up Dylan Jones at 120, Noah Strantz at 160 and Nathaniel Franklin at 170. They are also making their first trips to state.


Two other wrestlers from H-M-S also placed on Saturday.

Sophomore James Gellerman finished third, winning a 7-5 decision over Morgan Dalen of Estherville-Lincoln Central in the quarterfinals and losing by fall in the semifinals to Jarrett Roos of Sheldon/South O'Brien in 1:00. Gellerman won his consolation semifinal match with Brock Good of Forest City, pinning him in 1:48, but lost a chance to place second when he was pinned by Foster Myhre of Algona in 3:25.


Ethan Wiersma added a fourth-place finish at 195 pounds. He pinned Hunter Sunkle of Forest City in 3:04 during the quarterfinals before losing by fall in 46 seconds to Emmit Fleshman of West Lyon. The junior came back with a win by fall in 4:52 over Logan Sandman of Spirit Lake Park in the consolation bracket, but lost by fall in the third-place match to Gavin Goche of Algona in 5:49.

MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS

James Gellerman has Algona wrestler Foster Myhre in an unusual position during the third-place match at 182 pounds.

The only other Pioneer who placed was Brennan Baschke, who was third at 138 pounds.

Algona ran away with the district title, scoring 235 points. E-LC was runner-up with 138.5 points and Sheldon/South O'Brien was third with 131. Okoboji/HMS was close behind in fourth with 130 points, followed by West Lyon 89.5, Forest City 87, Spirit Lake Park 73 and Cherokee 64.

 
 

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