Hudson Koellner, heavyweight wrestler for Holyoke, moves his opponent close to a pin in Chase County on Jan. 14. With 14 points, the Holyoke Dragons tied for 18th out of 23 teams. — Diane Stamm | For The Holyoke Enterprise
Tyson Mosenteen pries apart the arms of a Garden County opponent during the Chase County tournament. — Diane Stamm | For The Holyoke Enterprise
GAINING EXPERIENCE
Following a bevy of competitions since the year’s beginning, the Holyoke Dragons wrestling team has grown in both skill and technique.
“They wrestled pretty well,” Head Coach Broc Pelle said. “Things are coming together.”
January 5’s tri matchup at Perkins County had a lot of positives to show regarding all team members, aside from Joel Estrada, who could not compete due to sickness. Facing the Dragons in competition that day, in addition from Perkins County, was the North Platte team.
For one positive, the Dragons took some quick pins early in competition, with Holyoke’s Tyson Mosenteen and Ivan Cummings sticking their opponents within the first period. While their other three teammates unfortunately lost, Pelle noticed better techniques among the young wrestlers, such as better footwork against their opponents.
Every team member, Pelle said, put together his own version of chain wrestling, or stringing moves together into a rhythm.
January 7, the Garden County tournament was, “a tough [one],” according to Pelle. With 23 teams to beat, the Dragons aimed to solely focus on technique. For instance, the team focused on completing switches, moves that allow a wrestler to reverse their position on the ground from bottom to top.
“Evan Blake got a good match,” Pelle said, “where he won all three periods and was able to get away.” Blake placed fourth at the tournament. With 14 points, Holyoke tied for 18th overall.
After Garden County, the boys headed, once again, to Perkins County on Jan. 10. Mosenteen scored first, winning a match against Wray’s Evan Vigil for a guaranteed place in the 152-pound weight class. Next, he won by fall against both Ethan Oberg from Hi-Line and Gothenburg’s Harlan Brockevett. Ivan Cummings went two wins, three losses in the 160 weight class. Eddie Hermosillo went two wins, three losses and placed third in the 170 weight class. Evan Blake placed second and matched Hermossillo’s record of two wins and three losses in the 195 weight class.
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