by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
Senior Madison Poissant and freshman Molly Ferguson won championships Wednesday (Nov. 26) to lead the Thief River Falls girls wrestling team to a runner-up finish at the Melrose Defender Invitational.
“Although the weather eliminated quite a bit of our competition with school cancellations, it was a very successful tournament,” said Thief River Falls Head Coach Dale Rystad. “We have 10 new wrestlers this year, so it was exciting to see some of them get their first wins.”
Poissant went 2-0 with pins over Brooklyn Budeau of St. Cloud and Nadia Lopez-Berg of Willmar to win the championship at 118 pounds. Ferguson went 3-0 with a win by fall over Daphne Frericks of Sauk Centre/Melrose, a 15-9 win over teammate Janaya Albers, and a win by fall over Zaidy Vega of Willmar in the third round to the 136-pound round-robin.
“The highlights for the tournament were Maddie Poissant and Molly Ferguson placing first in their brackets,” Rystad said. “These girls are consistently putting in extra work outside of practice and it has been paying off. Also, Maddie Poissant earned her 50th career win in her first match of the season, which was also a very well-earned milestone for her in her senior year.”
The Prowlers got runner-up finishes from Ellie Nelson at 106, Braelynn Haverkamp at 124, Albers at 136 pounds, Harper Pream at 155 and Kennedy Bakke at 170. Finishing third for the Prowlers were Lillian Lane at 100 pounds, Carley Caldwell at 124, Nora Martell at 142, Brielle Traxler at 155, and Daphne Lundberg-Cameron at 170.
The Prowlers also got individual championships in three B brackets that didn’t count toward the team score from Bella Seyller in the 100B bracket, Ellie Seyleer at 118B and Pyper Knetter at 124B.
Melrose Defender Invitational
Team Scores – 1. Sauk Centre/Melrose 293.5; 2. Thief River Falls 242; 3. Willmar 212; 4. Foley 73.5; 5. Saint Cloud Tech 42; 6. Paynesville Area 30; 7. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 27.
100 – Lillian Lane, 2-2, 3rd place, Mat 3 – Bout 11 – Champ. Round 2: Lillian Lane (14-11) 8th, TRF over Katie Zimmer (1-3) 7th, SCM (F 0:26); Mat 3 – Bout 45 – Champ. Round 3: Sophia Stachowski 7th, FOLE over Lillian Lane (14-11) 8th, TRF (Dec 9-3); Mat 3 – Bout 79 – Champ. Round 4: Lillian Lane (14-11) 8th, TRF over Alicia Gomez (0-4) 8th, WILL (F 0:34); Mat 1 – Bout 115 – Champ. Round 5: Brooklyn Binsfeld (4-0) 7th, PAAR over Lillian Lane (14-11) 8th, TRF (F 1:52).
100B – Bella Seyller, 4-0, 1st place, Mat 3 – Bout 4 – Champ. Round 1: Bella Seyller (18-9) 8th, TRF over Lilianna Morin (1-3) 8th, SCM (F 0:59); Mat 3 – Bout 14 – Champ. Round 2: Bella Seyller (18-9) 8th, TRF over Dayana Deras (3-1) 8th, WILL (F 1:16); Mat 1 – Bout 47 – Champ. Round 3: Bella Seyller (18-9) 8th, TRF over Mia Lomas (0-4) 7th, WILL (F 0:20); Mat 3 – Bout 102 – Champ. Round 5: Bella Seyller (18-9) 8th, TRF over Lizzy Deras Melgar (2-2) 7th, WILL (F 1:21).
106 – Ellie Nelson, 1-1, 2nd place, Mat 3 – Bout 49 – Champ. Round 2: Brynn Streff (2-0) Fr., WILL over Ellie Nelson (12-28) So., TRF (F 1:56); Mat 1 – Bout 117 – Champ. Round 3: Ellie Nelson (12-28) So., TRF over Avery Johnson (0-2) 8th, SCM (F 1:48).
106B – Rhianna Smith, 0-2, 3rd place, Mat 1 – Bout 50 – Champ. Round 2: Ashly Matey Mendoza (1-1) 7th, SCM over Rhianna Smith (0-2) Fr., TRF (F 3:16); Mat 1 – Bout 118 – Champ. Round 3: Mercy Mena (2-0) 8th, WILL over Rhianna Smith (0-2) Fr., TRF (F 2:41).
112B – Charleigh Knetter, 1-3, 6th place, Mat 3 – Bout 19 – Quarters: Charleigh Knetter (1-3) Fr., TRF over Destinee Vallejo (1-2) Fr., WILL (F 1:06); Mat 3 – Bout 53 – Semis: Lesley Chavez Ramirez (3-0) So., SCM over Charleigh Knetter (1-3) Fr., TRF (F 0:50); Mat 1 – Bout 84 – Cons. Semis: Bella Whitfield (2-2) 7th, WILL over Charleigh Knetter (1-3) Fr., TRF (F 1:38); Mat 1 – Bout 98 – 5th Place Match: Destinee Vallejo (1-2) Fr., WILL over Charleigh Knetter (1-3) Fr., TRF (F 2:42).
118 – Madison Poissant, 2-0, 1st place, Mat 3 – Bout 55 – Champ. Round 2: Madison Poissant (51-36) Sr., TRF over Brooklyn Budeau (1-1) Sr., SCM (F 1:53); Mat 1 – Bout 121 – Champ. Round 3: Madison Poissant (51-36) Sr., TRF over Nadia Lopez-Berg (0-2) So., WILL (F 1:39).
118B – Ellie Seyller, 3-0, 1st place, Mat 3 – Bout 23 – Quarters: Ellie Seyller (3-0) 7th, TRF over Jenesis Torres (1-2) So., WILL (F 0:30); Mat 3 – Bout 57 – Semis: Ellie Seyller (3-0) 7th, TRF over Addy Frieler (1-2) 7th, SCM (F 1:11); Mat 1 – Bout 122 – 1st Place Match: Ellie Seyller (3-0) 7th, TRF over Janixia Cervantes (2-1) So., SCM (F 1:30).
124 – Braelynn Haverkamp, 2-1, 2nd place, Mat 1 – Bout 26 – Champ. Round 1: Braelynn Haverkamp (2-1) Fr., TRF over Anaya Ramirez (0-3) 7th, WILL (Dec 11-8); Mat 1 – Bout 59 – Champ. Round 2: Braelynn Haverkamp (2-1) Fr., TRF over Valerie Giselle Reza (1-2) So., WILL (MD 22-10); Mat 3 – Bout 106 – Champ. Round 3: Pyper Knetter (3-0) Jr., TRF over Braelynn Haverkamp (2-1) Fr., TRF (F 0:34).
124 – Carley Caldwell, 0-2, 3rd place, Mat 3 – Bout 24 – Champ. Round 1: Maria Perez (2-0) Sr., WILL over Carley Caldwell So., TRF (F 4:29); Mat 1 – Bout 123 – Champ. Round 3: Illeana LeClaire (1-1) Fr., SCM over Carley Caldwell So., TRF (F 5:30).
124B – Pyper Knetter, 3-0, 1st place, Mat 3 – Bout 25 – Champ. Round 1: Pyper Knetter (3-0) Jr., TRF over Valerie Giselle Reza (1-2) So., WILL (F 2:27); Mat 3 – Bout 60 – Champ. Round 2: Pyper Knetter (3-0) Jr., TRF over Anaya Ramirez (0-3) 7th, WILL (F 0:44); Mat 3 – Bout 106 – Champ. Round 3: Pyper Knetter (3-0) Jr., TRF over Braelynn Haverkamp (2-1) Fr., TRF (F 0:34).
130 – Alora Green, 0-4, 5th place, Mat 1 – Bout 5 – Champ. Round 1: Afton Vogt (3-1) So., SCM over Alora Green (20-29) Jr., TRF (TF 15-0 (4:19); Mat 3 – Bout 28 – Champ. Round 2: Georgia Anderson (2-2) Sr., SCM over Alora Green (20-29) Jr., TRF (F 0:59); Mat 1 – Bout 88 – Champ. Round 4: Lisa Resendez (1-3) So., WILL over Alora Green (20-29) Jr., TRF (Dec 5-1); Mat 1 – Bout 125 – Champ. Round 5: Elizabeth Rademacher (24-10) So., BBE over Alora Green (20-29) Jr., TRF (F 4:27).
136 – Molly Ferguson, 3-0, 1st place, Mat 1 – Bout 32 – Champ. Round 1: Molly Ferguson (37-28) Fr., TRF over Daphne Frericks (1-2) 7th, SCM (F 0:53); Mat 1 – Bout 66 – Champ. Round 2: Molly Ferguson (37-28) Fr., TRF over Janaya Albers (24-16) Fr., TRF (Dec 15-9); Mat 3 – Bout 127 – Champ. Round 3: Molly Ferguson (37-28) Fr., TRF over Zaidy Vega (0-3) Jr., WILL (F 1:11).
136 – Janaya Albers, 2-1, 2nd place, Mat 3 – Bout 31 – Champ. Round 1: Janaya Albers (24-16) Fr., TRF over Zaidy Vega (0-3) Jr., WILL (F 3:18); Mat 1 – Bout 66 – Champ. Round 2: Molly Ferguson (37-28) Fr., TRF over Janaya Albers (24-16) Fr., TRF (Dec 15-9); Mat 3 – Bout 109 – Champ. Round 3: Janaya Albers (24-16) Fr., TRF over Daphne Frericks (1-2) 7th, SCM (Dec 11-10).
136B – Genveieve McMullen, 1-2, 3rd place, Mat 1 – Bout 34 – Champ. Round 1: Rebecca Pallow (2-1) Fr., SCM over Genveieve McMullen (3-19) Jr., TRF (F 2:46); Mat 1 – Bout 67 – Champ. Round 2: Breanna Kirk (3-0) Jr., SCM over Genveieve McMullen (3-19) Jr., TRF (F 1:59); Mat 3 – Bout 110 – Champ. Round 3: Genveieve McMullen (3-19) Jr., TRF over Marianna Baker (0-3) So., BBE (F 3:09).
142 – Nora Martell, 2-1, 3rd place, Mat 1 – Bout 35 – Quarters: Norah Nesges (3-0) So., WILL over Nora Martell (10-18) Sr., TRF (F 3:51); Bout – Cons. Sub-Semis: Nora Martell (10-18) Sr., TRF over Bye (Bye); Mat 3 – Bout 89 – Cons. Semis: Nora Martell (10-18) Sr., TRF over Laney Rupalo-Chapas (1-2) Fr., WILL (MD 13-2); Mat 3 – Bout 111 – 3rd Place Match: Nora Martell (10-18) Sr., TRF over Mesa Zacher Fr., FOLE (F 0:16).
155 – Harper Pream, 1-1, 2nd, Bout – Champ. Round 1: Harper Pream 8th, TRF over Bye (Bye); Mat 1 – Bout 73 – Champ. Round 2: Marley Wolbeck (2-0) Jr., SCM over Harper Pream 8th, TRF (F 1:23); Mat 3 – Bout 131 – Champ. Round 3: Harper Pream 8th, TRF over Brielle Traxler (0-2) 8th, TRF (F 0:41).
155 – Brielle Traxler, 0-2, 3rd place, Mat 1 – Bout 39 – Champ. Round 1: Marley Wolbeck (2-0) Jr., SCM over Brielle Traxler (0-2) 8th, TRF (F 0:30); Bout – Champ. Round 2: Brielle Traxler (0-2) 8th, TRF over Bye (Bye); Mat 3 – Bout 131 – Champ. Round 3: Harper Pream 8th, TRF over Brielle Traxler (0-2) 8th, TRF (F 0:41).
170 – Kennedy Bakke, 3-1, 2nd place, Mat 1 – Bout 7 – Champ. Round 1: Kennedy Bakke (13-17) So., TRF over Imani Foronda (0-4) 8th, WILL (F 0:14); Mat 1 – Bout 41 – Champ. Round 2: Kennedy Bakke (13-17) So., TRF over Daphne Lundberg-Cameron (2-2) So., TRF (Dec 13-7); Mat 1 – Bout 92 – Champ. Round 4: Kennedy Bakke (13-17) So., TRF over Itzabella Ciriaco-Mares (1-3) Fr., WILL (F 4:41); Mat 1 – Bout 132 – Champ. Round 5: Liliana Raya (4-0) Sr., SCM over Kennedy Bakke (13-17) So., TRF (F 1:42).
170 – Daphne Lundberg-Cameron, 2-2, 3rd place, Mat 3 – Bout 8 – Champ. Round 1: Daphne Lundberg-Cameron (2-2) So., TRF over Itzabella Ciriaco-Mares (1-3) Fr., WILL (F 4:44); Mat 1 – Bout 41 – Champ. Round 2: Kennedy Bakke (13-17) So., TRF over Daphne Lundberg-Cameron (2-2) So., TRF (Dec 13-7); Mat 3 – Bout 74 – Champ. Round 3: Liliana Raya (4-0) Sr., SCM over Daphne Lundberg-Cameron (2-2) So., TRF (F 2:26); Mat 3 – Bout 113 – Champ. Round 5: Daphne Lundberg-Cameron (2-2) So., TRF over Imani Foronda (0-4) 8th, WILL (F 0:25).