I'm in the process of typing up the Brainerd Warriors wrestling team's season preview. I had a few questions rattle through my fingertips that might be fun for a little discussion among mat fans.
First: Who was the best wrestler you ever saw from the Brainerd lakes area and why?
Second: Who is the top wrestler from your high school? I have all the 100 match winners, but with more matches being wrestled now days, what gets lost are some of the older guys who didn't even wrestle 100 times in their career.
Finally: Predictions this year? Last year we had Hayden Zillmer and Clint Poster take home state championships. Do we have anyone doing that this year? Who are the top teams in our area?
Comments (4)
Add commentAn email from Len
Here's an email I got from Len Byzewski concerning the topic. It seems to be pretty comprehensive. Anyone else out there we're forgetting? How about the area schools?
Andy Pickar, Jim Caughey.. both state champions...great tools. best instincts for the sport...Mark Jensen, placed high in the state, very successful collegiate wrestler, later coached Pierz championship teams, Dennis Stamp # 175 lb champion when there was only one class....Many others deserve mentioning and let us not forget Bruce Thompson, who coached both state championship team and the runnerup years later.... I also think there was a Brainerd Wrestling Hall of Fame, I believe Bruce Thompson probably would have the information on that....
1982 Brainerd State Team Championship. Brainerd's best team....
Hope this will help a little regarding the information you want....
Len Byzewski
Jordan Chounard
Jordan Chounard will take state at class A. He trains like a champ. No doubt the he will finish like one
Aitkin
Aitkin has had a great number of good wrestlers. I'm aware of some recent greats like Matt Christensen and Chounard with his go-to move the "Spladle." In my opinion that has got to be the most humiliating move I've seen. A great move and I actually have a picture of Chounard doing it at state on display at my desk.
I'd be interested in some old time Gobbler greats if anyone knows some Aitkin history when it comes to wrestling.
Just to mention one...
Any time we're talking about Aitkin's great wrestlers I think you probably have to start with Coach Noel Bailey. Had a great career wrestling and a even more respectable coaching career. I can't say what his coaching record is off hand but his talents landed him in the hall of fame recently.