Midgets' senior night capped with a 37-27 victory over Century
Jan. 31—DICKINSON — The Dickinson High School gymnasium witnessed a special occasion on Friday night as senior wrestlers and their parents gathered on the mat for recognition. With seven senior members on the squad, the mat and bleachers filled, emphasizing the honor of being leaders for the Dickinson Midgets wrestling team.
Senior co-captain Gage Glaser expressed his excitement about being in front of the home crowd for senior night, saying, "It is awesome. It has been a long time, twelve years of wrestling. I have put a lot of time into this sport, and it is nice to be recognized."
Over the weekend, the Dickinson Midgets achieved success by emerging victorious against three teams. They began with a triumphant 37-27 victory against Century at home and concluded with a triangular dual in Minot on Saturday, defeating Turtle Mount Community High School Belcourt and Minot. Despite their No. 2 state ranking, behind an undefeated Bismarck High, Dickinson has higher aspirations.
Their victory over Century featured three falls by Max Glaser, Wyatt Turner, and Logan Kukowski, a technical fall by Gage Glaser, and wins by decision for Aidan Dahmus and Hugh Meyer, along with major decision victories for Conrad Kopari and senior co-captain Colton King.
In the match against state-ranked opponents, Jake Glaser fell to Grady Iverson in the 114 weight class, and Joseph Moreno faced a tough challenge against No. 3 Brayden Morris in the 160 weight class.
No. 4 Seamus Kuklok proved a formidable opponent for Dahmus, with Dahmus securing an 8-5 decision victory despite Kuklok's resilience. Gage Glaser dominated his match against Dane Nelson, settling for a 17-0 win after multiple near falls. Colton King earned an 11-0 major decision victory, preventing his state-ranked opponent, Ethan Kuntz, from scoring any points.
"We just go out and wrestle,".Glaser said. "The focus is to control what you can control, don't worry about what might happen afterwards, just wrestle your match and that is all it comes down to."
The following day, the Midgets dominated Belcourt with a 62-6 result, securing six falls. Despite a limited roster that prevented Max and Jake Glaser and Hugh Meyer from wrestling, they secured wins by forfeits. In the face of a strong challenge from Minot, the Midgets prevailed with a 41-24 victory, with Minot managing to earn four falls.
Senior Ethan Halverson, with a 6-4 decision victory over Minot's Liam Neff, showcased determination and an unwavering mentality.
As the Dickinson Midgets continue their relentless wrestling mentality, their senior squad sets an example for younger wrestlers, embodying the essence of wrestling beyond the clock. The recognition of effort goes both ways, emphasizing the cohesive team spirit.
"Of course there is stuff we work on everyday, but becoming more of a team is always a focus," Glaser said. "It is that younger generation that holds us all together ... without them we wouldn't have a team."
The Midgets will finish the regular season with a triangular dual against Jamestown and Bismarck Legacy on Friday, Feb. 2, in Bismarck.
