By Kandi Tonsager
On Friday, March, 21st, the Bronc wrestlers celebrated a great year with an awards banquet. The mens and womens teams had many individual and team accomplishments over the season.
The men’s team took 1st place at this year’s Black Hills Conference competition, the last championship was earned in 2008. The women’s team took 5th place at this year’s BHC. The conference commit- tee awarded Black Hills All Conference Awards to Cooper Conry, Riley Dighton, Owyn Schreder and Kyra Vandenberg. Honorable mentions were awarded to Garet Huston, Alex Norlin, Lucas Tonsager, Alexa Swaney, Aleyah Carbajal and Joselyn Shockey.
Both the mens and womens teams earned Academic Achievement as a Varsity Team for GPAs above 3.0, while individual Academic All States were awarded to Owyn Schreder, Alexa Swaney and Aleyah Carbajal under qualifications of being a senior with a minimum of 3 years participation in the sport and a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Varsity Letter winners are held to many expectations and earned criteria over the season. This season’s first time letter earners who received their “B” as well as a wrestling emblem pin were Porter Manke, Caden Swaney, and Cooper Conry. Wrestling emblem earners who have earned their Letter in another sport previously and are now adding a wrestling pin this season are; Oscar Garcia Avina, Nathan Hudson, Dylan Park, Kolby Tibbs, Aleyah Carbajal and Lia Mundt.
Bar earners are those who have their Letter and their wrestling emblems, therefore then add a bar each subsequent year of Letter earning in the sport. Those adding bars to their Letters and emblems this season are; Koby Bowden (Bar 1), Spencer Bush-Graslie (Bar 1), Riley Dighton (Bar 4), Garet Huston (Bar 3), Alex Norlin (Bar 2), Owyn Schreder (Bar 3), Lucas Tonsager (Bar 3), Clifford Torberson (Bar 1), and for the women; Joselyn Shockey (Bar 1), Alexa Swaney (Bar 3), and Kyra Vandenberg (Bar 3).
Wrestling managers earning their emblems this season are Tenley Neuharth and Ambree Kirstine.
Statistical Accomplishments recognized at this season’s awards banquet were as follows for mens and womens:
Most team points (pins & wins by decisions): Riley Dighton and Kyra Vandenberg
Most wins this season: Riley Dighton and Kyra Vandenberg
Most Pins: Riley Dighton and Alexa Swaney
Most match points (earned by takedowns, escapes, reversals, and near falls): Caden Swaney and Kyra Vandenberg
Most takedowns: Caden Swaney and Alexa Swaney with 52 each (Coach mentioned had he calculated sooner, a sibling competitive rivalry may have ended the unique tie!)
20 Pin Club (earned a minimum of 20 pins this season): Riley Dighton, Garet Huston, Lucas Tonsager, Aleyah Carbajal, Alexa Swaney and Kyra Vandenberg
Plaque awards earned this season were as follows:
Men’s Wrestler of The Year: Riley Dighton
Women’s Wrestler of the Year: Kyra Vandenberg
Men’s Underclassmen of the Year: Caden Swaney
Women’s Underclassmen of the Year: Lia Mundt
Men’s Most Improved Wrestler: Clifford Torberson
Women’s Most Improved Wrestler: Aleyah Carbajal
Men’s Grit Wrestler: Owyn Schreder
Women’s Grit Wrestler: Alexa Swaney
Seniors Honored with “challenge coins” to carry with them into their next chapter: Oscar Garcia Avina, Owyn Schreder, Zach Tonsager, Alexa Sanchez, Aleyah Carbajal, Abby Vissia, Sofia Gonzolez, and Alexa Swaney.
Coaches Cory Neuharth, Nathan Juelfs and Andrew Dighton would like to thank area businesses who donated over the season, the Belle Fourche AAU Club and the Grappler Club for their continued support as well as parents and members of our com- munity for supporting the Bronc wrestlers this season!
Watch for off-season competitions over the coming weeks and months by our youth wrestlers who continue to compete!
Read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
