Six wrestlers for the West Central Trojans placed at the 2022 South Dakota Class A State Wrestling Tournament in Sioux Falls Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th.

Alexis Bryant placed third in the G-132 class.  Bryant finished 4-1 in the tournament with a pin and three decision wins.  Bryant defeated Carly Ballinger of Canton in the 3rd/4th place match by a 5-4 decision.

Chet Carda went 4-2 and placed fifth.  Carda had two major decision wins and a pin.  The the 5th/6th place match, Carda defeated Carson Holt of O’Gorman by a 3-0 decision.

Karson Vessells placed sixth in the 106-pound class.  Vessells finished 2-3 with a major decision win and a 4-2 decision win in his first two matches.  Justin Zirpel also placed sixth in the 152-pound class also with a 2-3 record.  Zirpel had a pin and a decision win.  Orlando Whiting placed eighth in the 113-pound class finishing 2-3 with a 12-9 decision win and and a pin.  Allison Foote was also eighth in the G-285 class.  Foote finished 1-3 with a pin.

Chandler Carda (126-pound) and Jesse Jost (132-pound) both finished 1-2.  Jude Jarding was 0-2 in thee 145-pound division.  Gabe Gebhard (195-pound) and Abram Maras (220-pound) also finished 0-2.  Hailey Fortney (G-142) finished 1-2 in the tournament.

The West Central Trojan boys wrestling team finished fourth as a team at the Region 1A tournament at O’Gorman High School and qualified nine individual wrestlers for the state tournament.  The top four places in regions in each weight class qualify for the state tournament.

Justin Zirpel won the 152-pound weight class.  Karson Vessells (106-pound) and Chandler Carda (126-pound) both had second place finishes.  Orlando Whiting (113-pound), Jesse Jost (132-pound), Jude Jarding (145-pound), Chet Carda (170-pound), and Gabe Gebhard (195-pound) all had third place finishes in their respective weight classes.  Abram Maras finished fourth in the 220-pound weight class.  All these wrestlers qualified for the state tournament.

Rayce Whiting (120-pound), Wyatt Nielsen (160-pound), and Dwight Kuhlman (182-pound) all finished fifth.  Keaton Vessells (138-pound) and Gavin Pischke (285-pound) both had sixth place finishes at the region tournament.

The 2022 South Dakota High School Class A State Wrestling Tournament will be held Thursday, February 24th through Saturday, February 26th at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team traveled south to Yankton for the Yankton Invitational on Saturday, February 5th.  The Trojans finished eighth as a team with 104.5 points.  Rapid City Stevens placed first with 288.5 points, Watertown was second with 198.5 points, and Pierre placed third with 178.5 points.

Justin Zirpel took the individual championship in the 152-pound class with a 4-0 record.  Karson Vessells placed third in the 106-pound class finishing 4-1.  Jesse Jost (4-2) and a fourth place finish in the 132-pound class.  Chet Carda (4-2) placed fifth in the 170-pound class.  Orlando Whiting (3-3) was sixth in the 113-pound division, and Rayce Whiting (3-2) had a seventh place finish in the 120-pound class.  Keaton Vessells (138), Jude Jarding (145), Wyatt Nielsen (160), and Abram Maras (220) all had one win each in the tournament.

Allison Foote placed second in the G285 class with a 1-1 record.  Alexis Bryant finished third in the G126 division with a 3-1 record.  Hailey Fortney (G142, 0-4) had a fifth place finish.

The Trojans will be off for a couple of weeks.  They will be at the Region 1A tournament at O’Gorman High School on Saturday, February 19th.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team placed tenth at the Les Tlustos-Brookings Invitational on Saturday, January 29th.  The Trojans finished with a 77.5 points.  Brandon Valley was first with 281.0 points.  Pierre had 237.5 points finishing second, and Harrisburg was third with 174.5 points.

Chandler Carda (126-pound) had a fourth place finish with a 3-2 record.  Karson Vessells was fifth in the 106-pound division with a 4-2 record.  Orlando Whiting (113-pound, 2-3), Rayce Whiting (120-pound, 2-3), and Jude Jarding (145-pound, 2-3) all had sixth place finishes.  Jesse Jost (132-pound, 3-2) and Chet Carda (170-pound, 3-2) both placed seventh.  Keaton Vessells (138-pound) and Dwight Kuhlman (182-pound) each had a win in the tournament as well.

Allison Foote (G285) placed second with a 1-2 record in the girls bracket.  Hailey Fortny (G142) placed third.

Weset Central will be in Yankton on Saturday, February 5th for their next tournament.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team got two more dual wins on Tuesday, January 25th.  The Trojans had matches against Dell Rapids and Madison in a Dak-12 quadrangular held at Tri-Valley High School.

The Trojans defeated the Dell Rapids Quarriers 66-15.  Orlando Whiting (113-pound), Rayce Whiting (120-pound), Keaton Vessells (138-pound), Justin Zirpel (152-pound), Chet Carda (182-pound), Abram Maras (220-pound), and Gavin Pischke (285-pound) all had pins.  Karson Vessells (106-pound), Chandler Carda (126-pound), Jude Jarding (132-pound), and Cyrus Maras (170-pound) had wins by forfeit.

West Central also defeated the Madison Bullogs 48-27.  O. Whiting (113-pound), Cha. Carda (126-pound), Jarding (132-pound), Zirpel (152-pound), Gabe Gebhard (195-pound), and Pischke (285-pound) had pins.  Ka. Vessells (106-pound) had a win by forfeit.  Che. Carda (170-pound) had a win via injury time.

The Trojans will be at the Les Tlustos-Brookings Invitational in Brookings on Saturday, January 29th.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team had a third place finish at the Dak-12 Conference Tournament in Canton on Saturday, January 22nd.  The Trojans finished with 167.5 points.  Canton won the team title with 232.0 points.  Tea Area was second with 215.5 points.

The Trojans had two individual champions.  Karson Vessells placed first in the 106-pound class with a 3-0 record.   Justin Zirpel won the 152-pound division also with a 3-0 record.  Jesse Jost finished second in the 132-pound class with a 2-1 record.  Four wrestlers finished third in their respective weight classes with 3-1 records on the day.  They were Rayce Whiting (120-pound), Chandler Carda (126-pound), Wyatt Nielsen (160-pound), and Gabe Gebhard (195-pound).  Orlando Whiting (113-pound) and Keaton Vessells (138-pound) both finished fourth with 2-2 records.  Langdon Klinkhammer, Cody Opitz, Abram Maras, and Gavin Pischke all had one win in the tournament.

All three wrestlers in the girls brackets placed for West Central.  Alexis Bryant (G126) was second with a 3-1 record.  Allison Foote (G285) also placed second with a 2-1 record.  Hailey Fortney (G142) placed third with a 1-2 record.

West Central will be at Tri-Valley High School for a Dak-12 quadrangular on Tuesday, January 25th.  The Trojans will have a dual against Madison and Dell Rapids.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team won their 10th dual match on Tuesday, January 18th.  The Trojans defeated the Vermillion Tanagers 54-23 at Tri-Valley High School.

Karson Vessells, Rayce Whiting, Cyrus Maras, and Abram Maras all had pins.  Justin Zirpel, Wyatt Nielsen, and Gabe Gebhard won by technical falls.  Keaton Vessells also had a win by decision.  Jesse Jost and Chet Carda posted wins by forfeit.

The Trojans will be at the Dak-12 Conference Tournament in Canton on Saturday, January 22nd.

West Central 54, Vermillion 23

The West Central Trojan wrestling team earned two more dual wins on Tuesday, January 11th.  The Trojans hosted a Dak-12 quadrangular.  West Central defeated Elk Point-Jefferson 63-15 and then defeated Dakota Valley 78-3.

Jude Jarding had two pins on the night.

The Trojans will be at Inwood, IA for the West Lyon Tournament on Friday, January 14th.

West Central 63, Elk Point-Jefferson 15

West Central 78, Dakota Valley 3

The West Central Trojan wrestling team had a second place finish at the Dan Pansch Invitational at Brandon Valley High School on Saturday, January 7th.  Thirteen of the wrestlers placed in the tournament including one champion.   The Trojans finished with 175 team points.  Brandon Valley was first with 259.5 points.

Justin Zirpel came home with the 152-pound class title finishing 3-0.  Karson Vessells (106-pound), Jesse Jost (132-pound), Wyatt Nielsen (160-pound), and Gabe Gebhard (195-pound) all had second place finishes with 2-1 records.  Orlando Whiting (113-pound), Chandler Carda (126-pound), and Chet Carda (170-pound) each had third place finishes with 3-1 records.

Hayden Whiting (106-pound, 1-2), Rayce Whiting (120-pound, 2-2), Jude Jarding (132-pound, 2-2), and Abram Maras (220-pound, 2-2) had fourth place finishes.  Keaton Vessells placed fifth in the 138-pound class with a 2-2 record.  Gavin Pischke (285-pound) finished sixth with a 1-3 record.  Levi Anderson (113-pound) finished 0-2.

In the girls brackets, Allison Foote won the 285G with a pin over Jenessa Skyberg (Brandon Valley).  Hailey Fortney placed second in the 142G with a 2-1 record.  Alexa Bryant was third in the 126G with a 3-1 record.  Ana Martinex was sixth in the 120G division with an 0-3 record.

West Central will host a Dak-12 quadrangular on Tuesday, January 11th.

The West Central Trojan wrestling team split their two duals at a Dak-12 quadrangular in Tea on Tuesday, January 4th.  The Trojans defeated Lennox 69-12 but fell to Tea in a close match 33-35.

Karson Vessells, Orlando Whiting, Justin Zirpel, Chet Carda, and Gabe Gebhard all had two wins on the night.

West Central will be at the Dan Pansch/Lynx Invite tournament in Brandon on Saturday, January 8th.

West Central 69, Lennox 12

Tea Area 35, West Central 33