The Becker Bulldogs wrestling team has been achieving great performances during their recent matches, winning three of them and placing 2nd at the other.

Dec. 12 saw the Bulldogs in Princeton for the Princeton Tigers Triangular, where they defeated Mississippi 8 Conference foe Princeton 40-32 in a tough match and Section 7AA Hibbing 69-12. Ethan Anderson (126), Lukas Paulson (145), Kylen Rish (152), Caden Dewall (170), Reid Kraus (182), Brayden Weber (220) and Dylan Colby all went 2-0 at the match. 

At the Delano Tigers Invitational two days later, the team had a great tournament performance despite being without two of their starters. The Bulldogs came home with 12 place winners out of 14 wrestlers, earning 145 points to win 2nd place. They were taken down by Dassel-Cokato/Litchfield who earned 225.5 points. 

Weber (220) 6-1, Dewall (170) 7-1, Paulson (145) 8-1, Anderson (126) 7-1 and Kaden Rish (106) 6-2 each earned 2nd place. Bryce Kuschel (195) 3-2 and Kraus (182) 8-1 both earned 3rd place and Kylen Rish (152) placed 4th. Adam Jurek (152) 4-2 and Ethan Duncombe (113) 5-3 both earned 5th, and John Stangler (160) and Alex Lumley (138) both took 6th.

During the Delano Invitational junior Caden Dewall and sophomore Ethan Anderson both earned their 25th career pins.

The following week on Dec. 19 the Bulldogs headed to Monticello where they came home with 1st place after taking down two of their three foes. They achieved a big win over Section 6AA and No. 6AA ranked rivals Dassel-Cokato/Litchfield in an extremely close match 33-32, and Monticello 72-6. Foley managed to overthrow the Bulldogs 36-28.

“We were able to pull off a great one point win over DC-L,” said Head Coach Matt Aho. “Our wrestlers really believed in themselves and each other that night to come away with that win.”

Ethan Anderson (132), Jake Nelson (138), Lukas Paulson (145), Adam Jurek (152), Caden Dewall (195), Brayden Weber (220) and Kaden Rish all went 2-1.

The next day the Bulldogs competed at the Glencoe-Silver Lake Panther Duals, where they defeated Section 6AA rivals Annandale/Maple Lake in the championship 42-30, Springfield 69-9 and Glencoe-Silver Lake 67-9.

Going 3-0 at the duals were Anderson, all falls, Nelson, two falls and a forfeit, Paulson, two falls and a major decision, Kylen Rish, two falls and a decision, Reid Kraus, fall, tech fall and forfeit, Dewall, all falls, and Weber, one fall and two forfeits.

Going 2-1 were Drew May, a fall and a forfeit, Kaden Rish, a fall and a forfeit, Ethan Duncombe, a fall and a decision, and John Stangler, a fall and a major decision.

This weekend the Bulldogs wrestlers compete in the Rogers Invitational, which will be covered in a future edition of the Citizen-Tribune.