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NRHEG finishes fourth in team competition
By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
The NRHEG High School wrestling team opened the 2023-24 season with the Paul Krueger Classic Saturday, Dec. 2 in St. James. The Panthers placed fourth as a team and had nine placewinners.
The Panthers were led by Harbor Cromwell, who took second at 160 pounds, and 172-pound runner-up Ryan Schlaak.
Four locals finished third: Parker Bunn, 133; Deven Parpart, 139; Aidan Schlaak, 145; and George Roesler, 189. Finishing fourth were Reese Routh at 152 and Cole Hutchens at 215. Annabelle Petsinger took fifth at 133.
“We had a good showing this weekend in St. James,” said NRHEG coach Shawn Larson. “As a team, we had the best start to the season we have had in probably a decade. We were more aggressive, competitive, and victorious than many were expecting. The team has a good start, and that should give us a positive outlook in practice as we look to get better. The team is working well together right now, and we are having fun. If we can stay positive like we have been, it will be an exciting and enjoyable season.”
The highlight at St. James, according to Larson, was placing six of NRHEG’s nine wrestlers in the top three.
The Panthers are home Thursday to face Maple River/USC at 7 p.m. in New Richland.
2023 Paul Krueger Classic
133 - Koerner, Kameron (WML) def. Bunn 5-3; Wicks, Robert (MW) def. Petsinger 6-2; Bunn def. Koerner, Kameron (WML) 8-6, overtime; Annabelle def. Katherman, Jordan (RV), fall, :45; Bunn def. Hildahl, Dane (QC, fall, :56; Bunn def. Petsinger 14-4; Petsinger def. Curry, Zachary (SJ), fall, 1:00 139 - Parpart, def. Erler, Adonis (RV), fall, 3:47; Parpart def. Quade, Logan (LCWM) 10-7; Anderson, Kollin (SJ) def. Parpart, fall, 1:04; 145 - Schlaak, Aidan def. Carroll, Blaine (QCCV) 14-4; Schlaak, Aidan def. Carroll, Blaine (QC), fall, 5:33; Schlaak, Aidan def. Weimer, Vincent (MW), fall, 1:29Tande, Talyn (SJ) def. Schlaak, Aidan 10-8; 152 - Miest, Levi (SJ) def. Routh, , fall, 1:54; Routh def. Kramer, Duran (RV), fall, 1:06; Osborne, Talan (LCWM) def. Routh, fall, 3:48; 160 - Wiebers, Evan (MW) def. Cromwell 3-2; Cromwell def. Truebenbach, Caden (MW) 11-6; 172 - Schlaak, Ryan def. Stiles, William (SP Como Park), fall, 1:33; Ehmke, Shafer (MW) def. Schlaak, Ryan 9-2; 189 – Roesler def. Wolner, Peyton (SJ), fall, :20; Roesler def. Mertens, Dylan (RV), fall, :12; Slater, Nick (LCWM) def. Roesler, fall, 4:03; 215 - Durheim, Jarrett (SJ) def. Hutchens, fall, 6:49; Adams, Mason (LCWM) def. Hutchens, fall, 4:18; Hutchens def. Vetsouvahn, Andres (RV) 11-4.
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By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
“Our goal is to win our fourth state championship in a row, and then advance as far as we can at the national competition in February,” says NRHEG Competition Cheer coach Joni Churchill.
The 13-member varsity competition cheer squad has been practicing its high-energy performance since last July, according to Churchill.
“These are tough kids,” she says of the team. “They’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into perfecting this routine.”
Competition cheer teams are expected to create and perform a routine which lasts 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Within that time limit, they are required to include a cheer which lasts about 1 minute. Also required, along with traditional jumps and dance moves, are “small group” stunts and a pyramid. And, oh, they are expected to make it look easy–and never, ever to look like they’re tired.
“We get points taken off if the judges think we look tired,” comments one team member.
The term “individual stunts,” coaches explain, really means that the full team must break into small groups, each of which must then perform the same, difficult moves. In the case of the NRHEG routine, each of three groups lifts its “flyer” into the air and spins her around.