The East boys varsity wrestling team left for the Hartman Arena in Park City this Thursday for their state meet. Two athletes —senior Dane Erickson and freshman Charlie Kallemeier — qualified for the tournament.
This year, Erickson is in a new weight class and will compete against different athletes. For Kallemeier, it will be his first state meet as a freshman. The team placed 21 last year with 20 points. However, this year the team will most likely score less points because they only have two athletes competing, but Erickson still has hope.
It’s Erickson's second time qualifying — last year he and John Gorman, Clarence Miller Justin Schuman and Andrew Schmidt all advanced to the second day of state. Of those, all but Gorman advanced to the quarterfinals.
Max Franklin, Hugo Romera, and Brady Fankhauser are on the team came to support their fellow wrestlers this year along with four coaches. The state tournament lasts all day Friday and Saturday — the team will return Saturday night. East’s team aims to have their wrestlers make it to the second day, creating an opportunity for younger wrestlers to see how the meet runs.
“We hope to have each guy on the team make it to the second day and wrestle the best they have all year,” said Erickson. “It will be a great opportunity for the younger wrestlers on the team to watch great wrestling and get the experience to better prepare them for next year.”
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