Five Little Knight Wrestlers compete at the Hawkeye National Tournament…Four Place!

Anthony Sykora, Hunter Gruchow, Colbe Tappe, Cooper Tappe, and Owen Gruchow who all wrestle with the Little Knight program in Barrett, participated in the Hawkeye National Tournament in Waterloo Iowa this past weekend.  There were over 640 registered wrestlers from 9 different states entered into the tournament.  This tournament was the first of a series of three tournaments.  This tour of tournaments will go into February with wrestling action taking place in Minnesota (Gogher State Nationals) and Wisconsin (Badger Land Nationals).  If a wrestler is able to place in the top six they are awarded a championship belt for their efforts.

Anthony Sykora competed in the 3rd and 4th grade 85 pound division. Sykora advanced with a bye in the round of sixteen, he then pinned his next opponent in his quarter finals match. He ran into an East Ridge opponent who is currently ranked #1 in the country by USA wrestling in the semifinals. Sykora was tech falled by this gifted wrestler. Sykora then beat his next opponent 6-0 to get into the 3rd place match. Sykora wrestled another dominating match in the third place match winning 7-2. 

Anthony Sykora Places 3rd

Four year-old Cooper Tappe wrestled in the Pk-K 40 pound weight division. Cooper gained some great exerience after going 0-2. Cooper will have another 2 years to wrestle in this division. Going into this tournament, it was all about the experience for him.

Owen Gruchow, who is a Kindergartner, took second place in the 55 pound PK-K division. Owen went 4-1. Owen's loss came in the first round. His opponent from Iowa beat him 8-4.  He wrestled his way back through the bracket winning his next four matches, one of which was won in overtime.

Owen Gruchow Places 2nd

First Grader, Colbe Tappe entered the tournament at the 54 pound 1st-2nd grade division. Colbe wrestled well against his opponents who were mostly second graders. Colbe went 3-2 and took 4th place. He wrestled hard and had this to say about his match, "I wrestled with one of the best wrestlers in the nation...he was a two time National champion and I only lost 3-7."

Colbe Tappe Places 4th

  

Second grader Hunter Gruchow went 4-1 on the day, earning second place. Hunter lost by fall in the second period to his Iowa opponent. Hunter was winning in the match, but was headlocked, and tried to roll through it. He ended up not getting off his back and was pinned.

Hunter Gruchow Places 2nd

 It was a great experience for all 5 of our Little Knight Wrestlers, competing against some of the best wrestlers in the Midwest.  This tournament will definitely give these young wrestlers a marking point of where they are at and what they need to work on going into the new season.  It was a great learning experience.