CEC wrestlers rebuild on the mat

The Cloquet-Esko-Carlton wrestling team opened its 2019-2020 season with two early meets. Although shorthanded, the team excelled in a quad meet with two victories in Crosby-Ironton, and did very well in Lakeville this past weekend.

"With only 25 wrestlers on the squad and losing 12 seniors from a year ago, we will have trouble filling all the weight classes we need to," said head coach Al Denman. "Those on the team now are highly committed, talented and very competitive. We focus on the long game with our guys, especially our younger athletes. We chose our training and what types of competition we put them in to maximize their development when it will make them the most difference - which is in February or even in a year or two."

CEC opened its first meet with victories over Staples-Motley and Crosby-Ironton. Against Staples-Motley, CEC won all nine weight classes they wrestled. Pins were earned by Bohdon Fjeld Gage Allen, Dylan Marciulionis, Zeb Wehr and Gage Stankiewicz.

Against Crosby-Ironton, CEC again wrestled with a partial lineup, fielding wrestlers in nine of 14 classes, but they won eight of those nine matches. Griffin Fjeld, Deeken Fjeld and Zeb Wehr all won their matches by pin falls.

The third match in the quad meet saw CEC lose to defending state champion Long Prairie-Grey Eagle-Browerville, which returned its entire team from a year ago except for one wrestler. Griffin Fjeld held his own against defending state champion Landon Gode, losing a close match 4-2.

In the invitational last weekend in Lakeville, CEC eighth-grader Bohdon Fjeld place third in the 106-pound weight class, while senior Griffin Fjeld took home third place at 132. At 138 pounds, sophomore Deeken Fjeld was injured and couldn't finish his final match, so finished in sixth place. Senior Jordan Allen placed fifth at 145, while classmate Zeb Wehr was fourth at 152. Junior Gage Stankiewicz was sixth overall.

"Even though we can't fill in all of our weight classes, we focus on the ones we have. We look for the small but significant victories to hang our hats upon," Denman said. "We take a glass half-full approach and focus on the great kids have."

CEC will be back in action Friday, Dec. 13 at a multiple school meet in Brainerd. Three seniors - Griffin Fjeld (132 pounds), Jordan Allen (145) and Zeb Wehr (152) - will be strong contenders for state berth. Bohdon Fjeld (106 pounds), Deeken Fjeld (138), Sam Bolling (160) and Gage Stankiewicz (heavyweight) also have a solid chance to win their matches.

"We are only concerned by our head-to-head match team scores and not by the points we give up for empty classes," Denman said. "It may not be a complete team, but the CEC kids on this team are talented, competitive and a straight-up great team."