Six set for the girls wrestling season

Wrestling season has begun, and six Custer Jr./Sr. High School (CHS) girls are set for a solid season. 
The girls are led by second-generation Custer wrestling alum Clayton Sander. Sander began coaching wrestling for a variety of ages in the late 1990s. After a short break, Sander started coaching at the high school level about six or seven years ago. 
“I feel pretty lucky to have been involved as long as I have in the Custer wrestling program,” said Sander. “The one thing I love about wrestling is you can’t fake the work ethic that it takes to get good at your sport at the pinnacle of your career. You can’t fake all the hours that you put in it. To me, that’s what shines.” 
At CHS, the boys and girls wrestling programs are merged. Jared Webster is the boys’ head coach, and Skylair Jaure and Cory Scott are the assistant coaches. 
“That’s what I love about our program is we practice right alongside the boys,” said Sander. “We practice with the other gender…so there might be times when we’re practicing that we might be practicing with a brother or somebody else that can make us better on all aspects.”
Last year, Jessica Hite (third place finisher), Addie Sander (fourth place finisher), Essah Syverson (did not place) and River Bailey (did not place) made it to state, placing eighth as a team. Coach Sander said the team is riding that momentum this year and has put in a lot of work in the offseason.
“We’re looking really good and really tough,” said Sander. “These girls have been battle-tested and are ready to come back at it again this year.” 
The team consists of four juniors and two seniors. For the juniors, Mattea Marshall will be one of the mid-weight girls. She ran cross country this fall, and Sander said she looks strong and focused. 
Bailey will be in one of the lower weight classes, and Sander said she is ready to roll. 
New to the team is California transfer Savannah Bell, who will be competing in the lower weight class. 
“This girl is extremely goal-oriented, has a great work ethic and is dialed in and wrestling really tough in the practice room. She’s going to be really fun, and I think she’s going to be a sleeper at state this year,” Sander said. “I don’t think a lot of the coaches and girls in other programs are going to see her coming. I’m really excited to get her on the mat and see what she can do when we start competing.” 
Hite, a multi-time state place winner, will compete in the upper weight class this year. 
“Jessica worked her butt off in the weight room, traveled all over this summer going to Fargo and all the big tournaments. I think we have a contender to do very, very well for us this year. She’s got an unbelievable work ethic,” said Sander. 
A senior on the squad, Keira Thorp, will be one of the lightweight girls. She has also worked hard going to camps and running cross country, and Sander said she is looking strong. 
“I’m really anxious to see her square off and put her foot on the line against the girls this year across the state and see how she does. If we get her a little tougher on her feet where we’re scoring takedowns, I think she’s going to get her hand raised a lot for the program,” said Sander. 
Finally, Addie Sander is a third-generation wrestler, a returning state placer, the captain of the team and Sander’s daughter. 
“I’m really anxious to see where she lines out in the new weight classes, and how she does in the first few tournaments this year. I’m just excited for the whole program. The girls wrestling program has grown so much the last few years across the state, across the country and worldwide. It’s going to be fun to see how things shake out,” said Sander. 
Sander said the biggest thing the team needs to work on is its conditioning, building lungs and getting ready for the long, hard weekends. 
“We’re traveling three  and four days a week for hard competition. The administration in the school allows us across the state multiple times a year to chase down the hardest competition. We just need to get ready with conditioning,” said Sander. 
Strength-wise, Sander said the team was as sound as any other girls or boys program across the state. 
“I’ve got all juniors and seniors on the squad that have been tested, and they’re ready to shine their final years,” said Sander. 
If everything falls into place, Sander thinks the girls are contenders for the podium at state this season. 
“I really do feel like we’re going to have some top contenders on our squad, but it’s too early in the season to tell,” he said.
The Wildcat girls start the season with the Custer Duals Thursday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. in the Armory. There, they will face wrestlers from Hot Springs, Harding County and Burke-Gregory. 
Then, the Bill Young Invitational Girls Tournament is at the Armory Saturday, Dec. 6, at 9 a.m.
“We’ll have a big girls tournament, and I’m really anxious to see how we’ll shake up against those girls,” said Sander.