Wrestling begins as Rangers place in Custer

The Rangers wrestling team took to the mats with its first meet, the Bill Young Custer Invitational Wrestling Tournament hosted at the Custer Armory. The boys competed Dec. 5, taking home 35 points and finishing 14th. 

Joshua Klein got a third place finish in the 132-B division. Klein won against Michael Brings Him Back from Lakota Tech in 1:32. Klein scored seven points for the Rangers. 

Andres Hernandez took fourth place for the 215 class, earning four points for the team. He scored two wins out of four plays, winning one by decision and a fall at 4:59. Hernandez was wrestling as a heavyweight last year, and head wrestling coach Josh Robison said as a lightweight this year, Hernandez  will be “more competitive.”

Hernandez took down his Lead-Deadwood opponent Garek Kolski in the first period.

He had two takedowns, an escape and a reversal in period two, and was declared the winner by decision 12-6 after period three. Hernandez racked up three takedowns in his other match, which pit him against Jonah Clements of Rapid City Stevens. 

Justin Malone brought in five points for the Rangers, finishing fifth in his class. He defeated Tanner Wempen of Rapid City Stevens in an exciting third period by decision that featured an early penalty, a near fall and an escape after a takedown.

Cory Ronish earned three points for Hill City, finishing sixth place in his 144 class. He took down Dane Smith of Harding County at 1:47 in period one and easily defeated Emmet Carlson of Hemingford.

Robison uses Custer as a good role model for all his players. If he can get “kids to compete with Custer athletes well, it gives them a good goal to aim for.”

Robison said half of the Rangers wrestling team is either in their first or second year of wrestling and the focus will be on fundamentals and repetition, while seasoned players can focus on mechanics.

Senior Daisy Muñoz is leading the girls team this year, but unlike last season when she was the only female wrestler for the Rangers, this year she has two more girls alongside her. Robison said Muñoz is excited to have other girls on the team this year, giving her another chance to be a team leader.

Last season Muñoz had to wrestle against boys and is now getting a chance to wrestle girls as well in practice. 

Overall, with a smaller team “light guys learn to get tough” wrestling heavier ones and heavy wrestlers learn to get quick in the process as well. Robison said that balance helps to “complement each other.”

Muñoz set the stage for her season with a third place finish in her 145 division Dec. 6, with the team finishing tied for 11th place.

Muñoz scored seven points for the team and had two wins, including one against Mia Klein of Douglas-Rapid City Christian. 

Robison said Muñoz has “high expectations for herself” and that she competed hard. 

“We also saw something we can work on,” said Robison.

Valeria Flores placed fifth in her 155 class. Flores defeated three opponents and scored five points for the Rangers team. This is Flores’ first year in high school, and Robison saidshe was aggressive in her wins.

Overall, Robison focuses on character growth and what his team is going to be doing out of high school, using wrestling to play to life as the players become adults. 

“I want to develop a young group of individuals who are going to be leaders,” Robison said. 

Unlike basketball or football, wrestling is really an individual sport, but it also fosters a huge community.

As a wrestler, “The opponent is the tool you are using to get better,” Robison said. 

For fans coming to watch, Robison said it’s not uncommon to see one wrestler help another get up after a match or hug at the end. 

“It’s a different level of sportsmanship,” he said, adding the game promotes accountability and that unlike team sports, it is the “athlete versus one other person.”

Fans should be prepared as a tournament looks a bit chaotic at first. 

He said that the environment really creates growth, not just for fans who may not be used to that sort of environment, but also for players who learn to “function in chaos.”

Hill City has a “young team in wrestling experience,” said Robison as the team heads into the Rapid City Invitational, the largest match of the year, including the state tournament. 

“It’s a high level of wrestling,” Robison said, adding the team will get “pushed quite a bit,” at the tournament. 

“If you place at the Rapid City Invitational, you will likely place at state,” Robison said, excited to see which athletes on his team will be competitive.

Fans can cheer Hill City on with action starting at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 at the Monument in Rapid City.