PAGE 6 PLAIN TALK • PRESS & DAKOTAN ? WINTER SPORTS 2015 Yankton Club Bowling Teams Heading Upward BY BEN HEGGE BOWLING sports@yankton.net With numbers higher than Nov. 13 at Canton 4 p.m. ever, the Yankton club high Nov. 20 vs. O’Gorman 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Brandon Valley 4 p.m. school bowling program is on Dec. 11 at Dell Rapids 4 p.m. the rise. Jan. 8 at S.F. Roosevelt “We have a strong tradi(Sport Bowl) 4 p.m. Jan. 15 vs. S.F. Lincoln 4 p.m. tion of bowling in Yankton,” Jan. 22 vs. Vermillion 4 p.m. said head coach Patrick King. Jan. 29 at Brookings 4 p.m. Feb. 5 vs. West Central 4 p.m. “Ever since I was five years Feb. 12 vs. S.F. Washington 4 p.m. old, I could remember bowlFeb. 19 at Harrisburg 4 p.m. ing every Saturday morning. (Eastway Bowl) Feb. 26 State Tournament at Those same traditions exist Empire Bowl, Sioux Falls for kids today.” The 2015-16 boys’ team had six varsity members and close as they have ever been four bowlers on the junior to a full team of six with five varsity, while the girls’ are as members. “We have a great group of kids that have a real passion for the sport,” said King. “As passionate as these kids are, it really makes our jobs as coaches easier.” A passion for the sport from the athletes and an experienced coaching staff is a successful combination, and Yankton has just that. The club teams are coached by head coach Patrick King and assistants Don Casey and Todd Kautz. Both King and Casey are members of the South Dakota Bowling Hall of Fame. Over the past two seasons, the Yankton boys’ team has a fifth place and fourth place finish at the South Dakota State Bowling Championships. The 2015-16 boys’ varsity bowling team features four eighth graders and two seniors with nearly all of the members having some sort of varsity experience. “We have a solid group of young bowlers with two seniors that show great leadership,” says King. “We also have some hard-working, skilled kids on junior varsity that could be ready to step up at any time.” The girls’ team looks to see steady improvement over the course of the year. As numbers are increasing, the team is still one member shy of a full team. Therefore, they are forced to take a score of 100 at each match for the sixth bowler. With the program just in its third year, King and the rest of the bowling community in Yankton have seen a spike in interest. “We are competing with other winter sports, but each year we have had more kids show interest,” said King. With each athlete that enters the program, King promises them “that they will become better bowlers and most importantly, have fun doing it.” Both the girls’ and boys’ teams have had two matches with O’Gorman and Canton and will continue with a weekly match leading up to the state tournament on February 26 at Empire Bowl in Sioux Falls. Follow @bigheadbenny13 on Twitter. Region Presents Plenty Of Top Wrestling Showcases BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK James.cimburek@yankton.net If you are a high wrestling fan, there are certain events circled on your calendar every season. Here are a few of ours: James D. Dec. 5 – CIMBUREK Creighton Invitational While this one has already passed, we will give a nod to the Creighton Invitational. Of the seven wrestling programs in our Nebraska coverage area, six got their first taste of tournament action this season at the Creighton Invitational. Dec. 12 – Akron-West?eld Inv. A rare event where we have teams from both South Dakota and Nebraska facing off, and it’s in Iowa. Dec. 19 – Elk PointJefferson Inv. One of those tough pre-Christmas showdowns. Beresford, Bon Homme-Scotland, Parkston and host Elk Point-Jefferson are among the power programs at this heavyweight event. ABOVE: Bon Homme-Scotland’s Lucas Crownover tries to turn his opponent during a match in the 2014-15 season. Bon Homme-Scotland hosts Parkston on Jan. 19, a dual that is typically one of the top dual matchups in the area each season. BELOW: Yankton coaches celebrate a Cody Vornhagen victory in the 2015 State A Wrestling Tournament. South Dakota will bring Classes ‘A’ and ‘B’ together at one site for state in the 2016 (Rapid City) and 2017 (Sioux Falls) seasons. vitational. The Opbroek also draws some top Minnesota talent, making it an exciting day on the mats. Dec. 28-29 – Floyd Farrand Inv. Sioux Falls Lincoln’s post-Christmas wrestling feast typically draws the top big-school talent in South Dakota, as well as several quality Class B programs, like Parkston and Wagner. Jan. 16 – Battle Creek Inv. & Jerry Opbroek Inv. With our coverage area divided by a state border, there are days when we have major events on both sides. The middle of January is one of those days, with six Nebraska programs heading to the Battle Creek Invitational and some top South Dakota talent converging in Mitchell for the Jerry Opbroek In- Jan. 19 – Parkston at Bon Homme-Scotland Jan. 30 – Les Tlustos Inv. and Wagner Inv. These tournaments first came to life as the “state dual” tournaments but have shifted to an invitational If you’re going to attend one dual format, each drawing some of the all season, the showdown between best talent their class has to offer, Parkston and Bon Homme-Scotland the Les Tlustos for Class A in Brooktypically lives up to its heavyweight ings and the Wagner Invitational for billing. This year the Southeast Class B. South Dakota Conference showdown will be in Tyndall. Jan. 23 – Dakota XII Conference With ‘B’ powers like Beresford and Elk Point-Jefferson and solid ‘A’ programs like Madison and Vermillion, the Dakota XII is quickly becoming one of the more exciting conference tournaments on the schedule. This year it is in Elk Point. Feb. 26-27 – S.D. State Tournament For the first time, South Dakota will hold a “unified” state tournament, with both Class A and Class B in the same city on the same weekend. It should be an exciting couple of days in Rapid City. Follow @JCimburek on Twitter. NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING CAPSULES Creighton COACH: Zac Kliment ASSISTANTS: Tim Nielsen, Jeff Wortman VITALS: Class D, District 2, Lewis & Clark Conference LAST YEAR: The Bulldogs return five state qualifiers from last season including state champion Garret Zimmerer. RETURNERS: Dylan Milne (Jr., 106), Connor Hazen (Jr., 113), Zac Hazen (Jr., 120) Garret Zimmerer (Sr., 126), Kurt Wortman (Jr., 132), Colten Adams (Jr., 138), Brady Wortman (Jr., 145), Alec Zimmer (So., 152), Tyler Stubben (Jr., 160), Ean Stacken (Sr., 170), Sam Morrill (Jr., 220), NEWCOMERS: Garrison Hazen (Jr., 113), Bryce Zimmerer (Fr., 132), Tegan Mclean (So., 132), Derek Wortman (Fr., 138), Brendan Waldow (Fr., 138), JD Kuhlman (Fr., 145), Levi Stacken (So., 145), Jackosn Costello (Fr., 285), Brody Vrooman (Fr., 285) Miracle FROM PAGE 5 (1 goal, 1 assists), Katelyn Stewart (1 goal), Anna Lyman (4 assists), Taylor Weber (1 assist) and Katelyn Lyman all saw significant ice time a season ago. Renee Cross, who recorded two shutouts a season ago, returns between the pipes. With the season already CroftonBloom?eld COACH: Mike Magorian ASSISTANT: Caden Alexander VITALS: Class C, District 2, Mid-State LAST YEAR: Crofton will return two state qualifiers. RETURNERS: Max Boecker (So., 113), Christian Kleinschmit (So., 126), Lucas Miller (Sr., 126, fourth at state), Reece McFarland (So., 132), Jaden Janssen (So., 138), Levi Honeywell (Jr., 138), Quinten Moles (So., 152, State Qualifier), Kaleb Johnson (Jr., 195), Ethan Poppe (So., 182) NEWCOMER: Damien Kersten (Fr., 113) Laurel-ConcordColeridge COACH: Don Maxwell ASSISTANT: Joe Frost VITALS: Class D, District 2, Lewis & Clark Conference underway, the Yankton girls are looking to come off of their three defeats to Aberdeen (10-0, 6-0, 6-0) and look to channel their energy to see if they can mirror or improve on last year’s impressive performance. “The key for me is the girls picking up the intensity when they play, I think it comes with knowing where you’re supposed to be on the ice,” said Weber. Despite their losses to an impressive Aberdeen side, 2, Niobrara Valley Conference LAST YEAR: NiobraraVerdigre will have three letterwinners returning from last season. RETURNERS: Clay Konopasek (138), Tanner Hrbek (145), Chase Razicka (285) NEWCOMERS: Toby Ives (106), Hudson Drobny (126), Logan Winder (160), Dakota Crosley (170) Randolph Crofton-Bloomfield’s Ethan Poppe LAST YEAR: LCC lost state qualifier Chayce Hirschman from a season ago, but return two other state qualifiers this season. RETURNERS: Nolan Casey (Sr., 195, fifth at state), Billy Weber has seen the team’s ability to put up a fight in tough situations. “In that second game the girls really came back and played hard, I think that kind of threw Aberdeen off from the first game,” said Weber Yankton will host Brookings JV on Friday night and Sioux Center JV on Saturday afternoon. Follow @RogelioUlisesR on Twitter. Barelman (Sr., 182, State Qual- Williams (Fr., 182), Evan fier), Lucas Heydon (Sr., 160) Urweiler (Fr., 120) NEWCOMERS: Eric Surber (Sr., 170), Ben Lammers (Jr., 285), Charlie Stanley (So., COACH: Jason Simons 145), Garret Taylor (So., 138), ASSISTANT: Jake McManiZach Dietrich (So., 220), Brangal don Heller (So., 160), Ethan VITALS: Class D, District Niobrara-Verdigre COACH: Mark Lech ASSISTANTS: Aaron Nielsen, Tom Shafer VITALS: Class D, District 2, Lewis & Clark Conference LAST YEAR: The Cardinals graduated six letter winners, including state champion Dylan Loberg. RETURNERS: Jesse Schmit (Sr., State Qualifier), James Oelrich (Sr., State Qualifier), Drew Loberg (Jr., runner-up at state) NEWCOMERS: Alex Schmit (Fr.), Brandon Bloomquist (Fr.), Noah Scott (Fr.), Dade Barg (Fr.), Dalton Rath (So.) UTICA Mead Slowey Lumber GRAIN INC Construction 113 W. Main St., Vermillion 605-624-2655 PO Box 6 Utica, SD 605-665-0589 2510 W. 31st. Yankton, SD (605) 668-8489