By STEVE THOMAS
It’s a relatively modest event, this North Dakota Junior and Cadet Nationals wrestling camp, but what tentacles. Huge tentacles.
This annual gathering of top wrestlers, now in its second decade, began rather modestly at the Bismarck High wrestling room. The idea was to give some of North Dakota’s best prospects to get a running start on the Junior Nationals and Cadet tournament, the rugged annual grind that sifts out the nation’s top high school-age grapplers.
The yearly event, a creature of USA Wrestling, began its 23rd year at the Fargodome on Saturday. It will continue for another week.
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Eventually, the word got out and a few wrestlers from other states began showing up at the two-week prep camp.
This year, a gaggle Canadians came to Bismarck for a taste of voluntary punishment and combat at BHS and more are likely to show up in the future. Three attended for the full fortnight. Ten made the 600-mile trek for the second week.
“This camp has evolved. It’s not just a training camp, “said Knowlen, the state USAW Junior and Cadet director. “We’ve got about 30 guys here who aren’t going to compete (at Fargo) and they’re getting better, too. … Half of them are Canadian club wrestlers.”
Thirty-two of the wrestlers in camp went on to Fargo — 19 Juniors and 13 Cadets. Obviously, the 13 athletes from north of the border aren’t preparing for a U.S. national event. But they are aiming at something similar.
“The (quadrennial) Canada Games are in Regina in August. “said Canadian coach Ron Gonzalez. “… These are the No. 1 guys from Team Saskatchewan and a couple of other guys.”
Gonzalez coaches the Cat Town Wrestling Club, “a Regina club team, and also coaches Team Saskatchewan. He brought a half dozen wrestlers to Bismarck last summer and doubled the enrollment this year. He expects to be back with even more wrestlers in 2006.
“This is quality wrestling and real good instruction. … It’s excellent development for wrestling, “Gonzalez said. “… Wrestling is apples and oranges between the U.S. and Canada because of the intensity and work ethic. And the support for wrestling is North Dakota is much higher.”
“We witnessed the first state dual (July 15) — A vs. B — and the crowd support and intensity is at a higher level, “he continued. “And that’s why we come here. It’s so much more intense.”
Gonzalez said the 350-mile pilgrimage to Bismarck is destined to become an annual event. “Absolutely. We’ll bring the provincial team or the club team for sure, “he vowed. “Summer camps are for wrestlers who want to become better and it’s only eight hours away.”
As a collegian, Gonzalez wrestled for Leo McGee at the University of Regina from 1991 to 1996. It was McGee who tipped him off to the possibilities in Bismarck. “In Canada, hockey is the No. 1 sport, “McGee said. “When you come south of the border the wrestling skill level is completely different, “he said. “… Our interest is to elevate the skill level of athletes and bringing them here just brings the whole level up.”
McGee coaxed Phil Basting, a four-time state champion from Grand Forks Red River, north to wrestle for the Cougars last winter, and he said he wouldn’t be averse to recruiting more North Dakotans. “Anybody who wrestles like Phil Basting we’re after, “McGee said.
Regina has joined the NAIA and will compete as a full-fledged wrestling member beginning with the coming school year. The Cougars will also remain a member of the Canadian Intercollegiate League, which wrestles freestyle. American schools compete in folkstyle wrestling.
Knowlen said seeing non-tournament wrestlers, Canadians included, in the Junior and Cadet camp is an excellent sign.
“It’s a win-win situation. Everybody is here because they’re motivated to get better, “he said. “Every wrestler can improve in the summertime and the (the wrestlers not bound for Fargo) want to improve for their winter goals.”
He said the camp is definitely not just for the standouts who are likely to go to Fargo and become All-Americans. “We’ve got guys on this (Junior-Cadet) team whose goals are to win it and you’ve got guys whose goal is to place. You’ve got guys whose goal is to win more than they lose and you’ve got guys whose goal is simply to win a match.”
Daily members of the Team North Dakota wrestling staff are Knowlen, Jeff Schumacher, Blair Kelly of Bismarck, Dusty Swanson of Fargo and Bruce Moe of Grand Forks. Knowlen and Schumacher are co-coaches at Bismarck High.
* FIELD OF BEAUTY: The corn field-turned-ballpark at Dyersville, Iowa, has become a must-see for many a baseball fan. For those fans who make the trek to Iowa, there’s another baseball treasure that shouldn’t be missed.
At Des Moines, 170 miles southwest of Dyersville, there’s Principal Park, formerly Sec Taylor Stadium, which is a true delight. The stadium is the home of the Iowa Cubs of the AAA Pacific Coast League and it’s a true beauty. The park was built in 1992, but it’s so clean and well maintained it looks spanking new.
You don’t have to watch the game in isolation there, either. Des Moines is the smallest market in the PCL, but last season was fifth in the 16-team league in attendance with an average of over 6,700. We were there nine days ago to watch the Cubs and Omaha — both sub-.500 teams — play and the game drew 11,344, which is slightly beyond the official capacity of 11,000.
Iowa rallied to win 3-2 in a swift 2:13 and the usual Friday night post-game fireworks were plentiful and provided a beautiful postscript to an enjoyable night at the ballpark. Not bad for $8 a head plus for seats just off third base. Parking was $4 a car and that put us within two blocks of the gate.
Be prepared to shell out for concessions, though.
Still, I must admit I have a soft spot in my heart for the Des Moines stadium for a couple of unusual reasons. Last year my family attended a game there and by pure chance we encountered a neat gent named Lamoyne Baer, who played for the 1954 North Dakota state championship amateur team at Gackle. This season there was a ticket foul-up — 100 percent my fault — and I was rescued by a young woman from the front office named Katie.
Try this ballpark. You’ll like it.
(Steve Thomas is a Bismarck Tribune sportswriter).
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