Sue Sitter/PCT Riley Odden works to pin Stanley wrestler Steven Chippewa in the second round of the Velva Invitational, held at Velva High School Dec. 3 and 4.

Rugby Panther wrestlers traveled to Velva to compete against 16 schools in the Velva Invitational Tournament, held Dec. 3 and 4.

The Panthers finished 11th in team scores. Coach Craig Zachmeier said the number of competitors was down due to illness.

“I don’t have that many kids in my varsity. We have some illness,” Zachmeier said the first day of the tournament. “I will wrestle my younger kids and my JV tomorrow. I put six (junior varsity wrestlers) in varsity matches. They’re doing exactly what I expected.”

Of the varsity wrestlers, Zachmeier said, “We had illnesses this week, so Riley (Odden), John (Jundt) and Bryson (Amyotte) haven’t been at practice the entire week. We’re working on that conditioning.”

Zachmeier said Jundt “lost to a kid that placed at state last year today. He wrestled fine. He’s just been sick all week, so our conditioning isn’t where it should be after four days off.”

Zachmeier said numbers would be down for the next two matches on the Panthers’ schedule as well.

“We go to Rolla and Bishop Ryan next, but we aren’t going to be able to wrestle as many kids because we have a band concert after school those days. So, I don’t know if we’ll even be able to get four kids on the mat because of the band concert,” Zachmeier said.

Zachmeier said he didn’t expect his team to be stretched too thin due to activities. “There are only two concerts this year, though, and 16 wrestling tournaments,” he said. “We’ll go up and wrestle where we can and we’re building up for February,” he added.

Before the season, Zachmeier predicted the team’s strength would lie with middle-weight wrestlers. Riley Odden proved his coach to be correct, placing second overall in the 160-pound division. In the championship match, Odden fell in 5:24 to Bishop Ryan’s Drew Zwack. On his way to the top, however, Odden defeated Steven Chippewa of Stanley High School.

The Stanley Blue Jays’ coaching staff had a familiar face to most Rugby wrestlers – Riley Zachmeier, a class B state champion wrestler in 2019 in the 138-pound division. Riley Zachmeier is the son of Craig Zachmeier.

“It’s no different than any other opponent,” Odden said of winning a second round match against one of his former teammate’s wrestlers on the Stanley team.

Zachmeier said of his son, who works in Tioga on natural gas pipeline construction, “At least he’s involved in the sport, so it’s all good.”

Results for the Velva Invitational were:

Team Scores: First place, Carrington, 373 points; second place, Bishop Ryan, 326 points; third place, Northern Lights, 283 points; fourth place, Kenmare, 280.5 points; fifth place, Williams County, 224 points; sixth place, Minot, 222 points; seventh place, Harvey, 220 points; eighth place, Stanley, 219.5 points; ninth place, Larimore, 219 points; 10th place, Velva, 209.5 points; 11th place, Rugby, 161 points; 12th place, Mondak, 128.5 points; 13th place, Beulah-Hazen, 124 points; 14th place, May-Port CG, 101 points; 15th place, Alexander, 32 points; 16th place, New Town, 6 points; 17th place, Watford City, 0 points.

Rugby Championship Round Results: Riley Odden 160 pounds, second place, fall to Drew Zwak, Bishop Ryan, 5:24; Austin Schneibel, 170 pounds, third place, major decision over Leyton Brunelle, Williams County; Aden Jensen, 145 pounds, fifth place, 9-3 decision over Kayl Sieg, Harvey; Landon Zietz, 285 pounds, fifth place by fall over Peyton Lee, Williams County, 3:27; Bryson Amyotte, 132 pounds, ninth place, 7-5 decision over Kaden Eaton, Bishop Ryan; John Jundt, 138 pounds, ninght place by fall over Hunter Byer, Minot, 3:00.