First-Day Report on Jaguars Wrestling

Though the numbers are down for the Jaguars varsity wrestling team, quite a few hard-nosed athletes will lead the team on the mat this winter. The Jaguars went 7-11 in dual meets last season, including a 3-4 record in the Central Minnesota Conference.

The Jaguars wrestling team opens up the 2008-2009 campaign with the annual Jaguar Invite, on Friday, December 5, at 3:30 at the high school gymnasium.

Anthony Rooney, Josh Beier, Nellie Baker, and Sean Speldrich are the four seniors who came out for the first day of official practice today.

Three key juniors are Cole Tensen, Brent Goodenbour, and Travis Winter. Winter earned All-Central Minnesota Conference honorable mention honors in 2007-2008, a 5th place medal in Section 5A, and went 28-11 overall. Tensen finished 29-8, and 5th in Section 5A. Goodenbour went 24-15 and also placed 5th in section individual competition last February.

According to Roger Mischke's Mat Rat's publication, Cole Tensen, Brent Goodenbour and Travis Winter were all cited as Jaguars wrestlers who should finish with Section 5A medals next February.

No word on the boys basketball team, but most everyone realizes their chances look great for this winter.

I caught a bit of information from the Morris Area-Chokio-Alberta girls basketball regarding Section 6AA. The MA-CA Tigers compete in the "west" half of Section 6AA, while our Jaguars are in the "east" half. They went 10-14 last season. According to their coach, in his 7th year at the helm of the Tigers girls basketball program, Ken Gagner said, "Minnewaska Area and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City are the favorites in the West Central Conference South, while Section 6AA favorites are the Lakers, New London-Spicer, Osakis and West Central Area."

This Jaguars sports update (my first for the winter sports season!) is brought to you by: