Minot United is the reigning individual state champion and 3-time defending West Region champion while the Demons have two individual state titles, a WDA crown and are the 3-time defending state dual champion. The Demons toppled Minot United in the state title match in each of the last two seasons.

Minot United wasn’t intimidated by Bismarck High’s championship past, defeating the Demons, 41-30, in a WDA dual on Friday, Jan. 30, at Magic City Campus. Minot United won eight matches, including the final five to overcome a 30-13 deficit.

“This was a very significant win and benefited us a lot because we’re going to see a lot of difficult teams and if we can beat Bismarck, I feel like we can take down pretty much anyone else in our way,” Minot United’s Khylie Schlotz said.

With Minot United leading 35-30 entering the final match of the dual at 118 pounds, all Schlotz had to do was not lose by pin, as that would have given the Demons the necessary points to come away with the victory.

Mike Kraft/MDN Minot United’s Jack Combs looks to pin Bismarck High’s Brayden Aho during his match on Friday, Jan. 30, at Magic City Campus.

“I told her to go out there and wrestle like she always does,” Minot United coach Arianne Korish said. “I told her to stick to the basics and kick some butt.”

She didn’t lose and neither did Minot United. Schlotz took Bismarck High’s Deja Ireland to the mat in the opening moments of the second round and quickly secured the pin to seal the victory. Schlotz was one of four Minot United wrestlers to win their match via pins.

“My mindset was to go out there and whatever happens happens,” Schlotz said. “I had to go out there and be smart, make it go my way and do everything I can to seal the deal and get the win. I was just being confident in my shots and being confident in what I’m best at, getting a good takedown and making sure I get her flat and just be confident with myself.”

Schlotz improved to 2-2 in WDA duals this season, both the result of pins.

Minot United (3-2 overall, 3-1 WDA) have won their last two WDA duals after being on the wrong side of a lopsided home result to Bismarck Legacy on their Senior Night.

“We didn’t have a very good home dual against Legacy and I think this just showed what we could do,” Korish said. “This showed who we are and it proved what Minot can really be. We’ll go out there and press offensively and get wins. Against Legacy, the girls went out there a little bit timid and not sure of themselves, but today every single one of those girls went out with a positive mindset and went out there to win. They didn’t go out there afraid.”

The Demons won two of their five matches via forfeit, the second giving the visitors a 30-13 advantage with five matches remaining. Jade’ence Fletcher began the rally for Minot United by pinning Sheena Locke in 55 seconds.

Brooklyn Ost and Ella Brown followed with pins of their own at 100 and 106 pounds, respectively. Ost secured her pin in the waning moments of her match, submitting Charlie Claymore with 37 seconds remaining. Brown pinned Averi Thielges in 1:45 to give Minot United a 31-30 lead.

Monica Boakye put four more points on the scoreboard for Minot United with a 14-1 major decision over Bismarck High’s Lauralie Fuchs.

Minot United got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 9-0 lead after two matches. Fatimazahra Elbouab earned a 15-7 major decision over Aryonna St. Claire and Madisyn Racine won five points on a 16-1 technical fall against Rilynn Reems. Both Elbouab and Racine are undefeated in WDA duals this year.

The Demons (3-2, 3-2) won the next two matches via pins to take a 12-9 lead before Maycee Boyce briefly put Minot United back in front with a 10-1 major decision over Madison Reems.

Korish believes a win over a program like Bismarck will further build up the team’s confidence heading into the postseason in a couple weeks.

“I hope it shows the girls who they are,” Korish said. “This shows them that we are in the top of the state, that we can beat these teams that are very good and have a very good reputation. I hope it changes the girls’ mindsets to always going out to wrestle offensively and to win.”

Minot United hosts Jamestown on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m. at Magic City Campus.

Minot United boys wrestling drops close dual to Demons

Even wrestling can be a game of inches as the Minot United boys wrestling team found out during its dual against Bismarck High on Friday, Jan. 30, at Magic City Campus.

Bismarck High’s Garrett Cowan took down Tucker Nelson in overtime during his match at 215 pounds, staying in the field of play by the length of a pinky toe to earn the three points and the sudden victory, clinching the Demons’ 34-28 win over Minot United.

Had Cowan been ruled out of play, the takedown would not have counted and the match would have continued. And had Nelson ended up winning the match and the three points that came with it, Kale Risbrudt’s pin for Minot United at 285 pounds would have tied the match.

“We know they are a tough team,” Minot United’s Korbin Kraft said. “We had a game plan and we knew it was going to be a close dual and it was. There were just a couple matches we could have won to come out the winners.”

Minot United (1-4 overall, 1-3 WDA) still gave the 7-time defending individual state champion and 5-time defending dual state champion Demons all they could handle. Minot United won four of their five matches via pin and despite losing eight matches, they went the distance in all but one of them, keeping Bismarck High from achieving the maximum six points.

“We battled the whole time,” Minot United coach Justin Racine said. “The outcome is not what we wanted, but we battled. I can’t be upset with our effort. Our effort was there from 107 to heavyweight.”

Braeden Halverson earned the lone pin of the match for the Demons. Their other victories came via two decisions, three major decisions and two technical falls.

The matchup featured a total of 11 wrestlers ranked in the top eight of their respective weight classes, with two going head to head at 189 and 215. Bismarck High won both of those matches. Caleb Paetz – ranked fourth – scored an 18-7 major decision over fifth-ranked Evan Berg at 189 and Cowan – ranked eighth – earned the slight upset over Nelson – ranked fourth – in overtime at 215.

The other four ranked wrestlers for Minot United all delivered wins, beginning with Jack Combs at 107. The fifth-ranked wrestler in his weight class needed just 51 seconds to pin Brayden Aho.

“I knew to get the dual started I had to get the pin fast enough to set the tone,” Combs said. “I think it went well. I messed up at first, but I kept it together and finished with the pin.”

After a pair of major decisions gave the Demons (6-2, 4-0) an 8-6 lead, 8th-ranked Eliah Rogers earned Minot United’s second pin of the night, submitting Theodore Green in 3:34. Tayven Blackaby – also sporting a No. 8 ranking – won a 16-3 major decision against Preston Benz.

“Our effort was there,” Racine said. “We wrestled hard. That’s all we look for. The wins and losses will happen and take care of themselves as long as we’re battling and that’s what we did tonight.”

Kraft – the top-ranked wrestler at 139 – continued his dominant season with a pin against Alydan McLean in 1:37. Kraft is 4-0 in WDA duals this season with three pins.

“I knew what I was going against,” Kraft said. “I knew I had to get the job done and do what I was expected to do. I was expected to get the pin and do what I needed to do.”

Kraft’s pin gave Minot United a 22-13 lead with six matches remaining, but the Demons won the next five to seal the win.