Kenmare/Bowbells freshman wrestler Amaya Baptiste (right) wrestles with a member of the TMCH girls' wrestling team in the early rounds of the NDHSAA Girls State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Thursday, Feb. 19. Photo by Sheri Clapper

The NDHSAA Individuals State Wrestling Tournaments for this season began early on Thursday morning, and by Friday morning, Feb. 20, North Dakota saw new state champions crowned, and a few local champions defending their titles.

Kenmare/Bowbells/Burke Central had two members of their girls’ wrestling team work their way into the finals with freshman Amaya Baptiste and eighth grade Tenley Michel competing for first place in the 142 and 136 weight classes respectively. Both girls brought home the gold for their team eith Baptiste defending her title after taking home first place in last year’s tournament as well.

The Minot United girls’ team had three members of their team make their way to the championship matches of their respective classes with eighth grader Brooklyn Ost, freshman Madisyn Racine and junior Maycee Boyce taking to the mat in the last round of individual competition.

Racine took home first place in the NDHSAA Girls West Region Tournament earlier this year, but she and the other girls in the championship matches fell, leaving Minot United without an individual state title this year.

Bishop Ryan Catholic School’s senior wrestler Cade Okeson was another local player to defend his state title as he wrestled under Velva. Okeson wrestled on Friday night in the 285 weight class, winning 11-1 at the end of the third period against his Valley city opponent. Okeson wasn’t the only local boy to take home a state title in the Boys Class B Tournament, Stanley High senior Cohen Bell took home first place in the 133 weight class in a 7-4 win against his opponent from New Salem-Almont.

Though they walked away without a state individual title, the Minot United girls’ wrestling team ended in second place overall in the girls’ individual tournament with a total of 118 points. They tied with first place Bismarck Legacy and third place Bismarck for total number of individual finalists with three.

With the help of Okeson’s win, Velva High School took home second overall in the Boys’ Class B Individual State Tournament with a total of 153.5 points.

The Minot United boys’ wrestling team ended the Class A Boys Individual Tournament with an overall score of 68 points, earning them 11th place. They did not have any top three finishers.

The state wrestling tournaments continue on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the NDHSAA Class A Boys State Duals Tournament, NDHSAA Class B Boys State Duals Tournament and the NDHSAA Girls State Duals Tournament starting at 10 a.m.