On the Bench with Byron Higgin

The first time! Can you imagine what it feels like to go out onto the wrestling mat for your first varsity experience? Most likely it’s a feeling that each wrestler handles differently.

Saturday Coach Joel Skillings was faced with competing at the Plum Creek Tournament in Tracy without his 106- and 113-pounders, both of whom were ill.

So he sat down and talked with JV wrestlers Zack Fier and Truman Wambeke.

Then he inserted them into the starting lineup. Low and behold, Fier got a pin in his very first varsity match. What a moment to remember! Wambeke didn’t get a win, but both represented themselves well.

In the Fier family, wrestling isn’t so much a sport — as a religion! Zack’s dad, uncles and other relatives like cousin Austin DeVlaeminck set the family tradition into motion.

So young Fier might have felt a lot of pressure ride on his young shoulders. Nice thing about having a young team.

Lots of young kids are getting a chance.

Nice job young men!

ODDS AND ENDS:

•In college wrestling, SMSU lost to Augustana on Thursday, 27-0. Minneota’s Brock Buysse lost 4-1 to Brayden Curry at 133 pounds and Cole Hennen at 197 lost to Aero Amo on a pin in 1:09.

A night later at Marshall, they beat Northern State, 37-3. Buysse won his match over Juan Castellanos with a pin in 3:47. Cole Hennen also got a win, 6-5 over Riley Lura.

•In college indoor track and field, Emily Gillingham of Minneota placed 10th in the 1,000 meter run at Brookings. Her time was 3:23.68. A week earlier at Mankato, Gillingham ran a 1:45.96 in the 600 meters to place fifth.