The Patriots capped off a great season with three wrestlers competing from LHS in the state wrestling tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Braedon Treadway, 11, Beau Beavers, 9, and Alex Mentzer, 7 all competed with heart and soul on the mat in front of large crowds during the tournament that lasted from Feb. 23-25. The Patriots competed well, with Beavers taking 7th place in the 120 lb weight class and Treadway holding out until the end of the first round in the 160 lb weight class.

The Pats are proud of what they have accomplished as a team this season, including several strong wins from individual wrestlers. “We had some rough patches as a team, but as an individual, I did pretty good,” said Beavers. During the 2017-18, Beavers won his 100th match, an impressive feat as he is only a freshman this year.

Both Beavers and Treadway loved experiencing what it was like to wrestle in front of a large crowd at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. “It was my second time, it was pretty fun, every time is fun, you’ve just got to live up to it, I guess,” said Beavers. “The best part of wrestling at the Premier Center was just winning, I only won two matches, but just winning was a fun part of the tournament.”

Although this season may have not been what the team hoped it would be, many members are excited for the future of the team. Treadway noted the loss of many team members from last year has caused the team to towards improving their team for next year. “I feel like I improved a lot, our team lost quite a few people from last year who were seniors, and a couple of people who moved away, so we are kind of rebuilding a team with new members.”