2nd Annual Bootcamp Wrestling Camp

The Watford City gym floor was covered with wrestling mats this past week as the wrestling team hosted their second Annual Bootcamp Wrestling Camp on June 4-6th. This year's camp featured four headliner clinicians from around the country. The first day of camp was highlighted by Bruce Baumgartner and Terry Steiner. Bruce Baumgartner is arguably one of the top five wrestlers of all time in the entire world and is the most highly decorated international wrestler in the history of the United States. Baumgartner competed in four Olympic Games as a Freestyle wrestler and won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze and also won 9 other World Championship medals in his career including three World Titles. He also won 16 United States national championships at the senior level. Steiner, a Bismarck, ND native and two-time State Champion for the Bismarck Century Patriots in the late 1980's, was the 1993 NCAA Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Currently Steiner is the head coach of the Women's Olympic Freestyle Team. The second day of camp was conducted by Steve Fraser. Fraser was the 1984 Greco-Roman Olympic gold medalist, the first American to ever win gold in that style of wrestling. Since winning gold, Fraser has spent 19 years coaching the Olympic Greco-Roman team for the United States. Dan Russell was featured on Day 3 of camp and his high-energy style kept the wrestlers excited and working hard. Russell's accolades include being a four-time undefeated state champion in Oregon while in high school and going on to win four consecutive Division 2 NCAA Championships at Portland State University before becoming a two-time Olympic Alternate and a World Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling.

"Camp Director Dwight Griffin does an amazing job getting this camp put together and lining up outstanding coaches to come and conduct the camp." commented Wolves coach, Mitch Greenwood. The camp attracted wrestlers from Watford City, Alexander, Killdeer, New Town, Hazen, Minot, Velva, Oakes, Bowman, Belle Fourche, and Sioux Falls. All totaled, about forty wrestlers participated in the three-day camp ranging from first graders to seniors in high school. Keegan Thompson of Watford City was named Camp MVP for the high school division of camp while Velva's Matthew Leintz was named MVP for the 8th grade and under division of camp. Belle Fourche's AAU Wrestling Coach Tyler Bickerdyke commented after the camp "I think my boys learned a lot, They're already talking about coming back next year." Velva's coach, Alex Schmaltz brought half a dozen wrestlers with him and also commented "Next year I hope we can bring a lot more kids with us. We had some that were taking driver's ed and couldn't come this year, but we definitely want to get them here for next year's camp."