German Exchange Wrestling Dual, Aug 2

Right before the fair on Aug. 2 a team of wrestlers composed of student wrestlers and alumni from Sidney, Poplar, and Circle will be able to compete in a wrestling duel against the German Exchange wrestling team.

This friendly competition has been going on since 1991. It started with a friendship between a wrestling coach in Billings and a wrestling coach in Germany, a 14-day tour of Montana and eight duels, which lead to a yearly competition.

Because of 911 and COVID they lost a few years in the exchange, according to Shane Gorder, but every other year the German National Team comes and tours Montana, having a wrestling duel with teams in different cities around the state. In the alternate years, a team comprised of Montana wrestlers does the same in Germany.

The German team will be hosted by five towns: Billings, Miles City, Sidney, Kalispell, and Missoula. They will compete with the local wrestling team in each town. This will be the fourth time Sidney has been on the schedule of their tour and they will be spending three days in Sidney to take in the fair.

This is the first year the team, composed of two coaches and 17 athletes ages 16-24, will have two female wrestlers.

This year's Sidney dual will be held at Sidney High School at 5:30 p.m. Shane Gorder said, "We'd like to hold it outside but that is dependent on the temperature and weather."

For more information, contact Shane Gorder at 406-489-1983.