Reece Graves at practice. He's a senior and placed 4th, 1st, and 1st at state. Looking for his third state title this year. (Photo by Erin Graves)
Freshman Brenner Mullin placed second at state last year. Mullin is looking to win his first state title this year. (Photo by Erin Graves)
The first week of December is always anticipating for Sidney Wrestling fans, parents, coaches, and wrestlers. Dec. 6-7 will be buzzing with excitement in Sidney at the high school gymnasium and Central School gymnasium. The team has been practicing hard and gearing up for the first tournament of the year. Wrestle-offs for the varsity positions were held Monday.
The stakes are higher this year, with 25 teams coming from across the region-and some even from out of state. The entire community is eagerly awaiting what is surely to be one of the toughest early-season competitions.
The schedule is packed with the 1st round of duels starting in the Sidney High School gym at 8:30 a.m. Teams with multiple state champions are scheduled to arrive bringing some of the highest level of competition. Standing out to defend their dual and individual championship at the Eagle is Post Falls, ID. Other rock-solid teams coming in from thousands of miles are Mead, CO; Oak Harbor, OH; Lake Stevens, WA; Adams City, CO; and Rapid City, SD. All of these teams have their eyes set on the gold, bringing in their own powerhouse teams.
While these out-of-state teams promise to bring tough competition, neighboring teams from Dickinson and Williston, ND, along with many talented teams from across Montana are more than up for the challenge.
At 9:30 a.m. Friday, the varsity wrestlers are locked in the duels. The younger athletes will face their own competition.
Meanwhile, the high school wrestling room will gear up for the special girls' tournament at 1:30 p.m. The atmosphere will be charged with the female wrestlers showcasing their skills.
As the duals conclude, the first round of the individual tournament will start.
Saturday will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Sidney High School Gymnasium, with Saturday night set to be the climactic conclusion. The tension will be electric for the final round of championship matches at 5:30 p.m. for the battle for the top of the podium.
The Annual Eagle Tournament is more than just a competition, it is a celebration of wrestling, determination, and sportsmanship. For the Sidney wrestling team, this is not just the beginning of the season, it is the chance to measure themselves against some of the toughest competition they will face all year. Sidney's Coach Guy Melby stated "We welcome all of the teams to Sidney. We love bringing some of the toughest competition here to test ourselves. This tournament always brings some of the best lessons and measurements of the future of our season".
Even if you are not a current wrestling fan, you can be sure to be impressed if you stop by the tournament to watch these athletes. The team would love to see the community there for support. Let's go Eagles!
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