FARGO - Hundreds of nationally ranked wrestlers from various states around the country will converge today on the Fargodome, but one group of athletes should feel right at home.
The Fargo Tech Team Wrestling Club will supply the hometown presence at the USA Junior and Cadet wrestling tournament.
"Several of our guys are wrestling at nationals this year," said team co-founder Ryan Kringlie. "We have guys like Tommy Walton and Weston Dobler looking to win or place at nationals."
Tech Team Wrestling Club was founded about a decade ago when Kringlie and Steve Walton decided to join forces after their sons had gone head to head in local wrestling matches.
Ten years later, the former upstart team has between 80 and 90 wrestlers in the club and has become a feeder system for local high school wrestling teams.
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"This year we had five guys who were state champs and seven who were state finalists," Kringlie said.
One clear beneficiary of the club's success is West Fargo High School, who won the North Dakota Class A team and dual state championships.
West Fargo has an abundance of guys like Class A, 113-pound state champion Jordan Shearer, who came through the Tech Team Wrestling system.
"I believe they have definitely been part of my success," Shearer said of the wrestling club.
Shearer, a sophomore, got into the sport because of his dad, Dean, who also wrestled in high school.
"What we like most about the sport is it's a one-on-one sport that teaches kids hard work and makes them use their muscles and their minds to succeed," Dean Shearer said.
Last year, Jordan Shearer was a Cadet All-American and finished sixth in the Greco-Roman Nationals.
This year he will be competing in the Freestyle category.
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"I want to win," Jordan Shearer said. "It would mean a whole lot to me. It would be a great stepping stone."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Aaron Saunders at (701) 241-5549
