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Annandale/Maple Lake wrestlers host summer wrestling camp
August, 2006
The 2006-2007 high school wrestling season is still four months away but that didn't stop 67 area wrestlers from gathering in the Lightning practice room for the annual AN/ML Lightning Wrestling Camp. The camp ran for three days from Monday July 31st through Wednesday August 2nd. Thirty elementary age wrestlers from around the area participated in the early sessions from 4:30 to 5:45 each day. Middle school and high school wrestlers gathered, learned new skills and brushed up on existing technique from 6:30pm to 8:30 pm each of the three nights.
Wrestlers in kindergarten through sixth grade were introduced to basic wrestling drills, moves and situations. The AN/ML wrestlers, Jesse Puncochar, Joey Puncochar, Ben Hylla, and Tyler Wadman and coaches Dean Jennissen, Steve Kosloski, Bryan Kulm and Matt Carlson provided the instruction and coaching for the elementary campers. Each day wrapped up with a game and on the final day each participant took home an award certificate for meeting their goals of working hard, having fun and learning a little wrestling.
Wrestling rooms are known to most high school wrestlers to be hot, sticky places. Mother Nature and her 100 degree temperature the first night of the camp helped assure the evening camp goers that they would feel right at home in the pre-heated Lightning practice room. The heat, however, didn't stop 37 varsity and junior varsity wrestlers from Buffalo, Watertown-Mayer, St. Michael-Albertville, and host Annandale Maple Lake from taking to the mat and learning from this years top caliber clinicians.
St. Cloud State University's new head wrestling coach, Steve Costanzo, started things off on Monday by covering the importance of good positioning from the feet or neutral position. He demonstrated moves and fielded questions from the wrestlers at the end of the night.
Tuesday night doubled as a homecoming when Todd Fuller (top photo)
a state champ for the Lightning and three-time NCAA Division II
National Champion at North Dakota State took over the practice room.
Todd ran the wrestlers through a series of drills and demonstrated
takedown techniques. Todd's high energy approach kept Tuesday night's
contingent on their toes.
Minnesota wrestling legend, Coach Don Dravis (bottom photo), conducted camp on Wednesday. Mr. Dravis who has been inducted into both the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame demonstrated pinning combinations that helped his high school teams from Staples qualify for and win multiple Minnesota state championships. Mr. Dravis also spent time at the end of the night answering questions about his wrestling and coaching careers and offered advice to the wrestlers regarding the importance of balancing their sport with their academics.
The
three days of camp offered area wrestlers an opportunity to learn new
skills and hone existing technique. This year's clinicians brought to
the table a wealth of wrestling experience and knowledge. Hopefully,
come November this years Lightning Wrestling Camp participants will be
better prepared for the competition after spending three sticky nights
in the ANML practice room!