North Dakota
Central’s Flores rides fifth seed to North Dakota state title match
FARGO — Grand Forks Central’s Gabe Flores III, ranked No. 5 in his 127-pound weight class, will wrestle for a state championship on Friday at the North Dakota state tournament.
The championship match run came behind a wild development.
Flores beat Bismarck Legacy’s No. 1-ranked Nick Enzminger in the semifinals 8-3.
Enzminger suffered a possible broken ankle in practice leading up to the state tournament.
“(Enzminger) is nationally ranked and blew up his ankle last night and was literally carried to and from his mat by his teammates,” Central coach Garrett Litzinger said. “Not the way you want to have to wrestle someone. Props to Nick for biting down and being willing to compete and basically try to cement his legacy as one of the best North Dakota wrestlers of all time.
“Gabe didn’t let that affect him. (Enzminger) beat two kids on one leg. Even hurt, Nick isn’t a guy you want to mess around with. Gabe handled the uncomfortable situation and just went out and did what he planned on doing. He wrestled hard and got the win.”
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Flores will wrestle Dylan Mosset of Bismarck St. Mary’s in Friday’s 4:30 p.m. title match. The No. 2 seed in the bracket beat Flores 11-9 in the Grand Forks Sertoma tournament earlier this season and has two prior wins over Flores.
But Flores appears to be at his best, as he beat West Fargo Sheyenne’s Grady Olafson in the quarterfinals. Olafson had beat Flores three times before Flores beat Olafson in both the region final and Thursday.
“Gabe has a shot against anybody,” Litzinger said. “Gabe lives for this. He’s a dude with ice in his veins. He’s ready to go in the big moments and loves it.”
As a team, the Knights have 12 wrestlers remaining in the individual tournament. With two wrestlers facing off against each other, Central has the chance of 11 state placers. The Knights’ school record for state placers in a season is nine in 2015.
Devils Lake’s Rylan Samuelson also advanced Thursday to Friday’s title matches. Samuelson will go up against Jake Glaser of Dickinson at 121 pounds.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
In the Class B division, Sawyer Owens of Hillsboro-Central Valley advanced to the 145-pound title match. Owens will face Lisbon’s Griffin Greenley.
David Samson / The Forum
In the girls’ field, two Grand Forks wrestlers reached the finals in training partners Kyah Wiley and Sky Kopp.
Wiley will face Alexis Storsved of Mandan at 170 pounds, while Kopp faces Cambree Anderson of Bismarck High at 190 pounds.
Wiley beat Kolbi McElwain with a pin in the semifinals to advance. McElwain had beat Wiley at state last season in a third-place match.
“(Wiley) has gotten so much better this year,” Grand Forks coach Matt Berglund said. “She got behind with a takedown (in the semifinals) but dominated the rest of the match before getting a pin.”
David Samson / The Forum
Kopp will be an underdog against Anderson, who’s a three-time state champion. Anderson and Kopp haven’t faced this season.
“It’s her senior year and is excited for another shot,” Berglund said. “She’s also got a lot better from last year and now has a chance in the title match her senior year.”
For the first time in Grand Forks’ four years as a program, the KnightRiders saw every wrestler win at least one match on the opening day of the tournament.
Among other competitors from the Herald coverage area in the girls division, Pembina County North’s Charlotte Crowston will face Bismarck Legacy’s Alicia Kenfack in the 112-pound title, while Grafton’s Alyssa Hoyles will face Bismarck Legacy’s Aleiya Cullinan at 130 pounds and Pembina County North’s Jaelyn Forrey faces Bismarck Century’s Mekayla Stordalen at 250 pounds.
Staff reports and local scoreboards from the Grand Forks Herald Sports desk.