BISMARCK, N.D. – Aberdeen Central wrestlers Madyson Gillen (112 pounds) and Katrina Gibson (155) wrestled their way into the third-place matches at the Bismarck Rotary Tournament, which wrapped up Saturday.
Gibson, a defending South Dakota state champion, pinned her way through the day, starting with the consolation rounds and ending with a third-minute pin in the final match.
Gillen, who dropped into the consolations after a loss in the semifinals on Friday, also advanced to the third place match via a win by fall, but couldn’t secure the final victory, finishing fourth.
“They both finished out strong,” said Central coach Jake Flakus. “It was good to see them finish on the top half of the podium.”
The two were the lone Golden Eagles in action for Saturday’s competition, and watching their teammates compete was good for the team as a whole.
“Some of the girls who didn’t do as well as they would have liked, they’re eager to get back on the mat,” he said.
Central will do just that on Thursday, as the Golden Eagles head to Yankton for a pair of Eastern South Dakota Conference duals against Yankton and Brandon Valley. They will conclude the week Friday at the Harrisburg Tournament.
“This is a good opportunity to get some big wins that will help them qualify and get the seed they need at the state tournament,” Flakus said.
112: Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) – 4th
Cons. Semis – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Scelia Maneze (Bismarck Legacy) (Fall 1:47)
3rd Place Match – Alyssa Nitschke (South Border) over Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:39)
155: Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) – 3rd
Cons. Round 5 – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Deysi Krisher (Des-Lacs Burlington) (Fall 2:13)
Cons. Semis – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Lexi Beckler (Bismarck) (Fall 2:42)
3rd Place Match – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Lainy Jochim (Mandan) (Fall 2:25)
