There will be no shortage of talent on area wrestling mats this winter.

A total of 36 returning state place winners are back looking for more medals at the state tourney in February at the Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

Included in that group is a pair of state champions, Holden Hawkins of Sisseton in Class B boys, and Groton’s Liza Krueger in girls.

There are four returning runner-up wrestlers from a year ago: Jacksen Carter of Wessington Springs-Woonsocket-Wolsey-Wessington, and Haeden Jorgenson of Webster in B boys, and Vi Anderson of Sisseton, and Cateri Yellow Hawk of Sully Buttes in girls.

Those who finished third last year who are coming back include Cade Gaikowski of Clark-Willow Lake, Kayden Tchida of Sisseton, Talon Ping of Miller-Highmore-Harrold, and Gavin Kloos of Deuel-Deubrook Area in B boys, Jackson Dargatz, Ridley Waldo, and Grayden Timm of Aberdeen Central in A boys, and Central’s Madison Little in girls.

Five returning wrestlers finished four last season. They are Kaden Wookey and Cooper Pommer of Clark-Willow Lake, Landon Coyle of Faulkton in B boys, Esten Foss of Aberdeen Central in A boys, and Central’s Lilly Nelson in girls.

Maddon Odland of Redfield and Jordan Schafer of Miller-Highmore-Harrold were both fifth in B boys a year ago.

There are seven wrestlers who finished sixth a year ago who are back in the mix this season. That group includes Cash Edgar of Faulkton, and Conner Zens of Redfield in B boys, Central’s Owen Ward and Cole Dunlavy in A boys, and Tahnie Yellow Hawk of Sully Buttes, Rakyrah Wallace of Central, and Brooke Grajczyk of Webster

A quintet of grapplers are back after seventh-place finishes last season. That list includes Tayton Kurkowski of Webster, Bryce Hawkinson of Britton-Hecla, and Chase Hurd of Miller-Highmore-Harrold in B boys, and Hailey Schafer of Miller-Highmore-Harrold, and Lin Paw Jone of Central in girls.

A trio of returning wrestlers finished eighth last year: Ben Suther of Britton-Hecla in B boys, and Hadley Gjerde of Clark-Willow Lake, and Central’s Jasmine Maas in girls.

Of course there are many other quality wrestlers who did not place at state last year, but are already off to blazing starts to begin this campaign.

On change this season is that two weight classes have been added for the girls’ division. The boys and girls now both have 14 weight classes.