DECORAH — Twelve Perry wrestlers spent July 8-11 participating in the highly regarded Luther College mat camp.
The annual event draws top clinicians each year and in 2014 boasted more than 1,000 wrestlers from more than 70 teams spread across seven states. Norse head coach Dave Mitchell oversees the camp.
“I know we had kids from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin there this year, and there were quite a few from Illinois and Kansas, too,” Perry head coach Trevor Kittleson said. “We had two freshmen, six sophomores and four seniors go, and they ranged from all skill levels.”
“One of the best things about this camp,” he added, “is that the kids get a ton of mat time and are wrestling against their own talent level, so the opportunity to work on techniques and learn is unmatched.”
Kittleson explained that each team was assigned a Luther wrestler, who works with the individuals who receive both written and verbal assessments. Each day began with one hour of team-building exercises or duties, with the camp focusing on both basics and some advanced work, depending on the individual wrestler’s talents.
“We came four years ago, and I was happy to come back this year,” Kittleson said. “I have always believed there is no better teacher than time on the mat, and the kids get plenty of that. For example, Jacob Thompson was able to get 15 matches in over four days — that is the equivalent of almost half a season of matches. That kind of experience just makes guys better.”
Attending for Perry were (incoming) seniors Troy Jahnke, Ivan Garcia, Gisaveri Niyibizi and Jacob Thompson along with sophomores Zach Thompson, Martin Funes, Austin Benshoof, Zach Stewart, Miguel Gonzalez and Austin Hay, with freshmen Jered Narber and Justin Stammer also making the trip.
Zach Thompson was sixth in the Class 2A at the state tournament last year as a freshman wrestling at 106 pounds, with Niyibizi and Kade VanKirk also qualifying for the big stage. Niyibizi and Jacob Thompson each earned “Wrestler of the Day” honors from Norse grappler Cole Van Anrooy, who served as team adviser for Perry.
Kittleson is assisted by Shannon Cline, J.P. Hulgan, Nick Field and Mikel Hansen.
