FARGO — Jackson Walters is having a wrestling season for the ages.
The Jamestown High School senior kicked off the 2023 Class A Individual State Tournament with a 3-0 performance to punch his ticket to the 182-pound championship match.
Walters began Thursday with a pin on Grand Forks Central's Jayden Haake then moved on to earn an 8-0 major over Bismarck High's Tyrus Jangula. Walters capped off the day with a win over Fargo North's William Ward. Walters will match up against Williston's Ty Wiedrich in the finals. Wiedrich (29-10) was the sixth-seeded coming into the tournament.
Walters was the No. 1 seed in the 182-pound bracket at 31-1. This is the second year the Blue Jay is going for an individual state championship.
The Blue Jays had four wrestlers reach the individual state semifinals. Aden Braun (152) and Colton Mewes (170) fell in their respective semifinals. Hannah Sjostrom, the Blue Jays' top female wrestler, also fell in the 170-pound semis. Braun, Mewes and Sjostrom all went 2-1 on the day, a feat that guarantees them at least a sixth-place finish.
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The Blue Jay boys and girls teams started the day with 12 individuals out of 19 moving out of the opening round and into the quarterfinals. Mackenzie Stoddart, Gabby Romans, Sjostrom, Grace Bercier, and Aleeona Meza all won in the opening round for the girls.
Jack Schauer, Lucas Schlepuetz, Braun, Adyn Eckert, Mewes, Walters, and Ethan Gall picked up wins for the boys. Schauer is guaranteed at least an eighth-place finish. Senior Pete Rasmussen will wrestle for a top-8 finish at 126 pounds while Eckert will be competing for at least eighth place at 160. Gall, a first-year varsity wrestler, will be crowned a top-eight wrestler by Friday.
Championship matches begin Friday at 3:00 PM.
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