Otter Tail Central Youth Wrestlers Earn State Berths at NYWA Invite Tournament

Raphael Johnson stepped onto the mat in Rochester as a first-year wrestler. He left with a state berth.

Johnson placed sixth at the Northland Youth Wrestling Association Invite on March 28, earning a spot in the NYWA State Invite alongside three teammates from the Otter Tail Central youth wrestling program. Four qualifiers, two separate state-level events, and a day that gave OTC's coaching staff plenty of reason to celebrate.

Boone Schmidgall led the group with a second-place finish, the strongest individual result of the day, and punched his ticket to the NYWA State tournament. Boone Curtis placed fourth in a 15-wrestler bracket to claim a State Invite berth. Brody Schmidgall matched Johnson's sixth-place result to round out OTC's contingent of qualifiers.

The Rochester tournament draws clubs from across the region, making it one of the more competitive measuring sticks on the NYWA calendar. For Curtis to place fourth among 15 competitors, and for a first-year wrestler like Johnson to place and advance, reflects the kind of depth that takes seasons to build. OTC's youth program feeds directly into the middle- and high-school wrestling ranks, and results like these carry weight beyond the individual placings. Wrestlers who test themselves in Rochester return with tournament experience and a clearer sense of what the state level demands.

OTC coaches made their feelings known: "We are all very proud of your accomplishments! BULLDOG STRONG!"

The four qualifiers will now advance to the NYWA State and State Invite meets, the next chapter for a group that made its case in Rochester.