The Minneota wrestling team had its best-ever finish at the two-day Rumble on the Red tournament at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., Wednesday.

The Vikings took fifth place as a team and had five individual wrestlers place in the Top 8. There were 58 teams represented at the tournament.

"This is the highest we've ever placed," Minneota head coach Joel Skillings said. "We were ninth last year and we were happy with that. This is a fun group of kids and we set our sights a little higher this year. It's a lot of talk though until the kids take it to heart and make it happen."

Christian Skillings was the lone Viking wrestler to finish as a tournament champion. Skillings went 5-0 at 125 pounds.

"I was pretty happy for my son," Joel Skillings said. "It was exciting. He beat a kid that he hadn't wrestled before and who was a two-time state champion and was runner-up at state once. The kid was from Whapeton. Christian did a nice job."

Sam Derynck went 6-1 and took third place at 145 pounds. Beau Buysse, who was a champion at the tournament last year, finished in sixth place at 130 pounds.

"Sam lost a close match in the semifinals," Joel Skilllings said. "He had to work hard to get back to the third-place match. Beau's the real deal, but he had a tough tournament. He lost a close match in the quarterfinals and had to battle back."

At 160 pounds, Adam Josephson took sixth place, while Josh VanOverbeke placed eighth at 189 pounds. T.J. Bueltel, Alex Lessman, Adam Longtin and Blake Abraham narrowly missed placing.

"Adam had a great tournament," Joel Skillings said. "I was pretty happy with Josh, too. Placing is a huge accomplishment."

Minneota Individual Results

103-Dillon Guttormsson 0-2

112-Alec Engler 1-2

119-Dallas Muhl 0-2

125-Christian Skillings 5-0

(1st Place)

130-Beau Buysse 4-3 (6th Place)

135-T.J. Bueltel 2-2

140-Alex Lessman 2-2

145-Ben Derynck 6-1 (3rd Place)

152-Adam Longtin 4-2

160-Adam Josephson 5-3

(6th place)

171-Blake Abraham 2-2

189-Josh VanOverbeke 4-3

(8th Place)

215-Austin Bierschenk 1-2

HWT-Victor Montelongo 0-2

Marshall

Aside from the state tournament, the Marshall wrestlers might not be on a bigger stage for the rest of their high school careers than the one they were on at the Rumble on the Red Tournament at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., which wrapped up Wednesday.

"This was probably double what you would see at a section tournament," Marshall coach Justin Bouwman said. "It's in the Fargodome, all spread out on the football field. For a lot of them, it's the biggest tournament they've ever been in, and there was a lot of really good competition at both varsity and junior varsity levels."

A number of Tiger wrestlers proved that wrestling in the Fargodome in a true tournament atmosphere that included 19 mats and some 1,400 wrestlers doesn't phase them much at all.

Junior Derek Varpness (125 pounds) and senior Todd Hennen (145) both finished 2-2 Wednesday for the Tigers during the second day of the tournament.

"Derek wrestled really well," Bouwman said. "He beat a couple kids that a lot of people didn't think he probably had a chance against and really showed he can wrestle at that level.

"Todd really showed he can compete at that level, too," Bouwman added. "Still got a few little things to work on, but we're on the right page."

In the junior varsity portion of the tournament, Marshall heavyweight, freshman Austin Nath, went 3-1 Wednesday to take second place.

"He wrestled outstanding," Bouwman said. "He had three big wins to get himself into the finals. I don't think I've ever seen his wrestle like that. He showed he's gonna be a heavyweight to contend with in the future."

The other Tiger wrestler to make it to the second day in junior varsity, freshman Jared Holland, finished 2-2 at 189 pounds.

"He gained a lot of confidence," said Bouwman.