Author: Chris Lexvold

Wrestling fans: ARE YOU READY? Celebrate 50 Years

The 2014-2015 season kicks off tomorrow night against KM and Menomonie, WI.  The schedule is as follows:

5:00- KM vs ZM
6:15- KM vs Menomonie
7:30- Menomonie vs ZM

Wrestling fans: ARE YOU READY?

Celebrate 50 Years of Zumbrota & Mazeppa Wrestling on December 19th

This season marks the 50th year of Zumbrota/Mazeppa wrestling. The dual between ZM and Dover-Eyota on Friday, December 19th has been designated Alumni Recognition Night. All former Zumbrota Tigers, Mazeppa Indians, and ZM Cougars are welcomed to attend to help celebrate this event. No introductions will be made, but please come and visit with old team members and talk about matches and meets that took place years ago. Wayne Anderson, a local sports historian, has located all the old varsity team pictures of the past 50 years. The pictures will be on display in the hallway outside the Mazeppa gym during the dual. Please let all your old team members know and come watch the exciting current crop of ZM wrestlers!

 

Youth Update: November 30, 2014

Monday- Open Mat.  5:45-6:30 for beginners.  6:30-7:15 for experienced wrestlers.  We encourage everyone to attend and gain some valuable mat time.  We will be recording the weights of the wrestlers who did not make it to practice last week.

Wednesday- Booster Club Meeting. Held in the Zumbrota High School Library starting at 6:30 PM.  Come and help build a great wrestling program at ZM the right way.

Friday- 5002 Club Recognition Night and ZM Home Tri.  Calling all 2014 5002 Club members!  Your night to be recognized in front of the home crowd is this Friday.  We’ll provide details at practice Monday night as to what time you should arrive.  Everyone is encouraged to attend and cheer on the Cougars!

Scrimmage Dec. 9th: Please try to sign-up your wrestler by tomorrow night on the sheet in the wrestling room just to your right as you walk in.

Upcoming Tournaments: Burnsville on Friday, Stewartville Saturday, and GMLOK on Sunday.

2013 5002 members showing off!
2013 5002 members showing off!

Youth Update: November 23rd, 2014

Open Mat Nov. 24:  The first of 3 preseason open mat nights start tomorrow for our youth.  5:45-6:30 for beginners.  6:30-7:15 for experienced wrestlers.  The beginner session will involve coaches showing basic technique and having the kids practice the moves shown.  The experienced session will involve drilling and live wrestling to prepare those gearing up for the early tournaments.  It is at the parent’s discretion to choose which session they feel would be the most beneficial for their child.  We will be weighing each wrestler during the preseason open mat practices.  We will use these weights for the scrimmages we have coming up.

Scrimmage Dec. 9th: There will be a sign-up sheet just to your right as you walk in the wrestling room for those interested in participating in the scrimmage against CF on December 9th.  The scrimmage will take place in our wrestling room and start at approximately 6:00.  Wrestlers are paired by age, weight, and skill level.  This is a great opportunity for all.

Most Dedicated Wrestler: We will again be honoring the “Most Dedicated Wrestler” for each grade at our end of the year party.  Each practice/scrimmage or tournament your child attends, they can fill in a square next to their name.  These sheets will be hanging on the wall just to your right as you walk in the wrestling room.  We want the kids to fill these squares in on their own!

attendance

Upcoming Tournaments: Waseca is having a PreK-8th grade “Thanksgiving Throwdown” tournament this Saturday, November 29th.  We could compete for a K-6 Team Award if we can get 10 wrestlers to attend.  Faribault is also hosting a PreK-8th grade tournament on Sunday, November 30th.

If you have not registered for the wrestling season yet, please do so ASAP by sending an e-mail to Lacey Lexvold (youthcoordinator@zmwrestling.com) with your child’s name, grade, and t-shirt size. T-shirts will be ordered early this week.  And mail the registration form and a check payable to ZM Schools to:

Lacey Lexvold
63145 County Road 1
Mazeppa, MN 55956

Youth Registration is Monday, November 17th at 6:30 PM

A reminder that youth registration is tomorrow night at 6:30 in the Mazeppa school large gym.  Prior to registration we are hosting a free beginner practice that starts at 5:45 in the wrestling room.

Lots of information will be provided at the registration meeting so everyone is encouraged to attend.  However, if you are unable to make it please send an e-mail to Lacey Lexvold (youthcoordinator@zmwrestling.com) with your child’s name, grade, and t-shirt size by Friday, November 21st and mail the registration form and a check payable to ZM Schools to:

Lacey Lexvold
63145 County Road 1
Mazeppa, MN 55956

Those wishing to use their Kwik Trip money to pay for registration still need to write a check to ZM Schools.  Brota Valley can reimburse you when you provide a copy of your registration form.  See you tomorrow night!

Watch Cody Heitman compete this Saturday at RCTC

Cody Heitman will be representing the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University this Saturday at RCTC.  SMSU is a Division II wrestling program out of Marshall, MN.  Wrestling begins at 10:00 a.m. at the RCTC Field House.  It would be great to get a few of us to attend and support Cody!  Contact Link if you are interested in riding down.

Youth Wrestling Season Starting Soon!

The youth wrestling season will be starting soon and we’d like you to join us!  Last week, each child in the public and private schools in 6th grade and under should have received this flyer.  We hope to relay this information to as many parents and youth as we can.  Please help us out by sharing this post!

New to wrestling or looking to try it again?  We are offering 2 free practices on November 10th and 17th.  These practices provide the opportunity to learn more about the sport without any commitment.  See the flyer for more details.

Registration is Monday, November 17th.  We’ll cover practice schedule, important dates, and other essential information.  You can get a head start and download the registration form and bring it with you on the 17th.

Finally, a good read as to Why Your Child Should Consider Wrestling.

6 ZM wrestlers competed in the Cliff Keen USAW Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls, IA this past weekend.  Pictured are Jacob Bennett (2nd), Tyler Soltau (7th), Michael Majerus, and Ryan Lexvold (8th).  Also attending were Spencer DeFrang and Hayden Stensland.  These guys are excited for the upcoming season and represented ZM very well.

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Message From Former ZM Wrestler Mitchell Watkins

A message from former ZM Wrestler Mitchell Watkins:

“Today, for the military I ran 9.5 miles.  12 stations.  5 rope climbs.  80 pull ups.  100 sit ups.  100 dips.  Fireman’s carry 1/3 mile per person.  120 push ups.  50 burpies.  Carry 60 pounds up hill 1/4 mile.  3 hill sprints.  20-story building, run stairs up and down twice.  100 lunges.  All on 3 hours of sleep and carrying a 35 pound pack 1/6 of the way.  Easily the toughest workout of my life.  Sad to say but at that point it wasn’t the Marines or family or anything keeping me going.  It was honest to god knowing that I had done that stuff at higher stakes (team wrestling state/sections).  So I can honestly say thank you ZM Wrestling for that. It came in handy!!”

Pine Island is having a 2 night camp for Grades 3 through 12 November 10th and 11th.  Registration form is here for anyone interested.

Weight Room Signup; Youth Inner Drive Fall Program

Please see note below from Tim McAthie regarding the weight room for 7-12 students.

The weight room will officially be open starting Monday, Sept 8th.

There is a sign up sheet on the door as they will be running two sessions each morning and these sessions will run from:

6:00am – 6:45am  1st Session
6:45am – 7:30am  2nd Session

The room will be staffed by Karl/Mia on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

STUDENTS NEED TO SIGN UP FOR ONE OF THE SESSIONS ON THE WEIGHT ROOM DOOR THAT THEY WILL BE ATTENDING.  EACH SESSION WILL HANDLE 40 KIDS.

COACHES PLEASE GET YOUR ATHLETES TO SIGN UP ASAP AS WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO MAKE THIS WORK.

Thanks!

Tim McAthie

Parents:

Please encourage your son to attend the weight lifting sessions each morning they are offered.  It doesn’t do any good to lift all spring and summer, then quit lifting because they start a fall sport.  Let’s stress lifting and being in there to maintain the mass/strength the kids put on during the summer.  Not lifting because kids are out for a sport is a very poor excuse.

Here is a weight lifting guide for all to use put together by Tony Stensland.  Last, if your son is intimidated by the weight room, please let them know they can talk to any upperclassman wrestler and they will help them learn how to lift.  No excuses.

Thank you,

Link and Tony

Youth Inner Drive Fall Program

Inner Drive is having a fall wrestling program for 3rd thru 6th grade starting Sunday, October 5th at 6 PM.  The program is 6 sessions and the cost is $50.  There is no practice on November 9th because of the JJ Classic, so the last practice is on November 16th.  We have a car leaving from Mazeppa currently.  If interested in a ride share, please e-mail me at 

Preseason Nationals

A group of wrestlers are attending the Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa this October 25-26.  Information and registration can be found here.  Please let one of the coaches know if you plan on attending so we can reserve enough hotel rooms.  Nine wrestlers competed last year.

Trivia: Can you name all the people in the photo below?  Hint: Look off stage left for one of our own.