Grand Forks Central Wrestlers Excel at State Tournament

FARGO — Gabe Flores III of Grand Forks Central and senior Cesar Cruz Jr. Achieved a significant milestone at the North Dakota State Wrestling Tournament held at the Fargodome on February 20, 2026, becoming three-time state placers. Their accomplishments contribute to Grand Forks Central’s wrestling legacy, where wrestlers earn Hall of Fame status by being three-time state placers, state finalists with another state-placer finish, or state champions.

Individual Performances

Flores, a sophomore, finished as the runner-up in the 127-pound class, falling to Bismarck St. Mary’s Dylan Mosset by a 4-0 decision. Cruz secured a fifth-place finish in the 133-pound weight class, defeating Mandan’s Kellen Beneke with a 15-12 decision, avenging a previous quarterfinal loss.

Head coach Garrett Litzinger praised Cruz’s determination, stating that finishing fifth was a “pretty cool” way to end his wrestling career after coming up short last year. He also noted that Flores “was wrestling well, defending takedowns, struggled a little bit to get to our offense and kept the match close.”

Team Results

Seven Central wrestlers placed at the North Dakota State tournament, falling just short of the program’s record of nine placers set in 2015. Red River also had success, with Kamdyn Goulet finishing fifth in the 107-pound weight class and Brody Ray taking eighth at 145 pounds.

Girls’ Wrestling Achievements

Grand Forks was well-represented in the girls’ field, with five state placers. Kyah Wiley reached the 170-pound championship but was pinned by Mandan’s Alexis Storsved with one second remaining in the second period. Sky Kopp finished as the runner-up at 190 pounds, losing a 9-0 major decision to Bismarck’s Cambree Anderson, who is ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Kaylee Kurz took third place at 130 pounds, while seventh-grader Aulani Long finished eighth at 148 pounds. Coach Matt Berglund highlighted Long’s performance as a “terrific accomplishment” for a middleweight seventh-grader, noting she defeated a ranked junior to reach the podium. Maddie Look, a last-minute injury replacement, captured seventh in the 124-pound weight class.

Class B and Other Notable Results

In the Class B Division, Hillsboro-Central Valley’s Sawyer Owens won the 145-pound weight class championship for the third consecutive year, defeating Lisbon’s Griffin Greenley 5-3. Devils Lake’s Rylan Samuelson lost a 17-5 major decision to Dickinson’s Jake Glaser in the Class A division 121-pound weight class championship.

Pembina County North’s Jaelyn Forrey (250 pounds), Grafton’s Alyssa Hoyles (130 pounds), and Pembina County North’s Charlotte Crowston (112 pounds) all finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes.