Greco Archives - MTC Storm

Minnesota Storm Wrestling Club Secures 5 Olympic Trials Berths

By Storm Contributor Published 12/23/2023 Fort Worth, Texas – December 15-16, 2023 The Minnesota Storm Wrestling Club sent a formidable contingent of 15 athletes to the USA Wrestling’s largest qualifying tournament for the upcoming Olympic Trials. Held in Fort Worth, Texas, the US Senior Nationals showcased the nation’s top wrestlers, with the stakes at an all- time high as the top 5 contenders in each of the 6 Olympic weights earned coveted berths to the Trials in State College, PA on April 19-20. The Minnesota Storm left a significant mark on the event, producing four new Olympic Trials qualifiers, bringing the club’s total to an impressive five. The squad also clinched a notable seven top-eight finishes, highlighting continued improvement and […]

Longendyke Claims Bronze, Carlson and Gregerson Finish Fifth in Thrilling Bill Farrell Showdown

Published November 27, 2023 By Storm Contributor The Minnesota Storm team made their mark at the 2023 Bill Farrell, with Donny Longendyke clinching a well-deserved bronze medal at 130 kg and Richard Carlson and Dylan Gregorson finishing in fifth place at 87 kg and 60 kg respectively. After a solid victory in his opening match against S. Gogisvanidze, Longendyke faced a formidable opponent in Courtney Freeman in the semifinals. Although he encountered a setback, Longendyke rallied in the consolation rounds, delivering a commanding 9-1 win over Malcom Allen before securing the bronze with an 8-0 victory against Junior World Medalist Aden Attao. Richard Carlson looked good early with dominant wins in his first two matches, including a 7-0 victory over […]

Four Storm Athletes To Compete In Denmark

By Markos Tsegaye Published 3/21/2023 Four of the Greco-Roman wrestlers from the Minnesota Storm are now in Denmark as they will be competing in the Thor Masters tournament from March 24-25. Richard Carlson, Christian DuLaney, Fritz Schierl, and Lukas Poloncic will be those four representatives, an opportunity they are all looking to make the most of. The Thor Masters tournament offers one of the better international tournaments and training camps in Greco-Roman wrestling. DuLaney said the Storm will be well prepared for what’s to come in Denmark. “We’ve got world-class coaches,” DuLaney said. “They [Carlson, Schierl, and Poloncic] are around my weight and are great practice partners as well.” The coaches DuLaney is referring to are Brandon Paulson and Dan […]

How Did the Storm Athletes do at Fargo?

The 2018 US Marine Corps Junior and Cadet National tournament kicked off over the weekend, representing for most high school aged athletes the culmination of the 2018 season. The event draws close to 5,000 unique entrants from across the country all in search of bringing home a coveted “stop sign;” a representation that the individual has earned a place on the podium and became an age group All-American. This age group tournament also serves as a stepping stone for future Olympic hopefuls, most members of the Minnesota Storm Senior Roster competed in the tournament at some point in their career. For some the tournament was their first opportunity to test their skills on the national stage, for some it’s where […]

Bill Farrell Memorial Open Preview

The historic Bill Farrell Memorial Open has been a marquee international tournament in the United States for over 50 years. Located in downtown Manhattan, the New York Athletic Club is usually reserved for New York’s high class elite. However every year, singlets are added to the sport coat minimum dress code, opening its door to showcase some of the best wrestling in the United States and the world. On March 30th, six of Minnesota Storm’s top Greco prospects will step to the mats of the sixth floor gym overlooking the south side of Central Park. Not only will this tournament provide a good measuring stick for these athletes heading into the U.S. Open at the end of April, it also […]

Storm Goes Global for Winter Tour Schedule

When it comes to the senior international wrestling circuit, there really isn’t an off-season. Tournaments and training camps sanctioned by United World Wrestling can be found scattered across the globe at any given time. However, during the winter months is when the schedule really ramps up. Most countries are getting ready to peak for their own National Championships and gain an edge going into their own World Team selection processes. For the athletes in the U.S. it’s no different. With limited competitions stateside for the Olympic styles, the majority of the world’s top-level athletes will venture internationally to see how they measure up against the world’s best. Our Minnesota Storm Athletes have filled their calendars for the month of February […]

Minnesota Storm U23 World Championship Preview

Minnesota wrestlers are well represented at yet another World Championships. This time, it will be at the inaugural U23 World Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland from November 21-26. United World Wrestling recently added the 23 and under age category, in addition to their cadet, and junior developmental divisions. Three decorated Minnesota Storm wrestlers qualified for the Championships at the World Team Trials in Rochester, MN in October for the opportunity to wear the red, white and blue this week on one of the world’s biggest wrestling stages. The first to compete will be 85 kg, Greco Roman wrestler, Barrett Stanghill. The Montana native, who has been knocking at the door at multiple levels, will be competing in his first World […]

Stanghill picks up win in dual vs. Belarus

Minnesota Storm rising Greco Roman star Barrett Stanghill flew to Belarus with a number of Team USA athletes last week to prepare for the upcoming U23 World Championships on November 21st in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The 23 year old Montana native, was one of seven U.S. wrestlers to compete in a goodwill dual against a strong Belarusian team. Stanghill defeated Belarussian National Team member, Andrey Mikailovsky in a hard fought 2-1 match, to capture one of the three wins for U.S. team. After showing promise at 80 kg last year, placing 3rd and 4th in the U.S. Senior Nationals and Senior World Team Trials respectively, he broke threw to make his first World Team earlier in October, defeating fellow Storm teammate […]

Hayden Zillmer ready to compete in the 2017 World Team Trials

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Hayden Zillmer, a native of Crosby, MN, will travel to Las Vegas this week to compete in the U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials at 98 kilograms (215 lbs). This will not be Hayden’s first time competing in the U.S. World Team Trials, but this will be his first attempt to make a U.S. World Team after a full season of training Greco as a senior-level athlete. Last year, shortly after finishing his collegiate career at North Dakota State University, where he was an NCAA Division-I all American, Hayden transitioned into Greco and finished third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 85 kilograms (187 lbs). This season, Hayden enters the Trials a more experienced Greco wrestler who […]

Sanders makes strides as a coach while still pursuing his own dreams

Zach Sanders, a four-time NCAA all American for the Gophers, and former graduate assistant, stepped into a new role last fall when he became volunteer assistant coach for the Gopher wrestling program. This season the Gophers surpassed a lot of expectations, qualifying nine for the NCAAs and advancing two athletes to the finals. In addition to coaching for the Gophers, Sanders is training full-time as a member of the Minnesota Storm. He plans to compete next in the U.S. Open National Championships in Las Vegas, NV, April 27-29. We caught up with Sanders to ask how it’s been for him to pursue his own goals on the mat while coaching for the Gophers. We also asked him about Ethan Lizak, […]