News - 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 […]

Minnesota Storm Greco Squad Gears Up for Bill Farrell International Debut

Published November 14, 2023 By Storm Contributor The Minnesota Storm Greco team is set to make a splash at the Bill Farrell International Tournament on November 15th, with a dynamic roster that includes both seasoned veterans and rising stars. The Stakes: The Bill Farrell International serves as a critical stepping stone for these athletes as they vie for the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympic Trials. With only one spot available per weight class for the highest placing American in the top 4, the competition will be fierce, and the Storm is gearing up to punch their ticket to State College early. Meet the Contenders: 1. Dylan Gregorson (60 kg): Making his debut with the […]

Minnesota Storm: A Year in Review

By Markos Tsegaye After another year of competition and growth for the Minnesota Storm, tournament season has come to an end. The organization continued to make strides this season as Patrick Smith just earned his 4th U.S. World Team spot and Christian DuLaney has risen in the ranks as he now finds himself to be one of the top wrestlers in 97 kg. This is just a glimpse of what the Storm achieved as a collective over the past year. Storm coaches Dan Chandler and Brandon Paulson have worked alongside their team on a daily basis throughout the season, preparing the Storm for another year of development and battles against the world’s best. Chandler, a former Olympian and USA […]

Minneapolis builds its reputation as premiere location to learn Greco-Roman wrestling

By Alex Karwowski Minneapolis has always been a hub for international wrestlers to train and perfect their art. Recently, the Minnesota Storm welcomed the Puerto Rican national team to their facilities for two weeks of training to help them prepare for the Central American Games in El Salvador this month. With so many athletes from all over the world coming to Minneapolis to train, The Storm built a reputation for itself as being a premiere international training hub. Jose Jordan, a wrestler for the Puerto Rican national team said the facilities in Minneapolis had bigger mats, more exercise equipment, and much more partners allowing him to have versatility in his training. “The different partners – it’s great because I can […]

Three Storm Wrestler's to compete at Final X

By Markos Tsegaye Three members of the Minnesota Storm earned a spot in the 2023 Final X after qualifying at the World Team Trials. The event features the two best wrestlers of each weight class matching up in a best-of-three series to earn a spot on the United States World Team. Patrick Smith, Christian DuLaney and Ryan Epps will travel to Newark, NJ, to represent the Storm in the event on June 10 at the Prudential Center. After earning qualification, the wrestlers are looking forward to capitalizing on the opportunity. While Epps didn’t have much time to prepare for the physicality he would see at the World Team Trials, he said his mental preparation allowed him to put on a […]

Minnesota Storm welcomed Ukrainian wrestlers after they fled war-torn home

By Alex Karwowski When Russian forces launched a series of missile attacks on Ukraine, world renowned wrestlers for the Ukraine national team, Zhora Abovian, and his wife Khrystyna, were left with no choice but to flee their home country. When the war first broke out, Abovian said he and Khrystyna spent time traveling between various European countries including Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, before finally coming to the United States. With the help of Arsen Julfalakyan, a wrestler on the Armenian national team and friend of Abovian, the couple connected with Pat Smith and the Minnesota Storm community. The two now train with the Minnesota Storm in Minneapolis. “I said I want to go USA, can help me? Arsen […]

The Storm set to compete in Las Vegas

By Markos Tsegaye The 2023 US Open wrestling tournament is set to begin at the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 26. The tournament will feature wrestlers of multiple levels and styles. Members of the Minnesota Storm will be participating in the tournament and say they’re excited for the tournament would be an understatement. Among the Storm’s representatives in Las Vegas are Fritz Schierl, Christian DuLaney and Christian Rouleau. After practice on April 21, they spoke about their expectations for the tournament. “I’m excited to see how I wrestle against the competition with a few months of only greco training,” Schierl said. “Pressure makes diamonds, I’m excited to feel the pressure and just […]

2008 Olympian talks emotional journey of competing at the international level

By Alex Karwowski Former Minnesota Storm wrestler Jake Deitchler earned his spot on the Olympic team as an 18-year-old high school graduate. Deitchler, now a retired wrestler, had the opportunity to reflect on the emotional buildup that came with competing for Team USA at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and share the wisdom he gained from wrestling among the best in the world. In preparing for the Olympics, Deitchler said a lot happened behind the scenes. He would often go to the gym late at night and early in the morning before school started to get weight training in. “What nobody sees is the things at night,” said Deitchler. “You know everybody’s in bed and you’re getting a workout […]

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 […]