Elwood: Three Men on a Mission

Steve Elwood found three dream matches to follow in the recent Minnesota state wrestling tournament. He asked three of the participants if he could follow them as they made their way to their shot at the gold medal. All three wrestlers are former state champions and their potential rivals were also defending state champions. Two out of those six former champions had multiple titles going into the weekend. There was no way of knowing who was going to come out on top, but Elwood was going to follow it through to the end.

On a mission for God

Nate Thomas won a Minnesota Christmas Tournament title as a freshman in 2009 with a victory over Chad Bartschenfeld (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Four years ago, a young fresh face burst onto the Minnesota wrestling scene with a surprising holiday championship early into his freshman campaign. This annual event, better known as the Minnesota Christmas Tournament, brings all three classes from the state together in an individual format one week after the Walsh Ironman. Most well-versed fans know this holiday tournament is tougher to win than the state championship. There are many reasons for this. They include wrestlers not quite being down to weight, football recently ending, but most important, all the tough hammers are together instead of splitting into the three classes. Nate Thomas (103 pounds from Kasson-Mantorville) managed to get his arm raised in his last match to take home the gold.

Three weeks later Thomas opened eyes nationally, going 6-0 at The Clash. He finished his breakthrough season with a state championship over friend and fellow future star Kyle Gliva (Simley). There were whispers about Thomas being a four-timer and hopeful future Minnesota Gopher.

Jordan Kingsley defeated Nate Thomas in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament finals at 113 pounds in 2010 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Entering his sophomore year, Thomas moved up a weight to 113 and was the obvious No. 1-ranked wrestler in class AA. Like usual, the Minnesota Christmas Tournament was scheduled early and Thomas was set for a collision with highly ranked AAA state placer (senior) Jordan Kingsley from Apple Valley. Kingsley was a bit too seasoned for Thomas and his length gave Nate trouble. Jordan Kingsley ended up winning his first Minnesota Christmas Tournament title and Thomas felt the bitter taste of losing in a high profile match for the first time in his high school career. It wouldn't be the last.

Thomas didn't have much time to feel pity. The Clash was a few weeks away and Kasson was starting to show up on national polls. Kasson-Mantorville had their eyes on a state title against rival Simley. Nate is a deeply spiritual young man and trusts his Creator to guide his career. This isn't just a sometime thing, it's an everyday thing. Nate does not believe in superstitions and good luck charms. He believes in God. That's enough. Anything else is worshipping SOMETHING else. Little did Thomas know, a few weeks later, his faith and life were about to be tested like never before.

In the second round of The Clash, Thomas had a large and muscular opponent from Grand Island. In the middle period, Nate's arm was completely pulled out of his shoulder. The pain was immediate and acute. It shot through his body like lightning and Thomas fell to his knees screaming in agony. He knew he was in trouble as the trainer looked him over and left it up to Thomas to decide to continue. "The team needed me and I wasn't going to give up six points." He finished with a win and went on to wrestle the next round with the injury. Amazingly, Thomas won all three matches the next day with a severe torn labrum, going 6-0 at The Clash for the second straight year.

He visited the first of many doctors on Monday and was given the bad news. He could either have surgery right away or make it through the season and get it done at the end of the year. He was warned of the possibility of permanent paralysis if he chose to keep going. He prayed about this and after several days he chose to stay on. The team decided to keep it quiet and Nate did everything he could to protect the shoulder in each match. But at some point during every match, he had his arm pulled out of the shoulder socket. He endured that same pain as the Grand Island match, for every single match during the rest of the season.

Nate Thomas fell to Brett Stolarzyk in the state championship match in 2011 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

He made it to the state finals confident he had enough to beat Brett Stolarzyk from Stewartville. This time he lost. This was way more emotionally painful to lose than the Christmas Tournament three months earlier.

"I was so confused. No one works harder than me. I thought I was the best. I didn't understand how it was possible. I cried harder than I ever had in my life."

Thomas had the surgery in the summer and looked forward to his junior year. He knew if he could get his strength back he would likely face a new rival in Juan Torres, another powerful wrestler from Simley. It never happened. Thomas spent the entire season on the bench after another surgery. The pressure to return was overwhelming. Kasson had yet to knock off Simley in the team portion and they had a great shot if only Nate Thomas would get back in the lineup.

Nate missed the Minnesota Christmas Tournament and The Clash. He finally made an appearance at the team sections, only to limp to a few rough wins. His coach Jamie Heidt made the tough decision of benching his superstar for the individual portion of the postseason and only using him sparingly during the team duals. Juan Torres dominated the his way to the state title at 120 pounds and Simley walked away with their fifth straight state team title.

Nate Thomas won his second Minnesota Christmas Tournament title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Now comes the senior year and the comeback. Nate started out very strong winning the prestigious Christmas Tournament for the second time, but found his first loss ever at The Clash. However, this group of seniors had been building toward this magical season for many years and they placed higher at The Clash than they ever had before. They had their eyes on the state team title a few months away. Kasson has never won a state team title in ANY SPORT and the pressure was building. Thomas knew he had several dates with Juan Torres coming up.

The first showdown was set two weeks after The Clash in the Swalla Duals. It was a high-scoring affair in Nate's favor 8-5. Torres ran out of gas in the third period since this was his first competition of the season. Everyone knew they would meet two more times at the state tournament. Torres would be in much better shape by then.

Minnesota is one of the few state tournaments combining the team dual championship with the individual championship ... on the SAME weekend. In the team finals, Kasson was staring down Simley. There were several important matches, but none bigger than the match at 126 pounds. Thomas had to get a win over Juan Torres.

In the first period, neither wrestler was able to get the takedown. In the second, Thomas escaped and again neither managed a takedown.

Kasson-Mantorville wrestlers and fans celebrate after winning the state title (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

The third started with Torres down needing points. Nate cut Torres to tie the score at 1-1. Both wrestlers were no longer tentative and both had great opportunities to score. Midway through, Thomas used a nice double leg takedown at the edge of the circle to take the all-important 3-1 lead. Torres quickly escaped and Thomas again scored a takedown. Torres got another escape, but time was running out. Thomas won the match 5-3 to help propel Kasson to their first ever state team title. The Kasson fans were dancing in the aisles and the celebration went on for over 10 minutes. Nate knew his match was the turning point.

The individual portion started the next day (Friday) and would finish on Saturday night. This part of the state tournament is not seeded, and mostly by luck, Thomas and Torres were on opposite sides of the bracket. By the time they reached the semifinals on Day 2, Thomas and Torres had taken apart their opponents. However, Torres was about to face returning state champion Ty Griffin. Nate didn't know if Torres had enough to win. He was wrong. Torres destroyed Griffin with a first-period pin.

Nate Thomas and Juan Torres lock up in the state championship match (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

Now comes the showdown. This is Nate Thomas's last match as a high school wrestler. He is signed to wrestle for the University of Minnesota Gophers and is hoping to wrestle in the Olympics someday. But he has the biggest showdown of his high school career coming. Nate talks about God like some guys talk about a girlfriend. I asked him if he thinks God cares whether he wins or not. He thought hard about this: "I think I owe God the honor of using the skills he gave me. He probably doesn't care whether I win. However, winning is a bit more glorious than losing!" We shared a good laugh at that line.

The time is here. The two rivals shake hands and like the first match, neither wrestler manages a takedown for the first two minutes. Both wrestlers are cautious and don't want to make a mistake. There is no room for error here.

Nate Thomas gets his hand raised after winning the state championship (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

The second period starts with Thomas on top. Torres gets a quick escape in just six seconds. Again, neither wrestler manages a takedown in the period and it's 1-0 Torres.

The third period starts with Thomas down with a quick explosion to a standing position to tie the score at 1-1. Forty seconds later, Thomas is in on a deep shot and lifts Torres into the air and slams him into the mat. It's a clean takedown and it's now 3-1. Torres wiggles out for a quick escape, but time is now running out. Torres tries a few more desperate shots, but the end is coming. Nate Thomas has made it all the way back to the top of the podium as the Class 2A state champion.

The Baby-Faced Assassin vs. The Phenom

Kyle Gliva gets a pin at the The Clash in late December (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Kyle Gliva (Simley) is perhaps the most underrated wrestler in the state of Minnesota. He is the two time defending state champion, but it's his two larger teammates that seem to get all the attention. Jake Short and Nick Wanzek are two of the nation's top seniors. Both have decided to stay in Minnesota and wrestle for the Gophers. Neither has lost a high school match in several seasons. Kyle Gliva has always been in their shadow, but it has never bothered him. Yeah, he would have liked to have the press oohing and aahing at his every move, but his personality and serious workmanlike attitude wasn't nearly as fun to notice. Still, he was highly recruited by several Ivy League schools, including Columbia and Penn. He ended up choosing a neighboring state and rising power NDSU. Kyle carries an incredible 3.95 GPA and is planning on a career as an engineer. But that is going to have to wait.

He is about to face "The Phenom" Brady Berge twice in the state tournament. Brady Berge has been well known in these parts since he first started wrestling as a young boy. He must have a roomful of trophies. Last year he was the state champion at 106 pounds as a seventh-grader. This year he grew to 132 pounds and is in line to become a six-time state champion, which has never been accomplished in Minnesota.

Brady Berge defeated Kyle Gliva in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

These two have met twice already this season and will meet two more times this weekend. Their first match this season was in the finals of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. It was a back-and-forth battle with Gliva nursing a one-point lead with 20 seconds to go. I was on the top of the gym and made a comment about this match being over. I had watched Kyle wrestle since his freshman year and he never gives up a lead that late in a match. Berge obviously didn't know this ... or maybe he did. Either way, he took a desperate shot at Gliva's legs and took him to the mat with five seconds left to secure the win. The Kasson crowd rose to their feet and the screaming went on for a full minute. Gliva simply went to his corner, mad at himself for being so sloppy. "I was devastated. I had him and I let it slip away!"

I have some friends who are Clash loyalists that travel from New Jersey to Minnesota to take in the event. They have been weight judges at 106 for the last four years. During Kyle Gliva's freshman year, one of them made a comment about how young he looked, and I heard the phrase "baby face." Later they watched him run the table, going 6-0 and for the first time I heard the term, "Baby-Faced Assassin." It stuck. Every year I get messages from those guys asking me how the "Assassin" is doing. He's one of their favorite wrestlers from Minnesota. I relayed this story to Kyle's mom Sue and not surprisingly, she wasn't nearly as amused as I thought she might be.

Gliva and Berge Act 2 took place three weeks after that first meeting. It went into two overtimes, with Berge getting a surprising and somewhat controversial reversal as time was running out. The final score was 3-2 and now Berge (The Phenom) had beaten Gliva (The Assassin) twice. Kyle claims he has never been more motivated in his career since taking that loss.

Kyle is a very hard-working young man. His coach Will Short simply loves Kyle. He has been in his corner for over a decade, and Will had a sad look on his face while talking about Kyle not being on the team next year.

"I love that kid like he's my son. He's everything I could hope for in a student-athlete. Nobody outworks him in the wrestling room or the classroom. When he's gone, I'm going to tell the new kids to reach for the goals Kyle Gliva did. I'm so proud of him. The good news is I get to watch him wrestle in college!"

I don't often get the chance to see Will get emotional, but he stood there beaming at me about Gliva and I swear I saw a tear in the corner of his eye.

Thursday night: State team dual finals: Simley vs. Kasson-Mantorville

Simley is in real trouble by the time the match at 132 pounds is about to begin. They have already forfeited a match at 106 and they had another forfeit coming at 285. It was 12 wrestlers (Simley) vs. 14 wrestlers (Kasson-Mantorville) and this was going to be a must-win for Gliva. The match starts out like a chess game with plenty of hand fighting and collar ties, but no real good scoring chances. The time goes by fast and the period ends 0-0. Berge starts the second period on top and 18 seconds later Gliva is out to take the all-important 1-0 lead. The next minute and a half was full of wild action as both guys attempted shots and both almost scored. The scrambles had every eye in the arena on them. In the end, neither was able to score and we are now finished with the second period with Kyle Gliva nursing a 1-0 lead.

The third period starts with Brady Berge taking down, and to no one's surprise he escapes 16 seconds later. The electricity in the air is thick and over the next 90 seconds we were privileged to watch some of the more intense scrambles of the weekend. Still, no one could score. Overtime!

Kyle Gliva celebrates with his Simley teammates after defeating Brady Berge in the state team championship (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

The next minute had both young men neutral and on their feet. The action was crazy fast and Gliva almost secures control with 14 ticks left on the clock. But again, neither wrestler could secure the takedown during the extra 60 seconds. The next 30 seconds of overtime had Gliva in the down position and he was able to break free and take a one-point lead 2-1. The next 30 seconds of overtime started with Brady Berge down and sure enough, he was able to tie it up at 2-2. Now there is only one overtime left. Gliva gets the choice since he scored the first point and to no one's surprise he chooses bottom. Halfway through the period, a mad scramble occurs and Gliva turns his hips into Berge and manages to get behind Brady. It's a reversal and Gliva officially wins 4-2. Simley uses that win to go on an amazing run only to come up three points shy of winning its sixth state title. Kasson-Mantorville, at last, earns a state championship! I saw Nate Thomas crying happy tears. Most of his teammates joined in.

Friday night: Individual quarterfinals -- Gliva vs. Berge IV

The Minnesota state tournament is not seeded for the individuals. There is plenty of controversy about this, but it doesn't appear like it's going to change anytime soon. As a result, the top two wrestlers in Class AA at 126 pounds were about to meet in the quarterfinals. In all likelihood, one was going to be the champion and the other would wrestle back for third. There wasn't any rational wrestling fan at the Xcel Energy Center who believed Kyle Gliva vs. Brady Berge wasn't for the state championship. One thing this non-seeding deal does is guarantee huge crowds for both days. Theirs was not the only great match on Day 1 of the individual portion that many wish would be in the state finals 24 hours later.

Kyle asked for me to skip meeting him before this match. It gave me the chance to visit with his parents Keith and Sue. To say Sue gets excited for Kyle while wrestling is like saying the sun just might come up tomorrow. Intensity doesn't quite do her fanaticism justice. She can be seen matside during Kyle's match losing her voice screaming for her son to make the move she knows so well. Keith (father) is the polar opposite and seems more relaxed. They both talk of Kyle like they are lucky to have such a fun kid in the family. He has a dry sense of humor and his energy keeps their home warm. They talk of how difficult it is to eat normally as a family while Kyle is watching his weight. The answer to that dilemma is to simply eat before he gets home. Usually he can smell what they eat no matter how hard Sue tries to cover it up. Kyle loves pasta more than just about any other food. Sue makes a special red sauce with garlic and no matter how hard she tries, Kyle is going to sniff it out. He spends some of his free time gazing at the food channel and has a secret mission to visit as many "diners, drive-ins, and dives" as he can in Minnesota.

Kyle Gliva gets a takedown on Brady Berge in their state quarterfinal match (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

It's time. This match begins where the last one left off with fast and furious shots taken by both young men. Both wrestlers know they must not give up a takedown in the first period. With just seconds to go, Brady Berge gets in deep on a double leg takedown and secures the 2-0 lead. The period ends this way, 2-0 Berge. You might wonder what goes through an athlete's mind when giving up an all-important, last-second takedown: "I immediately thought, 'I am going to finish third.' Then I thought, 'Forget that! I'm not giving in that easy!'"

The second period starts with Gliva down and he escapes 15 seconds in, to cut the lead in half. Gliva now is stalking Berge and takes several shots only to be countered with spin moves and great defense by Brady. With 29 seconds left, another mad scramble ensues and with just four seconds on the clock Gliva was able to finally take Berge down and retake the lead 3-2.

Now Berge is down to start the third. Gliva must have known it was fruitless to try a two-minute ride and cuts Berge to tie the score 3-3. The next 60 seconds followed form with both wrestlers attempting leg shots only to run into a counter move that could have easily resulted in a quick two points. With 37 seconds to go, Gliva is in on a single leg, but this time it's deep. He isn't letting go and powers his way around Brady to take a 5-3 lead. There is a break and they both head back to the center with 15 seconds. Berge gets out and it's the Minnesota Christmas Tournament all over again. But this time Kyle is dialed in. He is backpedaling and blocking everything Berge throws at him. Brady tries one more desperate move only to come up empty.

Kyle Gliva hugs his coach Will Short after winning his third state title (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

A day later Gliva puts the finishing touches on his third state title with a 10-1 victory over Scottie Bonds of St. Paul Humboldt.

Later he told me he probably won't be remembered for the three championships, but would likely be known as the guy who stopped Brady Berge from getting six. He tipped his hat to Berge, claiming that Brady was in the top three of all the wrestlers he has ever faced in Minnesota. That says a lot about Brady. He's still has four more years of varsity.

Dream Killer

Although the last two bouts I described were within most fans' "sweet spot" to watch, there wasn't a fan who didn't believe the two warriors facing off in AA at 195 pounds was THE MATCH. This one also involved another Kasson-Mantorville grappler named Berge -- Broc, Brady's older and much bigger brother vs. Lance Benick from Totino-Grace. They will only meet once in the finals on Saturday night. No way was anyone leaving before these two muscular athletes met in the center of the circle. Lance invited me along for the ride and I attached my seat belt. What a ride it was.

Broc Berge edged Lance Benick in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Broc Berge is the two-time defending state champion and finished as a Junior National freestyle finalist in Fargo last summer. Every Big Ten school took a run at him, only for Iowa to land this top recruit. He is mentioned as one of the nation's very best seniors in his class. In his career he has only one match with Benick, which happened at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament in December. It went into overtime with Berge squeaking out a late takedown in sudden victory, 5-3. After that bout, everyone expected Lance to go down to his natural weight of 182. It never happened.

"There is no way I was going down to 182," said Benick. "I would much rather lose to Berge than win a state title at 182. I couldn't live with myself knowing I was running from him."

I asked if it mattered if he was a three-time state champion as opposed to a four-timer.

"I would rather not lose, but I would rather lose to Broc Berge than to live the rest of my life wondering if I could have beaten him."

There were 17,000 people in the stands that wondered the same thing.

Lance Benick went 18-0 in three Cadet National competitions in 2012, winning national titles in folkstyle, Greco-Roman, and freestyle. (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

How good is Lance Benick? Last season he easily dispatched his opponents for his first state title as a freshman. But it was four months later in July where he proved how dominant he really is. As a first-year Cadet, Lance won the USA Wrestling National Triple Crown. In Fargo, there wasn't a match that was decided by less than a technical fall or a pin. He destroyed everyone in the country. That kind of domination doesn't come around very often and the knowledgeable wrestling fans in Minnesota were licking their chops at this sophomore sensation.

What motivates Lance Benick? Well, besides the thrill of being the best, he is wrestling for his mom, Joanne. She has a very serious tumor in her brain and no one really knows how much time she has left. Lance adores his mom and many times when he thinks he is completely gassed and can go no further, he thinks, "If only I go five minutes longer, and if only by doing that, my mom might live longer." He wants to win this state championship more for her than any person on the planet. Lance also designed a T-shirt for Joanne that helped raise several hundred dollars for her medical care.

How serious of a student is Lance Benick? He works all year to come up with the $12,000 tuition it requires to attend Totino-Grace High School. Yep, he pays his own tuition. He doesn't think it's that big of a deal. He started buying and selling wrestling shoes over the Internet and is known as the kid with over two dozen of his own. He also works all summer with his dad on construction to raise the money. He told me he is hooked on marketing and would love to be a successful business owner someday. I'll only be surprised if he doesn't. Lance is a large young man, but gentle, and is amazingly laid back. During our interviews he yawned several times and took every hard question I could come up with a simple smile and an "aw-shucks" attitude. It's impossible to not like this guy.

Saturday night: 195-pound Class AA championship

Lance Benick and Broc Berge tangle in the state finals (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)

The air is heavy as these two big men enter the circle. As the match unfolds I hear a fan mention how ridiculously small the circle seems for these two giants. Both start out very tentative with neither trying anything crazy. There's simply too much respect for either opponent to try anything foolish. With just under 20 seconds, Broc Berge tries the closest thing to a successful shot of the period only to be blocked cleanly by Lance.

The second period starts with Berge winning the coin toss and choosing down. Within 15 seconds Broc Berge escapes to take the early lead 1-0. Now they start to open up and at the 53-second mark, Lance Benick is in deep only to have Berge scramble away grabbing onto Lance's ankle and both end up out of bounds. A few more halfhearted shots take place in the last 30 seconds and Berge keeps the 1-0 lead.

Berge lets Benick up to start the third period. It's now 1-1 and the crowd is quiet and anxious. Everyone knows if there is a takedown, it will likely decide the match. There is a crazy flurry with just over a minute to go, but neither can score. The Kasson crowd starts the "Here we go, Broc ... Here we go" chant. It travels as fast as these two guys go at one other. With just under 40 seconds in regulation, Lance gets a hold of Berge's right leg and lifts him up in the air. Berge takes two hops and gets out of bounds. Time is up and it's tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.

The next two minutes will go down in Minnesota wrestling lore. It will be told for years to come. The first minute of sudden victory finds both men back on their feet looking for that takedown to win the match. By now Lance Benick is no longer tentative and he tries every move he has in his offense. He tries three different times to get in on Berge's legs and arms looking for any opening. Berge does a masterful job of holding Benick at bay. The action is nonstop and the fans are holding their breath. They finish the period in another wild scramble, but there are no points awarded.

Broc Berge wins the coin flip and chooses the down position for the next 30 seconds of overtime. No one expects Lance to ride Broc, but Benick has a secret weapon he was waiting to use. He calls it a "Zuniga," named after a favorite coach of his. Dave Zuniga, a 1996 Olympian and All-American Gopher wrestler, taught Lance this crossface arm headlock and Lance secured it tight for the first 12 seconds until the referee broke it. When the whistle blew again, Lance reached across Berge's upper torso and locked the Zuniga again. This time he held it while both wrestlers were standing as Lance tried to bring Broc down to the mat. It worked to perfection and the period ended still tied 1-1.

Lance Benick sporting his "Dream Killer" T-shirt

Here's where it became surreal. Broc Berge was in the top position for the next 30 seconds of overtime. Only, he decides to cut Benick. A friend of mine to my right asked, "What is going on? They have just wrestled seven minutes on their feet and neither could get a takedown. Now Lance doesn't need one and Broc does." Later I asked Lance what he thought about being cut loose at that moment. "I knew I was going to win," Lance said. "I had no stall calls against me and there was no way I was giving up a takedown."

He was right. Berge tried everything he could, but came up short. The final score was 2-1 in favor of Lance Benick. The curious part of this match is Lance Benick won without scoring an offensive point. Later, Lance was met in the tunnel by one of his summer coaches with a T-shirt that he had been waiting for the beaming redhead to finally put on. The front of the black T-shirt had only 11 gold letters, but the two words were prophetic: "Dream Killer."

Steve Elwood can be reached at steveel@rstransportinc.com.

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Elwood: Three Men on a Mission

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