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Wrestling: 5 champs, 40 medalists from Northland

KAXE | By Megan Buffington
Published March 3, 2026 at 12:16 PM CST
Grand Rapids senior Christian Jelle stands atop the podium after winning his third wrestling state championship Feb. 28, 2026, in St. Paul.
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Grand Rapids Area Wrestling
Grand Rapids senior Christian Jelle stands atop the podium after winning his third wrestling state championship Feb. 28, 2026, in St. Paul.

Wrestlers from Grand Rapids, Staples-Motley and Badger-Greenbush/Middle River topped the podium at state Feb. 28, 2026, with another 35 Northlanders from 12 teams winning medals.

ST. PAUL — Forty student-athletes from rural Northern Minnesota made the podium at the state individual wrestling tournament Saturday, Feb. 28, in St. Paul.

Among them were five state champions. Badger-Greenbush/Middle River junior Sarah Pulk captured her fourth consecutive wrestling title. Grand Rapids senior Christian Jelle repeated as the 139-pound champion in 2A, his third straight title.

Staples-Motley claimed three more titles after winning the Class A team tourney on Thursday: Senior Colbe Tappe is again the 160-pound champion, and the Bjerga brothers came out on top after both finishing second last year, sophomore Gage in 139-pound and freshman Garrett in 107-pound.

Another eight Cardinals medaled individually (senior Elijah Greenwaldt, second; junior Caden Kramer, third; freshman Cayden Neisen, fourth; senior Riley Reese, fourth; junior Zach Tabatt, fourth; senior Adrian Gomez, fourth; sophomore Leah Greenwaldt, sixth; and senior Luke Bjerga, sixth), as did another Thunderhawk (sophomore Destan Skelly, fifth).

Pulk wasn’t the only Badger-Greenbush/Middle River wrestler to medal, nor was she the only Pulk: Her sisters, seventh grader Emily and freshman Madilyn, won fourth and sixth place medals, respectively.

Bemidji also had a successful meet, with senior Nick Strand and junior Nehemiah Schwinghammer each finishing third and sophomore Oscar Hanks and senior Gabriel Morin finishing fourth.

Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale-Parkers Prairie, Brainerd, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, Crookston, Detroit Lakes, Fosston-Bagley, Frazee, Mahnomen-Waubun, Pequot Lakes-Pine River-Backus, Thief River Falls, United North Central and Wadena-Deer Creek also had at least one wrestler make the podium.
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Local News High School Sports and ActivitiesBadgerGreenbush-Middle River School DistrictBemidji Area SchoolsBrainerd School DistrictCloquetEsko School DistrictCarltonCrookstonDetroit LakesFosstonBagleyGrand Rapids School DistrictMahnomenPequot Lakes School DistrictStaplesThief River Falls MNSebeka MNMenahga MNWadena-Deer Creek School DistrictNorthwest MinnesotaArrowheadNorth Central MinnesotaKAXE
Megan Buffington
Megan Buffington joined the KAXE newsroom in 2024 after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Originally from Pequot Lakes, she is passionate about educating and empowering communities through local reporting.
See stories by Megan Buffington
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