歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� Dezi Puffe hit 50 wins back in December in Lisbon, N.D. The only problem? She didn鈥檛 know she reached the milestone.

When the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 girls wrestling team took to the mats Friday evening at the Sanford Center on the opening day of the Rick Lee Invitational, the junior came prepared to celebrate a different milestone.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know because I just wasn鈥檛 paying attention to my stats,鈥� Puffe said. 鈥淢y mom was like, 鈥榃ell, you鈥檙e at 58, so get two and I鈥檒l make you a sign,鈥� so we just celebrated my 60th today.鈥�

Sure enough, after a forfeit against Wadena-Deer Creek, Puffe reached 50 by pinning Sauk Centre-Melrose鈥檚 Taya Gysberg in 43 seconds at 130 pounds, hoisting her handcrafted, axe-shaped sign spelling out her accomplishment.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

She picked up one more win against South Saint Paul to wrap up the night, besting Harmmony Quevedo-Marquez with a 1:53 fall.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 always great when the girls hit some milestones like that and they鈥檙e pretty excited about that,鈥� head coach Rance Bahr said. 鈥淚t's just kind of a way to demonstrate and show how much hard work they put in and how much effort they put in to get to those milestones. So that鈥檚 a great thing for her and for all of our program.鈥�

It鈥檚 been a long road for Puffe. Sitting behind a host of talented wrestlers, she spent her freshman year on junior varsity up until the very end of the season, when she was thrust into sections due to an injury.

鈥淚t was really heartbreaking because I lost all of my matches,鈥� Puffe said. 鈥淏ut it was a great experience, I鈥檓 very thankful for the opportunity every day.鈥�

A season later, injuries struck again and Puffe found herself back in the lineup with another opportunity. Though she initially questioned her ability to fill the shoes of an elite wrestler like Tori Bahr, Puffe performed admirably in the role while also gathering some essential on-the-mat experiences.

鈥淚 thought I did exceptional, but I always felt like I could not fill (Tori鈥檚) shoes because she was just so good,鈥� Puffe said. 鈥淪he was just really good, and she was like my role model. I never thought I鈥檇 be able to be as good as her, but I thank her every day for being my practice partner.鈥�

Now, as a junior, Puffe has become a team captain and an important piece of a Bemidji squad currently ranked .

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淚 just feel really accomplished,鈥� Puffe said. 鈥淚 never thought that I would be as good as I am, just because I faced a lot of adversity. 鈥� I know what it鈥檚 like to be on JV for the longest time and I know what it鈥檚 like to have to put in the work and not be naturally good at stuff. I know what it鈥檚 like to just go in, work, work, work, work and give 100%, 24/7.鈥�

That road to her current spot on the lineup has lent her some real credibility as one of the Lumberjacks鈥� leaders in the locker room. Guiding her team in pregame warmups, offering motivation, etc. 鈥� if there鈥檚 a chance to support her teammates, she鈥檚 there.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a vocal leader, she鈥檚 always there to support everybody,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of her biggest strengths, she鈥檚 a supporter of everyone and she wants to see everyone do well. We鈥檝e got a lot of leaders on the girls team, a lot of people who step up and do those very same things and a lot of it is seeing upperclassmen like Dezi Puffe, or Kiera (Hagman-Nyagaka), or Maya Schmidt do those things.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Puffe鈥檚 milestone was just one of many accolades notched by the Lumberjacks Friday night at the Rick Lee. As a team, Bemidij finished first among the eight teams participating in the dual tournament.

BHS defeated Waden-Deer Creek 60-14, Sauk Centre/Melrose 51-24 and South Saint Paul 61-12.

鈥淲e wrestled well all day long,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淭he biggest thing for me was seeing girls in situations (where) there was a lot of adversity and a lot of difficulty and they just kept pushing their way through it. So win or lose, didn鈥檛 really matter, the fact that the girls just kept going and going and didn鈥檛 back down to anyone or any situation.鈥�

The Jacks also had a pair of eighth-graders tally their first varsity wins at the event. McKenzie Ghinter (235) pinned the Packers鈥� Jocelyne Romero Chavez in 2:26, while Patricia Tooker (148) bested the Wolverines鈥� Cameron Reyes by fall in 1:41.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Yet another milestone for Bemidji came courtesy of Maya Schmidt, who secured her 50th career pin at Rick Lee competing in the 190-pound weight class.

Schmidt was just one of seven Lumberjacks that came away from Friday without a loss. Taylor Merschman (106 pounds), Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (112), Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka (118, 124), Puffe, Chasity Skerik (148, 155) and Natasha Severson (170) all wrapped up day one of the Rick Lee with a goose egg in the loss column, though a few picked up some free forfeit wins.

鈥�(We were) just pushing through and giving it our all,鈥� Puffe said. 鈥淛ust trying to go a full six minutes, and even if we got caught in the last 10 seconds, it鈥檚 an accomplishment from our first few duels, because giving up pins is a lot of points, and it really just sets us back.鈥�

Emma Richards (100), Amber Kremper (106), Tooker and Ghinter also impressed, each winding up with a 2-1 record through the three duals.

With the team portion of the Rick Lee wrapped up, the Lumberjacks will head back to the Sanford Center on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. for the individual portion of the invite.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Bemidji 60, Wadena-Deer Creek 14

100: Emma Richards (BHS) by forfeit

106: Taylor Merschman (BHS) by forfeit

112: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Maria Januszewski, Fall 0:24

118: Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka (BHS) by forfeit

124: Kayle Endres (WDC) over Amber Kremper, Fall 1:24

130: Dezi Puffe (BHS) by forfeit.

136: Addison Hillukka (WDC) over Jadyn Eichberg, 17-1

142: McKenna Brauch (WDC) over Imrie Mistic, Dec. 8-1

148: Patricia Tooker (BHS) over Cameron Reyes, Fall 1:41

155: Chasity Skerik (BHS) over Chloe Hammes, Fall 2:40

170: Natasha Severson (BHS) by forfeit.

190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) over Ella Wegscheid, Fall 2:46

235: McKenzie Ghinter (BHS) by forfeit.

Bemidji 51, Sauk Centre-Melrose 24

100: Emma Richards (BHS) over Egma Lopez Ajtun, Fall 1:05

106: Taylor Merschman (BHS) over Natalee Friedrichs, Fall 1:47

112: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Lesley Chavez Ramirez, Fall 0:32

118: Amber Kremper (BHS) over Brooklyn Budeau, Fall 5:00

124: Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka (BHS) over Afton Vogt, Dec. 4-1

130: Georgia Anderson (SCM) over Annabelle Wuori, Fall 5:48

136: Dezi Puffe (BHS) over Taya Gysberg, Fall 0:43

142: Monika Frericks (SCM) over Jadyn Eichberg, Fall 3:51

148: Chasity Skerik (BHS) over Marley Wolbeck, Fall 0:53

155: Kalli Schirmers (SCM) over Patricia Tooker, Fall 0:44

170: Natasha Severson (BHS) by forfeit

190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) over Krista Klasen, Fall 2:50

235: Makenzi Stutzman (SCM) over McKenzie Ghinter, Fall 2:36

Bemidji 61, South Saint Paul 12

100: Zeo Roddis (SSP) over Emma Richards, Fall 1:48

106: Taylor Merschman (BHS) over Briana Martinez, Fall 1:30

112: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Vivian Diaz, Fall 1:23

118: Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka (BHS) over Leila Reid, Dec. 12-5

124: Amber Kremper (BHS) over Samantha Frasl, MD 15-6

130: Dezi Puffe (BHS) over Harmmony Quevedo-Marquez, Fall 1:53

136: Jadyn Eichberg (BHS) over Amy Madigan, Fall 2:10

142: Hailey Jackson (SSP) over Imrie Mistic, Fall 2:00

148: Chasity Skerik (BHS) over Xitllali Bugarin Brito, Fall 2:42

155: Patricia Tooker by forfeit

170: Natasha Severson (BHS) by forfeit

190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) by forfeit

235: McKenzie Ghinter (BHS) over Jocelyne Romero Chavez, Fall 2:26