BEMIDJI 鈥� Last season was Taylor Merschman鈥檚 first year wrestling.
Her freshman campaign included plenty of learning and growth, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the state tournament.
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This offseason, Merschman kept on improving.
鈥淟ast year it was kind of like my fresh start, I wasn鈥檛 really sure what I was doing,鈥� Merschman said. 鈥淭hen (training) over the summer helped a lot, but also through the season last year, learning through other people. 鈥� Over the summer, I鈥檝e really gotten into specific shots and just been working on different things with my coaches, so that鈥檚 helped me a lot.鈥�
Heading into her sophomore season with some experience and a productive summer under her belt, Merschman is setting her expectations high for this season.
鈥淢y goal this year is to be a state champion, just setting higher goals,鈥� Merschman said. 鈥淟ast year, I was really, really new to it, obviously, so last year I was really unsure where to set my goals. But this year I kind of know because I placed at the state tournament last year.鈥�
The season has certainly started off on the right foot for Merschman. At Thursday night鈥檚 season-opening quadrangular at the BHS Gymnasium, she went 3-0 competing at the 112-pound weight class, notching a 17-second pin, a 5:10 pin and a forfeit win.
鈥�(She鈥檚) very athletic, great attitude but kind of struggled at the beginning of (last) year,鈥� head coach Rance Bahr said. 鈥淏ut she鈥檚 one of those ones who always wants to grow, always wants to get better and puts in the time and effort to do so. 鈥� She looks like she鈥檚 improved again exponentially this year, and we鈥檙e looking forward to her (season). She has some pretty lofty goals, and hopefully, we can meet those.鈥�
It was an impressive performance all around for the Lumberjacks, as they bested Thief River Falls 45-28, Moorhead 55-18 and Brainerd 53-22 to complete the sweep.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 always exciting to be home for the first meet in front of the home crowd and give the parents an opportunity to watch their girls wrestle,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淚 thought overall the girls wrestled well, we ended up doing pretty well tonight. Obviously, there鈥檚 some things to work on, but it鈥檚 the first week of December, so to be expected.鈥�
Merschman wasn鈥檛 the only BHS wrestler that finished the meet with a goose egg in the loss column. Freshman Emma Richards won a 5-3 decision before picking up a pin and a forfeit competing in the 100-pound weight class, while sophomore Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm secured a trio of falls at 118.
Senior Maya Schmidt (170) and seventh-grader Keeari Goodfellow (235) also went 3-0, though each came through forfeit.
However, Schmidt still managed to make her presence felt as one of the key leaders on the team.
鈥淢aya is one of those ones that鈥檚 been around for three years, and so she鈥檚 an exceptional leader, does a great job,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淗aving her on the bench and having her prepare the other girls and get them ready is priceless. It鈥檚 worth its weight in gold, really. She鈥檚 a great asset to our team.鈥�
The Lumberjacks also had a collection of wrestlers earn two wins on the day. Amber Kremper tallied two wins by fall, once at 130 pounds and the other at 124, both coming less than a minute into the match.
Imrie Mistic, another senior, tallied a 9-6 decision and a pin in 5:18 competing at 142 and 148, respectively.
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鈥淲e have several girls with a lot of experience in our lineup, we have several girls that are ranked highly in the state,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淛ust the experience that they鈥檝e had on the mat 鈥� they kind of know what鈥檚 going on, they can help some of the younger girls and take control and lead.鈥�
Sophomore Braelyn Ruport finished with a pair of pins by the end of the night, winning at 155 in 0:18 and 170 in 4:41.
At 136 pounds, junior Dezi Puffe tallied a forfeit win and a 5:04 technical fall, while eighth-grader Chasity Skerik collected a forfeit victory and a 2:54 fall at 148 and 155, respectively.
鈥淥verall, I thought we did good, we鈥檙e moving along really fast in the practice room and progressing very quickly,鈥� Bahr said. 鈥淪ome of our upperclassmen kind of took control tonight which is nice. We have a lot of depth, we have a full lineup, we have almost a full JV (team) and we can move girls around, so that鈥檚 very helpful as well.鈥�
Bemidji 45, Thief River Falls 28
100: Emma Richards (BHS) over Bella Seyler, Dec 5-3
106: Jillian Gunderson (BHS) over Ellie Nelson, Fall 1:45
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112: Taylor Merschman (BHS) by forfeit.
118: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Genevieve McMullen, Fall 1:03
124: Maddie Poissant (TRF) over Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka, Fall 5:08
130: Amber Kremper (BHS) over Alora Green, Fall 0:36
136: Molly Ferguson (TRF) over Dezerai Puffe, MD 18-7
142: Gabrielle Zoller (TRF) over Imrie Mistic, Fall 4:40
148: Chasity Skerik by forfeit.
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155: Natalia Zoller (TRF) over Braelyn Ruport, Fall 2:24
170: Samantha Zoller (TRF) by forfeit.
190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) by forfeit.
235: Keeari Goodfellow (BHS) by forfeit.
Bemidji 55, Moorhead 18
100: Emma Richards (BHS) over Samantha Hanson, Fall 1:38
106: Tia Kanneh (MHS) over Jillian Gunderson, Fall 1:39
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112: Taylor Merschman (BHS) over Marley Marts, Fall 0:17
118: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Dulce Arpero, Fall 1:52
124: Amber Kremper (BHS) over Ariana Vargas, Fall 0:45
130: Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka (BHS) over Layla Counts, MD 10-0
136: Dezerai Puffe by forfeit.
142: Imrie Mistic (BHS) over Jemma Enger, Dec 9-6
148: Cailey Williams (MHS) over Chasity Skerik, Fall 3:37
155: Braelyn Ruport (BHS) over Brooke Fritel, Fall 0:18
170: Annabelle Rueckert (MHS) by forfeit.
190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) by forfeit.
235: Keeari Goodfellow (BHS) by forfeit.
Bemidji 53, Brainerd 22
100: Emma Richards (BHS) by forfeit.
106: Anilyse Bundy (BRN) over Jillian Gunderson, MD 15-6
112: Taylor Merschman (BHS) over Daniel Flores, Fall 5:10
118: Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (BHS) over Arianna Elling-Starry, Fall 5:17
124: Ariana Pickar (BRD) over Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka, Fall 3:21
130: Holly Bergin (BRD) over Amber Kremper, Fall 0:51
136: Dezerai Puffe (BHS) over Maggie Bernu, TF 16-0 5:04
142: Annika Dalzell (BRN) over Jadyn Eichberg, Fall 3:39
148: Imrie Mistic (BHS) over Elise Larson, Fall 5:18
155: Chasity Skerik (BHS) over Chloe Patrik, Fall 2:54
170: Braelyn Ruport (BHS) over Lilana Kosloski, Fall 4:41
190: Maya Schmidt (BHS) forfeit.
235: Keeari Goodfellow (BHS) by forfeit.
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