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Ross, Campion leading Otters
Veteran wrestlers ranked in state
Published Wednesday, January 23, 2008
There were two things the Fergus Falls Otters knew going into the wrestling season.
They knew that team tri-captain Drew Ross was going to be ranked No. 1 in Class AA’s 189-pound weight class and that they were going to have another great season.
Ross automatically earned the No. 1 ranking by The Guillotine by taking second to a senior in 189 in last year’s state tournament. His 40 victories and 34 pins were both school records.
An out-going guy who just loves to wrestle, Ross is currently 24-0 with 16 pins.
“He comes to practice every day and works hard and enjoys it and when you enjoy it you’re going to be good at it.” said Fergus Falls head coach Mark Aho.
Ross wrestled at 135 in his freshman year and then took a huge jump to 189 for his sophomore season. He placed third in the section meet that year. Last year he powered right through the section and did not lose until the state finals.
Ross worked hard on his weight-lifting and conditioning in the off-season. He lifted weights and went on a lot of 40-mile bike rides. This fall he competed in cross country.
Ross knows that setting a new pin record this season may not be possible but he would like to break his victory record. He also takes a lot of pride in his teammates. “Our team is doing absolutely fantastic,” said Ross. “As a team we’ve really come together.”
The Otters have only lost one of their dual meets and have received votes in the Class AA state poll.
A great bonus to Fergus’ season has been the wrestling of junior Josh Campion.
Josh Campion
Josh is the brother of Pete Campion, who won a state heavyweight wrestling title for Fergus in his senior year and went on to play college and professional football.
Like his brother, Josh wrestles at the heavyweight spot. He was ill much of the time last year but still managed to win 21 of his 32 matches. His fifth place finish in the section meet did not prepare people for how well he has done this winter. Campion is currently ranked fifth in the state in Class AA. His record is 23-1 with 16 pins.
Ross believes Campion’s success can be traced back to three “S” words — strength, speed and smarts.
“Talk about a positive guy,” said Ross. “Not to mention that he’s a beast to wrestle against.”
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by chirocorlin (anonymous) on January 24, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
congratulations to both of you and to coach Aho and the entire Fergus Falls wrestling team I hope that you all continue to have sucess and can both become state champions.
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