A Mandt Apart

Chatfield senior Jake Mandt is a three-time individual state wrestling qualifier, the 2017 145-pound champion.  He has over 150 career wins and 14 individual varsity tourney titles (unofficially).   At the Rumble on the Red, in Fargo (N. Dak.), he did something that is darn near, if not, as impressive as his state title.  The Rumble is a massive wrestling tournament.  Eighty-five schools, across all classes, from mostly Minnesota and the Dakotas, competed.   Each weight has 64-man brackets (which are close to full).   Mandt’s 145-pound bracket featured 50 wrestlers, of which, 37 left with an overall winning record.  Only Mandt left undefeated.  The senior rode a bye and two pins into the quarters.  There, he beat Perham’s ranked (#5 in AA at 138) Dylan Fudge (19-4) by 8-3 decision.  In the semis, Mandt beat Mankato-West’s ranked (#8 in AA at 138) Josh Block (19-3) by 13-5 major decision.  In the finals, unranked Moise Madimba (17-5) awaited.  The Coon Rapids junior won three times by decision, including 3-1 in quarters and 13-12 in the semis, an on paper upset of Windom/Mountain Lake’s Alex Borsgard (#5 in 145 in Class A, 16-2).   Mandt blanked Madimba (10-0 major) to claim the Rumble 145-pound title.  His five foes were a combined 74-19.  Jake’s only two losses last year occurred in Fargo (finished fifth).  Eight other Gophers competed.  None placed.  Seth Goetzinger (106, 11-4) and Davontae Goldsmith (170, 11-3) each went 2-2.   Chatfield as a team (much of it Mandt) scored 61 points to finished 28th (of 84).  Mandt (16-0, #1 at 138 in A) was in elite company.  Other undefeated Rumble champions included, Class AAA #1-ranked Minnesotans Joey Thompson (113, 12-0, Maple Grove), Cole Fibranz (220, 17-0, Sartel-St. Stephen’s), Clay Carlson (132, 19-0, Willmar) and Cael Carlson (138, 18-0, Willmar), top ranked North Dakotan’s Kelby Armstrong (Class-A 106, 29-0, Minot) and Kyle Burwick (Class-B, 126, wrestled 120, 26-0, Hettinger/Scranton), plus Class AA #2-ranked Minnesotans Bobby Striggow (195, 15-0, Orono) and Zachary Jakes (285, 11-0, Mankato-West).