A Dillingham grad is heading to a college wrestling national tournament next weekend in Topeka, Kansas.
Reed Tennyson, a 2011 DHS grad, is a redshirt sophomore for the Southern Oregon Raiders. The three time high school state finalist took fourth in the 174 weight class at an NAIA regional tournament last weekend in Havre Montana, and that qualifies him for nationals.
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"That's quite an accomplishment. You know all the grind and the work. He's reached one of his goals."
That's former Dillingham coach John Johnson, who now lives in Missoula, Montana, and drove down to take in the event.
"What I saw of the wrestling, every match, even the ones he lost, he lost both of those by one point. So he's right there wrestling with the best of the best."
Tennyson won his first match, then lost a close match to the nationally third ranked wrestler in the 174 pound bracket. He won the third match, and lost the fourth. That earned him fourth place, and entry into a rather small cadre of fellow former Wolverines who’ve earned their way to a national tournament in college.
"In my knowledge, there's only two. Reed being one of them. The other one would be Jared Miller, just last year, for Northern Idaho."
Johnson has been keeping tabs with his former wrestlers, including Tennyson, and says he talks to him every other week or so. He remembers Tennyson coming out as a skinny but athletic freshman with big goals.
"Reed progressed steadily from his freshman year on, just getting better all the time. And again, with his work ethic, he was an easy person to coach."
Tennyson took second at state his sophomore year, wrestling at 150. He was state champ his junior year at 145, and took second as a senior up another weight class at 152. Now as a redshirt sophomore with Southern Oregon, he’s having an excellent season, as is the team, which took its sixth regional title in seven years. Wrestling at the collegiate level is demanding, says Johnson, and a lot of wrestlers have to throw in the towel for one reason or another.
"You know trying to pull grades, injuries, everything else that goes on, it's a hard thing to do, and Reed has pushed through that grind for three long years right now. So he's getting some of his dividends paid back."
And that, for family, friends, younger wrestlers, and even an old coach like Johnson, is a great thing to see happen.
"For him, or any of them to go on and accomplish goals that they set, it just makes them a stronger person in life in what they choose to, and Reed is a shining example of that. So I'm very proud of him."
The NAIA championships kick off March 6 in Topeka Kansas.
Contact Dave at (907)842-2200 or dave@kdlg.org