Feb. 21—BEMIDJI — Nick Strand and Gabe Morin have been wrestling together for most of their lives.
It all started in preschool, when they would practice at Strand's house. He had a wrestling mat in his basement.
Fast forward to high school, and the two have shared an inseparable bond with one another. They've been some of the most consistent wrestlers Bemidji High School has had to offer, making regular trips to the state tournament throughout their high school careers.
Now in their senior year, they've both been at the top of their game. Strand finished the regular season 43-2, while Morin finished the year at 41-4. They were both named captains before the season as well, becoming key leaders on a BHS squad that has had to deal with a lot of injuries.
They'll soon both go their separate ways in college, with Morin heading to Augsburg and Strand committing to Northern Illinois. Before they say goodbye to Bemidji, though, they have a simple, yet lofty goal: win the state championship.
On Saturday at the BHS gymnasium, they took one step towards it.
At the Section 8-3A Individual Tournament, hosted by Bemidji, Strand and Morin became the only two Lumberjacks to win section titles — Morin at 133 pounds and Strand at 139. They're two of four Jacks heading to the state tournament after Ozzy Hanks and Nehemiah Schwinghammer took second at 107 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively.
All four have state tournament experience, something they'll use to their advantage.
"The biggest thing is there's no shock getting there," head coach Greg Skerik said. "You get to just do what you've done over the years. Go down there and put your best foot forward."
No matter what happens at state, Strand and Morin will be missed in the BHS wrestling program, Skerik said.
"They're vocal leaders," he continued. "They're my right hand, they handle a lot of the communication between the athletes. They're just awesome ... they've been the heart of this program and been a huge part of it for a long time. Definitely going to miss those two, but we're going to enjoy this last week together."
Strand is no stranger to the state tournament. He's been there each of the past five years, coming in fourth place last season at 139 pounds.
If there's any year to crack into the top three, it'd be his final year, where he's ranked No. 3 in Class 3A.
"It's a stepping stone to what I truly want. I want to become a state champ," Strand said of his section title. "So I'm really glad that I was able to do that and just start the path. When I was younger, I wanted to win sections every year. So it feels good to end it on a good note, too."
Strand breezed through the 139-pound bracket, notching two pins on his way to the championship against Brainerd's Jackson Berhow. He won the championship in a 14-0 major decision.
Strand's quickness on the mat is tough for his opponents to adjust to, especially on Saturday. That asset hasn't come to him naturally, though — he credits his explosiveness to taking up
plyometrics
and gymnastics.
"I'm a scientific guy. So if I see something sciencey, I'll read about it," he explained. "A lot of the fast-twitch muscles are built off plyometrics. So like fast jumping and just moving your body.
"So I got into that, and I really got into gymnastics, too. Just doing that for the past year and a half, I've gotten a lot faster."
Unlike some of his teammates, Strand doesn't listen to any music to get himself amped up before his matches. The way he sees it, he doesn't get any music during the match, so why have a mental crutch that's not going to be there for you?
Morin is different. Music helps him feel energized before a match, rock being his genre of choice.
This year will be his fourth appearance at the state tournament, placing fifth at 127 pounds last season. Now ranked No. 3 at 133 pounds, he feels confident heading into state.
Morin scored a pin and a major decision before his toughest match in the championship against Moorhead's Landon Rinke, ranked No. 8 in Class 3A. Morin gutted out a 4-0 decision to claim the section title.
"My final match was tough, that guy's good," Morin said. "You just got to keep on the offense, scoring points and have fun out there."
After so many years at the state tournament, Morin has learned that he can't take everything too seriously. He reminds himself that it's just wrestling, and he has to enjoy everything while he still can.
Hanks and Schwinghammer will join Morin and Strand at state, despite not taking their section titles. In the 107-pound championship, Hanks was defeated by Willmar's Landen Kassel in a 12-1 major decision. It was a rematch of last year's championship, where Hanks came out as the victor.
Schwinghammer, meanwhile, had a difficult road to his section championship at 285 pounds. Facing off against Sartell's Peyton Allen, he won in a hard-fought 3-2 tiebreaker and was exhausted by the end.
In the heavyweight championship against Monticello's Garett Bauer, Schwinghammer seemed to run out of steam by the end of the close match, which Bauer came out on top in a 4-2 decision.
The state tournament will be held Feb. 25-28 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
How is Strand's confidence level heading into the tournament?
"Extremely high," he said. "I barely lost to the kid that's ranked number one right now. I know I can beat him and I know I'm going to do it."