Kallestad runner-up at NAIA National Meet with the Hawks crowning 5 All-Americans

Dickinson State claimed 6th place at the NAIA Wrestling Championships this weekend at Oklahoma City, Okla. The 73.5 team points tallied were below the triple-digit standard that the Blue Hawks have established in recent seasons, but they still claimed five All-Americans with Jake Kallestad’s runner-up finish in the 285-lb division leading the team.

The Hawks’ other four All-Americans were Stanton Schlecht (6th, 165), Shane Bennett (6th, 174), Matt Michaelson (6th, 197) and Brett Owen (7th, 184). Of this group, Coach O’Donnell will have the off-season challenge in trying to replace seniors Schlecht, Michaelson and Owen.

Kallestad won two matches by major decision. In the tournament opener, he defeated Mike Wakim (Missouri Baptist) 18-4 and then did it again against John Bates (Southern Oregon). 14-3. After consecutive 3-2 wins by decision, Kallestad faced Arjan Bhullar (Simon Fraser) for the weight division championship. Bhullar is the Canadian Olympian at the heavyweight division. Kallestad, who generally surrenders a few dozen pounds in this division, but certainly not wrestling skill, was turned back in a very competitive 4-2 overtime, decision. The junior from Belgrade, Mont., will have the 2010 championship to serve as one last opportunity on the national stage.

In several weight classes the Blue Hawks could not make much headway, losing bouts at the quarter-final level (five of six) and in the wrestle-backs prior to the 7th place pairing.

Brett Owen, did manage to make it that far. He won by fall (0:58) in his first match, defeated another foe by a 10-5 decision, but then headed to the wrestle-backs after an 11-2 loss to the eventual national champion, Chris Platt (Southern Oregon). Owen shrugged off the loss. He won two more matches including a 4-1 win over Clete Hanson (Simon Fraser).

In 2008 Stan Schlecht was the runner-up in his weight class, but he had to settle for 6th this year though he scored well in his three victories, the first of which was a major decision over David Wiese (Cumberland), 13-5. It was a tough tournament however and Schlecht was added to the All-Amercian list, but probably not as high as he would have liked. Matt Michaelson’s route to his finish was similar. He claimed three victories in the meet with his first one, a 10-1 decision over Karl Spain (William Penn), being the easiest. Sophomore Shane Bennett claimed three wins as well but was upended for 5th place by region rival Brendon DeCock (University of Great Falls).