By John Rittenhouse
Two Hills-Beaver Creek High School athletes are expected to make an impact for the Luverne-H-BC-Ellsworth wrestling squad this winter.
H-BC-E junior Dusty Seachris and eighth-grader Kerry Fink are program veterans, and Cardinal coach Dave Duffy expects both athletes to help his team at the varsity level.
Fink is a returning letter winner from the 2000-01 team, which placed sixth in the Southwest Conference with a 1-5 mark, and he capped the season with a 2-16-1 record after dropping a 39-28 decision to Montevideo in the first round of the Section 3AA Team Tournament.
Fink was a member of the L-H-BC-E section squad, and he went 0-2 at 103 pounds during the section individual tournament.
Coach Duffy said Fink will wrestle at 112 or 119 pounds this season.
Seachris, who had lettered for the Cardinals in the past, left the team for personal reasons early last winter.
Seachris will compete at 135 or 140 pounds for L-H-BC-E in 2001-02.
Coach Duffy feels the Cardinals should be able to improve last year's 2-16-1 mark, a record that was influenced by the team having to give up 18 to 24 points in forfeits during each match.
L-H-BC-E may have to forfeit at 160 and 171 this year, but making up 12 points is more reasonable than trying to overcome 24 forfeit points.
Chris Tiesler, a two-time state qualifier, is one of the teamÕs leaders. He won a section title at 119 last year before going 2-2 at state without placing. Tiesler is the team's lone senior.
Juniors Joel Evans and Canaan Petersen placed fourth at 140 and 189 pounds during last year's section meet, and they join Tiesler as team leaders.
Junior Cody Jagow, sophomores Justin Mann and Dustin Donth and freshman Ruston Aaker round out the returning letter winners.
L-H-BC-E opens the season at the Flandreau Tournament Saturday.