LebCo Wrestlers Ready for 2024 Fargo National Championships

Written by Susan Dengler, LebCoSports.com contributor

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Thousands of the best freestyle and Greco wrestlers in the country are preparing to descend upon Fargo, North Dakota for the 2024 US Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals. The event is the world’s largest wrestling tournament, and organizers expect nearly 8,000 wrestlers this year.

Several LebCo athletes are making the journey to Fargo to compete in their respective age/weight classes. The accomplishment of even qualifying for Fargo highlights the talent possessed by our local athletes.

To qualify for Fargo Nationals, specifically the Pennsylvania National Team, wrestlers earned their spots by placing in the top six at the 2024 Phil Portuese Northeast Regional Championships, in the top four at the Pennsylvania USA Wrestling State Championship, in the top eight at the UWW Cadet/Juniors, or the top six at another regional wrestling event.

One of the driving forces behind the success of several wrestlers in the Central Pennsylvania region is Northern Lebanon High School alumnus Jim Collins. Currently the coach for the Central Dauphin Girls Wrestling team, Coach Collins was selected to be a coach for the Pennsylvania National Girls’ Team. Collins was the first LebCo wrestler to win a PIAA championship when he took gold in 2001 as a member of the Northern Lebanon Vikings. Coach Collins has been instrumental in developing these athletes’ freestyle skills and techniques, guiding them through rigorous training sessions and offering invaluable mentorship.

Coach Collins working with Central Dauphin’s Olivia Ball of Central Dauphin & Cedar Crest’s Dakota Dengler

LebCo athletes have had success in recent years, with Aaron Seidel leading the 2023 effort with a silver medal finish in the 133-pound weight class in the Junior National Division. Below you will find a quick recap of last year’s event.

This year’s tournament will begin with the 16U Girls wrestling July 13-14. The Boys’ competition will follow early next week. Best of luck to all of our LebCo athletes!

This article was updated to include three Palmyra wrestlers, including those competing in the Greco-Roman portion of the event.

Kylee Trostle in control at the 2024 PA USA Wrestling State Championship

LebCo Competitors

16U Girls Freestyle

Kylee Trostle (ELCO) – 118#

Dakota Dengler (Cedar Crest) – 136#

16U Boys Freestyle

Sam Wolford (Northern Lebanon) – 113#

Elijah Foltz (Palmyra) – 94#

Klint Miller (ELCO) – 157#

Junior Boys Freestyle

Aaron Seidel (Northern Lebanon) – 126#

Jason Foutz (Palmyra) – 100#

Kyle Miller (ELCO) – 215#

Klint Miller muscling his way through the 2024 PA USA Wrestling State Championship

Greco-Roman Junior Nationals

Jason Foutz (Palmyra) – 106#

Stephen Stine (Palmyra) – 138#

Greco-Roman 16U

Elijah Foltz (Palmyra) – 100#

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2023 Recap

Published August 8, 2023

In July, five LebCo wrestlers traveled to Fargo, North Dakota to compete in the 2023 US Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals.  The athletes, who all compete on their local high school teams during the winter season were as follows: ELCO – Kyle Miller; Northern Lebanon – Aaron Seidel, Sam Wolford; Palmyra – Jason Foutz, Steve Stine.  This event offers wrestlers the chance to match-up against some of the premier talent from across the entire country.  Additionally, while they wrestle what is considered Folkstyle during the scholastic season, this event offered Freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments.

In the Junior Nationals Freestyle competition, ELCO’s Miller made it to the Round of 32 in the 220-pound division, winning his first match in convincing fashion. Palmyra’s Foutz, wrestling in the 100-pound division went 0-2, but picked up valuable experience.  Northern Lebanon’s Wolford wrestled in the 16u Freestyle competition and made it to the Round of 16 of the 116-pound division.

Following the completion of the Freestyle competition the two Palmyra wrestlers, Foutz and Stine, took part in the Greco-Roman Junior Nationals.  Foutz, who is a rising junior, won his first match over a wrestler from Utah.  The Cougar’s day competition ended with a loss to a wrestler from Iowa. Stine, wrestling at 138-pounds, matched up against wrestlers from Colorado and Utah in his two matches.

While all of these athletes have much to be proud of, it was Northern Lebanon’s Seidel, the two-time PIAA State Champion, who led the way.  Wrestling the 113-pound division of the Junior Nationals – Freestyle, Seidel cruised to the Championship round by battling hard and winning his first five matches over opponents from Illinois, Colorado, Louisiana, Virginia, and Iowa. In the Finals, Seidel was matched up against Chris Kiser, a two-time Oklahoma State Champion.  Seidel was leading 4-0 in the First Period, but Kiser was able to pull off a win by pinning Seidel.  Regardless of the loss, the accomplishment was impressive as the Northern Lebanon rising junior left Fargo as the Junior National Silver medalist, second-best in the United States.