By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
For the second straight year Dowagiac will send a wrestler to Junior National Wrestling Tournament in Fargo, N.D.
Nate Behnke, who will be a senior this fall, finished second in the state freestyle tournament to Coloma's Jesse Martin, to qualify for the tourament.
In 2004, Dowagiac's Michael Johnson qualified for the squad and competed as a member of the Michigan Wrestling Federation team.
The ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships and Cadet National Championships will be held at the Fargodome on the campus of North Dakota State University July 23-30.
The tournament will open on Saturday, July 23 with clinics and wrestling. Wresting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (Michigan time) with the Cadet division.
The Junior division will begin wrestling on Sunday, July 24 at 1 p.m.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, July 30 with the championships.
Dowagiac coach John Green said that the tournament is a "true national championship" because all 50 states will be represented.
It will cost Behnke more than $1,000 to travel to North Dakota and stay during the tournament.
If you would like to help with the funding of his trip contact coach Green at 782-3627.
Dowagiac wrestlers
attend camp at Adrian
Dowagiac took members of its wrestling program to a team camp at Adrian College recently.
The camp featured numerous Olympic wrestlings including Rulon Gardner and Kevin Jackson.
Toward the end of the camp there was a four-day mini-tournament in which Dowagiac's Tony Stewart, Nate Behnke and Nate Long were champions.
Drew Staley, DeShaun Baylock and Zach Roden all went 4-1, while Kyle Prak went 3-3.