Jeff Buxton, head coach of the Dream Team, said it s hard to say who and where the best wrestlers are, but he was just as impressed as Clendenin was with the Minnesota contingent. They were very tough, Buxton said. Buxton is the head coach at Blair Academy in New Jersey and his team has won 17 national prep titles and 66 different wrestlers have combined to win 79 national prep individual titles. Needless to say, he s a good person to ask. I was impressed with the way the Minnesota kids wrestled on their feet, he added.
Every state brings something different to the table, but the Minnesota kids have been taught well.
Saturdays match, more than anything, might have confused wrestling fans. We do take a lot of pride in what we all do and pull for each other, because we think we can wrestle with anyone. It was Woodall s first loss of the season. It s really tough to say, Vaith said. There s always a few individuals who stand out amongst their peers, regardless of where they re from.