Logan Graf is state champ at 106 pounds

Coming back from a serious hand injury right after Christmas, Logan Graf ended the season at the very top of his weight class. Graf was crowned state champion at 106 pounds at the state B wrestling tournament in Sioux Falls on Saturday. 

The sophomore’s only loss of the season came at a match in Fargo, N.D., when he missed a landing on his right hand and broke the large bone in the middle. The break required surgery in January, and the recovery period kept him off the mat until the regional tournament in Hill City in late February. 

“I’m very excited,” said head coach Jared Webster of Graf’s accomplishment. “That kid’s put in a lot of work and a lot of long hours and it’s showing and paying off.”

“He’s always wrestling... constantly,” said Webster. “He’s always looking to score points and never stops wrestling. There’s not a moment in the match when he’s relaxing or sitting back waiting for something to happen.”

Graf showed off that tenacity in his performance at state, winning the first- place match by 18-3 technical fall over Gunnar Kvistad of Clark-Willow Lake. 

Graf’s teammate, senior Micaiah Grace, was runner up at 170 pounds and also take home a medal. Grace, who is 45-6 on the season, was pinned by 46-1 Shaeden Scheidt of Canton in the first-place match. 

However, Webster says Grace “had a heck of a semifinals match getting a pin from a kid who beat him earlier in the year and it was great to see him get second in the state. That’s a heck of an accomplishment. We’re gonna miss Micaiah.”

Two other Custer seniors also received medals for their performances at state. 

Irail Griffin (41-12) won by 9-4 decision over Daniel Cremer of Marion-Freeman to take home seventh-place honors at 152 pounds, and Brennan Hanes finished in eighth place at 145 pounds after losing to Mason Heath of Bennett County in the match for seventh place. Hanes ended his senior season with a 35-16 win/loss record. 

“All the seniors got a medal this year so that’s pretty awesome to have,” said Webster.

The other five Wildcat wrestlers who qualified for state did not place but Webster says, “It was a great weekend for all the kids.” 

Webster says a couple of other Custer wrestlers were only one match away from placing. He says for some it was their first time at state so they were dealing with “a lot of jitters,” but he hopes those same students will bring home medals next year. 

The Wildcats finished 10th in the state with a team score of 66.5 points. Tournament champion  Canton scored 240.5 points. 

With all the injuries and illness his team has dealt with this year, Webster says he is very proud of all his wrestlers and says if there had to be injuries he was glad they happened when they did. 

“It was a good time to have them,” said the coach. “I’d rather have them there instead of the end.”