Rylan Samuelson (2nd place) and Wesley Fisk (5th place) stand on the podium with the other state placers in the 114 weight class.
Owen Lindstrom (2nd place) stands on the podium with the state placers in the 121 weight class.
Braxton Rance (2nd place) poses with the other state placers in the 285 weight class.
FARGO — The Firebirds saw their individual wrestling runs end in defeat Friday night.
It was a long time coming for Rylan Samuelson, Owen Lindstrom and Braxton Rance. They waited through all the consolation rounds in anticipation of the moment every high school wrestler dreams of: to compete in the state finals.
The championships had all the fanfare. The lights went dark at the Fargodome, and each pairing was announced before a packed crowd. Every individual wrestler got to run out to the center and have his moment in the spotlight.
But the slow buildup hit a skidding halt when it came time for the matches. Once the wrestlers were on the mat, it was like any other match, and there was only so much time for the competitors to do their thing.
Like in Thursday’s semifinals, Samuelson and Lindstrom went back-to-back in the 114 and 121 weight classes, respectively.
But Samuelson was outmatched by Dickinson’s Jake Glaser, the No. 1 seed in the bracket. It was a close 3-0 in Glaser’s favor at the end of the first period, but Glaser ran away with it in the second. He won by technical fall, 19-3, at 5:06.
So Samuelson’s state title run fell one match short. But Flynn expressed his pride in what the sophomore was able to accomplish this season.
“Rylan flipped the switch this year,” Flynn said. “He had a rough start. He lost some matches that he shouldn’t have. And then he just made up his mind in, like, ‘I’m not gonna lose to these guys anymore.’ … And that’s what it takes. It’s that mental choice with any competitor, with any athlete… And once you make up your mind of what I’m gonna be, that’s a dangerous man.”
In the 121, Lindstrom had to face No. 1-seeded Nicolas Enzminger from Bismarck Legacy.
Enzminger led 9-1 after the first period and ended up winning by technical fall, 19-1, at 3:22. Lindstrom’s impressive and record-setting wrestling career ended in heartbreak.
“I just let him know how proud I am to be his coach, and that I love him,” Flynn said. “And no matter what happens, I’m always here for him. A lot of people in those situations, when they deal with that adversity, a lot of people quit. And he never stopped fighting for what he wants. He gave himself the best chance he could. And sometimes it goes your way, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s the life lessons we learned of getting back up after we’ve fallen. And that’s why I’m extremely proud just to be his coach and know him and be a part of his life.”
Lindstrom will be continuing his wrestling career at Bismarck State College. BSC is transitioning to the NAIA level for the 2025-26 school year. Lindstrom leaves Devils Lake as the school leader in wins and pins, and the record holder for most pins in a season.
“I’m just super excited for him because he’s hungry, and he’s never stopped being hungry,” Flynn said. “He’s going to a great coach [Jeff Schumacher]. He has a great relationship with him, and I’m super excited to see how he develops and what he turns into.”
The wait was long for Rance as he locked in for his final match. Only one Class A match was held at a time in the finals, in order to draw more attention and allow the fans to intently watch each one. Being in the 285, there was a sizable gap before Rance got to compete.
Once again, Devils Lake’s opponent was the No. 1 seed. In Rance’s case, it was Bismarck Century’s Darion Bitz.
It was a scoreless match 47 seconds in. With less than a minute left in the first period, Rance attacked his opponent and went up 3-0 with a takedown.
But Bitz managed an escape, then got on top of Rance. He squeaked ahead 4-3 with a takedown, which turned into an abrupt match-ending pin. Despite Rance taking the early lead, Bitz was victorious as a state champion.
It took Rance a moment to get up. The sting of defeat was fresh. But it was another monumental achievement just for the hard-working Rance to reach the finals in the first place.
“He got the match he wanted. Didn’t get the result we wanted,” Flynn said. “But he’s another kid that’s worked really hard to get where he’s at. Super proud of what he’s accomplished. There’s no disappointment there. And he just went for it. And sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t.”
Rance will also be wrestling at the next level, going to Division II Minot State University. He’ll be a two-sport athlete, throwing shot put on the Minot State track and field team as well.
“Everything that he’s worked for, I just hope he continues that,” Flynn said. “I’m super excited to see what he can do, because his potential — both Owen and him, their potential is far from being tapped. They’re on that upward swing still. And the ceiling is still really high for them. So if they keep working and keep progressing the way they have, they’re gonna find success there at that next level.”
Overall, with 74.5 points, Devils Lake finished 10th out of the 22 teams that had individual wrestlers at state. In addition to the Firebirds’ three finalists, Wesley Fisk finished fifth in the 114 and Tucker Bennett finished seventh in the 145. That made five state placers overall, including two on one podium in Samuelson and Fisk.
In any case, it turned out to be a successful trip to the Fargodome.
“It’s like, who’s gonna step up and be the guy? Who’s gonna answer that call?” Flynn said. “And so many different times, these guys answered those calls. And it was a different guy all the time. But it’s just fun to see. Extremely proud of the group that we have, because they’re a true band of brothers. And they really believe in that family concept, and they fight for each other. And it’s just awesome to see.”
