Watertown Arrows Dominant at State Wrestling Individual Championships

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown Arrows wrestling program delivered an unforgettable performance this past weekend at the 2026 SDHSAA State Individual Wrestling Championships.

Competing at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center from February 26–28, both the boys and girls solidified their status as state powerhouses, bringing home a haul of individual titles and top-three team finishes.

Boys Secure Third Place with Historical Four-Peat

The Arrow boys finished the tournament in third place overall in Class A with 169 points, trailing only Sturgis Brown and Brandon Valley. The highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the performance of Gage Lohr (157 lbs). Lohr capped off a perfect 28-0 season by capturing his fourth consecutive state title, an elite achievement that cements his legacy in South Dakota wrestling history. The junior standout, who has already committed to South Dakota State University, overcame mid-season injuries to reach the top of the podium once again.

Joining him as a state champion was Shea Richter (132 lbs), who completed a flawless 45-0 campaign. Richter was dominant throughout the bracket, securing the title with technical precision and finishing his season undefeated.

Other notable boys’ placers included:

·         Braylon Schell (106 lbs): 3rd Place

·         Brody Randall (126 lbs): 3rd Place

·         Markus Pitkin (165 lbs): 3rd Place

·         Kutler Swenson (138 lbs): 4th Place

·         Jonah Anderson (113 lbs): 5th Place

·         Chase Mathews (120 lbs): 6th Place

·         Landen Lewis (175 lbs): 6th Place

·         Cade Kuemper (190 lbs): 8th Place

Watertown's Shea Richter high fives his coaches before his match.

Watertown's Gage Lohr attempts to trip Sturgis Brown's Jace Thurman.

Chase Mathews of Watertown lifts Owen Serck of BeresfordAlcester-Hudson.

Watertown's Allison Konrad gets her 150th varsity win.

Brody Randall of Watertown has Belle Fourche's Cooper Conry in a cradle.

Watertown's Gage Lohr flexes towards the crowd after winning in the semi finals.

Watertown's Braylon Schell attempts to pin Josh Deming from Brookings.

Chase Mathews of Watertown scrambles with Bentley Klinkhammer of West Central.

Watertown's Braylon Schell attempts to pin BeresfordAlcester-Hudson's Liam Moumy.

Kutler Swenson of Watertown looks for a reversal against Mason Hagen of Sturgis.

Olivia Anderson of Watertown ties up with Brooke Warejcka of Canton; she went on to place 2nd in the

Eden Hach of Watertown takes down Kendis Sackriter in the finals; she won the match which gained her

Watertown's Shea Richter takes down West Central's Brody Gossen in the finals match; he went on to p

Brooklynn Randall of Watertown tries to pin Gabrielle Nelson of St. Thomas More; she went on to plac

Watertown's Brody Randall gets Aberdeen Central's Mason Backous in a cradle; he went on to finish 3r

Jonah Anderson of Watertown looks for back points against Tyce Dunn of Sturgis; he went on to place

Watertown's Cade Kuemper looks for a reversal against Huron's Lucas Chaparro; he went on to place 8t

Girls Program Claims State Runner-Up Honors

The Watertown girls continued their rapid ascent, finishing as the State Runner-Up with 131.5 points. The Arrows were neck-and-neck with Canton throughout the three-day event, ultimately finishing just behind the C-Hawks.

Individual glory belonged to Allison Konrad and Eden Hach. Konrad (190 lbs) claimed her second state title after a dominant run that included her milestone 150th career varsity win during the opening rounds. She secured the championship in the finals against Spearfish’s Marlee Heltzel.

At 235 lbs, Eden Hach lived up to her #1 ranking by becoming a back-to-back state champion. Hach has been nearly untouchable all season and pinned her way through much of the tournament to defend her crown. Olivia Anderson (120 lbs) and Brooklynn Randall (115 lbs) also provided critical team points with deep runs into the final day.

A Season to Remember

The Arrows’ success this weekend follows a strong showing at the State Duals earlier in February, where the boys also took third. Head coaches and the Watertown community have much to celebrate as the program continues to produce Division I talent and multiple multi-time state champions.