fargo national wrestling tournament

WEST FARGO — The joke is that Griffin Magee started wrestling right out of the womb.

Magee, who just completed his sophomore season with the West Fargo Sheyenne wrestling team, has the genetic makeup of a good wrestler.

His father, Nick, was an All-American wrestler at North Dakota State and member of the Bison 2001 NCAA Division II national championship team.

To be more accurate, Griffin began attending wrestling practices around 4 or 5 years old, and said his first trophy came after winning the youth state tournament around 6.

“The trophy was darn near bigger than me,” Griffin recalled. “I’ve been wrestling for a long time.”

Griffin is one of around 11 wrestlers competing in the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals wrestling tournament that starts this weekend at the Fargodome. The tournament extends from Thursday, July 10, to Saturday, July 19.

“I’m going to go out there and give them my best,” Griffin said. “To be the best, you have to beat the best. It gives me a good chance to show who I am.”

The tournament has both boys and girls brackets, in addition to beach wrestling held at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. Last year, the tournament brought over 8,000 wrestlers from around the country to Fargo.

Nick coaches the Bison Wrestling Club and has five of his club’s members competing in the tournament at various levels. The club works with wrestlers from kindergarten through college, as well as post-graduate.

“It’s kind of cool to see,” Nick said. “We’ve got a good handful of kids that are putting their toe on the line and seeing what comes of it.”

For Nick, it’s a full-circle moment to see his son compete in the same tournament he did as a member of Team Wisconsin between 1996 and 2000.

“It’s a big deal,” Nick said. “To see your kid own doing it, it’s pretty special.”

Nick has been a key figure throughout Griffin’s wrestling career. From youth wrestling to high school, Griffin has been supported vehemently by his father either in the corner of the mat or in the stands.

“I really enjoy it,” Griffin said. “In the stands, I can hear him yelling, so just having that in my mind really helps.”

Griffin finished in third place at 107 pounds in the North Dakota Class A wrestling state tournament in February. After falling in the quarterfinals, he battled through the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds to earn third.

“I wanted to push back and get the next best finish,” Griffin said.

Griffin has trained and competed with Team North Dakota throughout the summer.

At home, Nick admits it’s sometimes difficult not to offer Griffin tips and advice for his upcoming match.

“I try to steer away from that,” Nick said. “I can give him a lot of resources and information, but you know, it comes off differently of course when you’re dad.”

Over the years, the two have “gotten better” at knowing when the “wrestling moment” is and when it’s not.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Nick notes the two have different styles on the mat, but the desire to win rings true in both of them.

“He’s a competitor and he gets that from me,” Nick said.

In addition to his role as coach of the Bison Wrestling Club, Nick also serves as director of alumni relations for the NDSU wrestling team. He said it’s been “pretty special” to be back in the Bison program.

“We’re so lucky and fortunate to have it in Fargo,” Nick said. “It’s a good thing to have and it’s a selling point.”

With the nation’s best ahead of him, Griffin said he’s going to need to piece together a complete match every time he steps onto the mat.

“I think I’m going to have to treat every match like it’s that state wrestling (Nos. 1 and 2 seeds matches),” Griffin said. “And, you know, let her fly and what not.”

Cole Sauvageau, Fargo Davies

Talon Tuchscherer, Fargo Davies

Luke Conroy, Fargo Davies

Nolan Mack, Fargo Davies

Konnor Johnson, Fargo North

Griffin Magee, West Fargo Sheyenne

Thadd Hanson, West Fargo Sheyenne

Dalton Humeniuk, Moorhead

Tanner Menge, Kindred

Sawyer Owens, Hillsboro-Central Valley

Derick Jorissen, Central Cass