Two-time state Class A champion topped field in the 15-and-under 57-kg freestyle division

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Watertown High School freshman Gage Lohr has taken his standout wrestling ability from South Dakota to a national stage.

The two-time South Dakota state Class A individual champion became a national champion on Friday night when he downed Weston Burgers of Beast Mode Wrestling (Ohio) 14-9 to win the 57-kilogram (around 125 pounds) 15-and-under freestyle championship in the U.S. Open Wrestling Championships.

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Lohr, representing the Berge Elite Wrestling Academy of Brookings, went 6-0 over two days to top a field of 64 wrestlers in his division.

On Thursday, he posted wins over Lincoln Robideau of the Minnesota Elite Wrestlign Club 4-2, Diego Garcia of the New Mexico Bad Boyz 12-2, Steven Robles of Aces Wrestling Academy (Ariz.) 8-0, Grayson Davis of Steller Training Wrestling (Penn.) 9-6 and Thomas Banas of Illinois 9-0 to reach Friday evening's championship.

Watertown freshman Gage Lohr has his arm raised by the referee after he defeated Trevon Oehme of Brandon Valley (right) 6-5 in the Class A boys' 120-pound championship in the South Dakota State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center at Sioux Falls. The title was the second in a row for Lohr, who finished 47-0.

Lohr has enjoyed a dominant start to his high school wrestling season for Watertown.

As an eighth-grader in the 2022-23 season, he capped a 47-4 season by winning the 106-pound state Class A championship.

This past winter, Lohr went 47-0 and repeated as a state championship with a 6-5 win over Brandon Valley senior Trevon Oehmer in the 120-pound state Class A title match.

With three years of varsity wrestling remaining, Lohr is definitely on pace to either join or surpass Rick Jensen for the most state individual championships in program history. Jensen won four state titles from 1971-74 and is the only four-time champion in the historied of the Arrows' storied wrestling program.

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Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown High School wrestler captures national championship

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