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Smart on the mat, smarter in the classroom |
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By Steve Morris
Accolades keep rolling the North Branch wrestling team’s way.
Last week, the Viking wrestling team was awarded as one of the top 10 academic wrestling programs in class AA.
The boys were one of 10 teams to receive the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Gold Academic award, which was given to the Vikings for having a 3.5 accumulative great point average.
Head coach Tony Aho said he learned about the award at an awards banquet March 1, the morning of the state wrestling finals.
“I was surprised by it. We show up and there it is,” Aho said. “I was really proud to get it.”
Aho said it was the first time since coaching at North Branch he has won the award.
A total of 30 teams in the state won the award, with 10 going to each class.
Aho said the wrestling team is filled with students who excel on the mat as well as in the classroom. He noted junior Tom Mork, who is No. 1 in his junior class of about 300 students.
“Matt Newham is an excellent student. We have a lot of students that are doing really well in the classroom,” Aho said.
In class AA, Foley came in first was accumulative grand point average of 3.7.
Besides the academic award, Aho was named the North Suburban Conference coach of the year by his peers.
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