Sorenson places second at nationals

Owatonna youth wrestler Owen Sorenson had a weekend to remember at the Kids’ Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after taking second place in the boys’ 56-pound, eight-and-under bracket in late June.

The eight-year-old has been a force to be reckoned with this year and adds another accolade to his resume since placing first in the state in freestyle and second in folkstyle earlier this season.

When asked about his keys to success, Sorenson favored two key characteristics: “hard work and focus.”

Sorenson’s four-match slate began with an opening-round bye before he was set to square off with a wrestler from Washington, D.C in the quarterfinals.

The local standout dismantled his opponent 9-1 and showed no signs of slowing down as he chopped down his semifinal opponent from Illinois 9-2 to reach the championship match.

In the finals, Sorenson was pitted against a wrestler he had faced once before in the Northern Plains Regional tournament – a prerequisite tournament to qualify for nationals.

Sorenson held a 1-0 lifetime record since beating his opponent 15-10 at the aforementioned regional but lost after being caught by a touch fall in the second period.

Despite the loss, Sorenson and his father, Josh, were still in positive spirits about the season overall.

“It’s pretty special. I wrestled when I was growing up and all four of my boys wrestle now. Where Owen is at, at this age, he’s blown anything away that I ever did in wrestling already,” said Sorenson with a laugh.

With Sorenson being the youngest of four boys, his father believes his grit and technique come from learning and training with his brothers.

Sorenson is also an athlete with the Owatonna Wrestling Association and does additional training with Minnesota Elite.