More than 100 wrestlers, including the Rolling Thunder Wrestling Club of New Ulm wrestlers from Wabasso, Sleepy Eye, Gibbon, Fairfax, Winthrop, Tracy, Marshall, Worthington, St. James, Rochester, the Twin Cities metro area and other places competed in the first-ever takedown tournament.

“We thought about finding ways to create off-season wrestling and bring people to New Ulm. We teamed up with the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce and got this going. It’s really taking off,” said Rolling Thunder Wrestling Club Vice President Chad Cooreman. “Girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in Minnesota. Some of those girls are here.”

New Ulm Rolling Thunder wrestler Liam Horner wrestled a girl, Anna Chavez-Diercks of Rochester, in the first round of matches and won 5-0.

At 7 a.m. Saturday, 88 teams from as far away as Florida will begin games in several divisions on 1,260 tons of sand volleyball courts on two blocks of Minnesota Street. Interest has risen so fast in the three-year-old event, the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce created a team waiting list after the July 1 team registration deadline.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Playing in the Minnesota Street sand and making new friends before the Spikin in the Street takedown tournament Friday, from left, Gavin and Bryce Fischer of Sleepy Eye, Carter Pierce of New Ulm and Logan Fischer of Sleepy Eye.

Ground Zero Services of Courtland owner Jason Kuester said 70 dump truck loads of sand were dumped Friday on Minnesota Street from Center Street to Second North Street. He said eight inches of sand were used for parts of the street used for volleyball courts.

“We dumped sand this is used to make roads on Minnesota Street. After the volleyball tournament, we’ll collect it for use as back fill,” said Kuester.

Volleyball nets are anchored by 55-gallon barrels filled with water.

Volleyball teams from New Ulm, Lafayette, Sleepy Eye, Redwood Falls, Stewart, Mankato, Eagle Lake, Truman, Jackson, the Twin Cities metro area, Sioux Falls, even as far away as Crestview, Fl. Will compete for cash payouts in the rain or shine event.

Funds raised will go to promote New Ulm and the New Ulm Business & Retail Association, a committee of the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce.

Spectators are welcome to bring lawn chairs. No coolers will be allowed. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on site. Six food trucks will be downtown Friday. Ten food trucks are scheduled for Saturday.

Downtown bars and restaurants have extended their liquor licenses into the street. The alley near the B & L Bar is a designated smoking area.

There are designated areas for kids to play in the sand.

Rock and roll music is heard instead of polka on the downtown sound system.

Aided by extra lighting, Saturday volleyball tournament games will continue until 10:30 to 11 p.m.

Wrestling and volleyball results will be included in a later edition of The Journal.