Wrestling is in Cloquet standout’s blood

CLOQUET — There was a time when Conner Denman wanted to follow his friends onto hockey rinks and basketball courts.

Denman, now a Cloquet junior, instead was a tag-along as his father, Al Denman, coached youth wrestling. Conner was introduced to the mat when he was 5 years old. He was skeptical.

“Conner at one time was asking me, ‘Well, why can’t I play hockey? Why can’t I play basketball? All my friends play hockey and basketball,’ ” Al recounted Tuesday evening. “I had to explain to him that those boys were born into hockey and basketball families and, unfortunately for you, you were born into a wrestling family.” Continue reading at www.duluthnewstribune.com