Putting together tonight’s Northeast Conference Wrestling Tournament puzzle in Sisseton could be an interesting task with a variety of pieces all capable of completing the picture.

Redfield has won the past three NEC team titles, but the Pheasants lost three quality wrestlers to graduation, two of which won individual conference championships with the other finishing runner-up.

Not only that, the Pheasants haven’t competed in many events to start the season, so there are question marks heading into the tourney, according to Redfield coach Wade Schlotter.

“We have gotten off to a slow start. We’ve only wrestled a little bit,” Schlotter said. “It is going to end up kind of being who wrestles best (today). I honestly think it’s probably up for grabs. Last year we kind of ran away with it, but that was last year. Everybody has kind of improved and it’s going to be one of those days, especially for my crew … we really don’t know where we’re at for sure.”

Multiple schools have quality wrestlers, many of whom are rated in the most recent Class B wrestling ratings. In fact, there is at least one NEC wrestler ranked in all 14 weight classes.

Northeast Conference athletes in this week’s poll include at 106 pounds: 1, Brady Risetter of Redfield and 12, Tacey Miller of Webster; 113: 2, Holden Hawkins of Sisseton and 8, Conner Zens of Redfield; 120, 4, Ian Metz of Sisseton, 7, Haeden Jorgenson of Webster, and 11, John Yonker of Hamlin-Castlewood; 126, 6, Bryce Hawkinson of Britton-Hecla, 7, Jacob Fehlman of Redfield, and 12, Joshua Kannegieter of Clark-Willow Lake; 132, 6, Jaxon Quail of Deuel; 138, 1, Cael Larson of Webster; 145, 10, Chase Chambers of Hamlin-Castlewood, 11, Christian Ehresmann of Groton, and 12, Mason Whitley of Redfield; 152, 4, Gunner Kvistad of Clark-Willow Lake and 12, Troy Randall Jr. of Hamlin-Castlewood; 160, 3, Mason Fey of Redfield; 170, 7, Carter Metz of Sisseton; 182, 1, Corbin Schwartz of Redfield, 7, Lucas Kannegieter of Clark-Willow Lake, and 11, Dominic Constant of Deuel; 195, 10, Justin Granum of Deuel; 220, 4, Caleb McGregor of Webster and 8, Gavin Nichols of Redfield; and Hwt., 7, Lane Krueger of Groton.

The NEC tourney is unique in the fact that it is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, something that rarely happens during the course of the season.

“The first part of the tournament will kind of be one of those, ‘Oh, it’s Thursday afternoon’ and then it will be back to a wrestling tournament,” Schlotter said.

Schlotter is no stranger to NEC wrestling success. Not only did he guide the Pheasants to recent titles, he also won two conference championships as a wrestler competing for the Pheasants in 1984 and 1985.

He said winning the conference is always a season goal for the program.

“I do like to put it out there to challenge the kids to win conference first,” Schlotter said, “and then region and then do what we can at state, so I do put a little bit of credence into it.”

When asked what it will take for the Pheasants to retain their conference crown, it comes back to trying to figure out which pieces of the puzzle will fall into place.

“It’s going to take the kids having enough confidence to win the matches that they should,” Schlotter said. “We don’t have a good evaluation of where we’re at, yet.”