St. Cloud twins carry on family legacy at state wrestling tournament
The Kenning siblings pose for a photo at the state wrestling tournament.
Courtesy Tony Kenning
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Another year of Minnesota state high school wrestling champions have been crowned. Camryn Kenning took first in the girls 235-pound weight class, pinning each of her matches.
But in a wrestling family like the Kennings, that win wasn’t totally unexpected. Her twin brother, Jaxon, made his fifth trip to state this year. The two may have been the first set of boy-girl twins to appear in the Minnesota state wrestling tournament.
The Kenning twins are juniors at St. Cloud Tech high school. They joined MPR News senior producer Melissa Townsend to talk about the tournament.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
TIM NELSON: Another year of Minnesota state high school wrestling champions have been crowned. Camryn Kenning took first in the girls 235 pounds weight class, pinning each of her three matches. Camryn comes from a wrestling family.
Her twin brother, Jaxon, made his fifth trip to state this year. The two may have been the first set of boy girl twins to appear in the Minnesota state wrestling tournament. Camryn and Jaxon are both juniors at St. Cloud Tech High School and they spoke with producer Melissa Townsend about the state tournament.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Congratulations on finishing your season. Camryn, that title-- that's terrific.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, it was really fun. I had a lot of support from my friends too.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Oh, that's great. So, Camryn, let's start with you-- how were you feeling going into the state tournament? Did you have a good feeling?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, I thought I was going to do good. I was hoping I would. After sections, I was a little scared. But once winning sections, I kind of felt a little better going toward state.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Built your confidence a little bit?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. And at my sections, I got to see two other girls who would also be going to state.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And watch their moves, get a little bit of intel?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Did you have a tough match in the sections or the state? Was there one particularly that you were like, I don't know about this one?
CAMRYN KENNING: My last match for state was a little scary because I was losing by 2. But I ended up winning, but I was definitely scared the whole time.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: What was it that turned it around?
CAMRYN KENNING: She started on bottom and then she got an escape, but I still had her. And so I ended up just throwing her and she fell and I pinned her so. Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Going to the state tournament's a really big deal, but, Jaxon, you've been there before.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. It was my fifth time going down there.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Got it. And so how were you feeling going into the tournament?
JAXON KENNING: It was more challenging, I would say, just because I hadn't wrestled in a month and a half since I did get hurt in December. So just preparing took a little bit more time and effort and just making sure I was ready, because I knew it was going to be more challenging than any of the other times I've been at state. So yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Cause of your injury?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How did you get hurt?
JAXON KENNING: I was wrestling in a Monticello tournament and it was the second period, and I rolled and I tried to switch. And then my knee just buckled on me.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Ouch.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Was it immediately painful?
JAXON KENNING: No. It wasn't. I finished the match, so it didn't really seem like it was that bad. And then we had to go in and see what it was.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And is that what turned out to be your ACL?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So you just had surgery for that?
JAXON KENNING: Yep.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah, wrestling's no joke, huh? Is this your first injury?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah, it's my first real injury for wrestling. I've wrestled every season fully until this year.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, we hope you get a speedy recovery there.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Camryn, you were 3 and 0 to win your state title. That's a shutout. Can you share what do you think were the keys to your success?
CAMRYN KENNING: Me and my dad, we had a plan going into each match. And he would say if we just stuck to the plan, then I'd win.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So with your dad's support.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. My dad, he's always been a supporter. And having him in my corner just made it a lot better.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Nice. Is there something you tell yourself before a match to get yourself psyched up and focused in?
CAMRYN KENNING: Not really. I would just tell myself, you're going to win. And then hope for the best.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: You're going to win.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. Yeah, or I'd visualize myself winning. And my dad would help me visualize what I'm going to do and just run through those motions so that when it is time to wrestle, I know what's going to happen and I'm ready.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: What did it feel like when you won that last match? What went through your mind?
CAMRYN KENNING: I was really happy, really excited. It was just really good to see all of what I was preparing for to actually come true and stuff.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Nice. I understand wrestling is often a family sport. So if you've got one wrestler in the family, chances are you've got a few. When did you start wrestling, Camryn?
CAMRYN KENNING: I saw my brother's wrestling at a young age and I was just always around it because my dad was also a coach. So I'd be going to the practices anyways. And I just thought I'd decide to join. I'm pretty sure I started in first grade and then I stopped in sixth grade to join basketball.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Was there ever a moment where you're like, I guess that's a boy thing?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, definitely. At the beginning of sixth grade year, I still tried it a bit. But as everybody matures, the boys just got stronger and it was harder to win. And that definitely changed my attitude towards the sport once you start losing.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. Yeah, that's not that much fun.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So what got you back into it, then? Because now you're in high school and you're wrestling.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. Last year, I went down to watch my brother wrestle in the state tournament. And I didn't know they had a girls division, but once I was down there, I saw it. And I was like, I could do that. So then I just decided to pick it up again this year and see how it would go.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Wow. So this is your first year back at it and there you are, state champ?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: That's amazing.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, pretty exciting.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. So do you guys wrestle together, Jaxon? Do you wrestle with Camryn?
JAXON KENNING: No, not really. Cameron, she comes to some practices. But it's kind of hard, because there's not really that many girls for her to wrestle with. I think there's one more girl on her team. But she's in a different weight class, so it's kind of hard.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. Last year, we spoke with a young woman named Nari Miller. She also won a state wrestling title. And she said throughout the season, some boys refused to wrestle her because she's a girl.
And it was really frustrating because she's doing all this training, and she's doing all this prepping, and then last minute at the match, they'll be like, no, sorry. Does that ever happen to you?
CAMRYN KENNING: Not really. I only wrestled one other boy before the state tournament. And he didn't refuse to wrestle me.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And how'd it go?
CAMRYN KENNING: I ended up getting pinned in the first period. It was OK. It didn't really bruise my ego or anything. So it was fine.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So I want to ask you both, and, Jaxon, I'll start with you-- do you have any advice for someone who might want to try out to be a wrestler, to be in wrestling?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. I would say definitely you got to put working in the offseason, because it's what you do in the offseason that'll prepare you. During the season, you put in more work, you get more out of it. And you got to put in dedication to the sport too. So going to multiple practices a week and just doing that extra stuff.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How about you, Camryn? What's your advice?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, I would definitely say put in the work. If you just try, it'll pay off. Especially with girls, everybodt's just starting out. So it's really just the ones who work the hardest.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Are the ones who are successful.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So what's next for you? Wrestling season's over. Jaxon, you just hanging out trying to get better?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. If I wasn't hurt, I would be playing baseball right now. But just trying to get healthy and come back better and stronger for next season as soon as I can.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, we wish you well in that. How about you, Camryn? What are you up to these days?
CAMRYN KENNING: Softball just started for me. So I'll have that now.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How do you balance it all with homework, and school, and friends?
CAMRYN KENNING: I would say is definitely hard on the school aspect of it-- a lot of long nights where I have to stay up and do work. But it was all worth it in the end.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, good luck in your spring season sports. And, Jaxon, we're hoping for the best for your ACL.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah, thank you.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, thank you for having us.
TIM NELSON: That was producer Melissa Townsend talking with Camryn and Jaxon Kenning. They're twins, both juniors at St. Cloud Technical High School, and they both competed at the high school state wrestling tournament, where Camryn won her weight division.
Her twin brother, Jaxon, made his fifth trip to state this year. The two may have been the first set of boy girl twins to appear in the Minnesota state wrestling tournament. Camryn and Jaxon are both juniors at St. Cloud Tech High School and they spoke with producer Melissa Townsend about the state tournament.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Congratulations on finishing your season. Camryn, that title-- that's terrific.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, it was really fun. I had a lot of support from my friends too.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Oh, that's great. So, Camryn, let's start with you-- how were you feeling going into the state tournament? Did you have a good feeling?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, I thought I was going to do good. I was hoping I would. After sections, I was a little scared. But once winning sections, I kind of felt a little better going toward state.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Built your confidence a little bit?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. And at my sections, I got to see two other girls who would also be going to state.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And watch their moves, get a little bit of intel?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Did you have a tough match in the sections or the state? Was there one particularly that you were like, I don't know about this one?
CAMRYN KENNING: My last match for state was a little scary because I was losing by 2. But I ended up winning, but I was definitely scared the whole time.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: What was it that turned it around?
CAMRYN KENNING: She started on bottom and then she got an escape, but I still had her. And so I ended up just throwing her and she fell and I pinned her so. Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Going to the state tournament's a really big deal, but, Jaxon, you've been there before.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. It was my fifth time going down there.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Got it. And so how were you feeling going into the tournament?
JAXON KENNING: It was more challenging, I would say, just because I hadn't wrestled in a month and a half since I did get hurt in December. So just preparing took a little bit more time and effort and just making sure I was ready, because I knew it was going to be more challenging than any of the other times I've been at state. So yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Cause of your injury?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How did you get hurt?
JAXON KENNING: I was wrestling in a Monticello tournament and it was the second period, and I rolled and I tried to switch. And then my knee just buckled on me.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Ouch.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Was it immediately painful?
JAXON KENNING: No. It wasn't. I finished the match, so it didn't really seem like it was that bad. And then we had to go in and see what it was.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And is that what turned out to be your ACL?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So you just had surgery for that?
JAXON KENNING: Yep.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah, wrestling's no joke, huh? Is this your first injury?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah, it's my first real injury for wrestling. I've wrestled every season fully until this year.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, we hope you get a speedy recovery there.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Camryn, you were 3 and 0 to win your state title. That's a shutout. Can you share what do you think were the keys to your success?
CAMRYN KENNING: Me and my dad, we had a plan going into each match. And he would say if we just stuck to the plan, then I'd win.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So with your dad's support.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. My dad, he's always been a supporter. And having him in my corner just made it a lot better.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Nice. Is there something you tell yourself before a match to get yourself psyched up and focused in?
CAMRYN KENNING: Not really. I would just tell myself, you're going to win. And then hope for the best.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: You're going to win.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. Yeah, or I'd visualize myself winning. And my dad would help me visualize what I'm going to do and just run through those motions so that when it is time to wrestle, I know what's going to happen and I'm ready.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: What did it feel like when you won that last match? What went through your mind?
CAMRYN KENNING: I was really happy, really excited. It was just really good to see all of what I was preparing for to actually come true and stuff.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Nice. I understand wrestling is often a family sport. So if you've got one wrestler in the family, chances are you've got a few. When did you start wrestling, Camryn?
CAMRYN KENNING: I saw my brother's wrestling at a young age and I was just always around it because my dad was also a coach. So I'd be going to the practices anyways. And I just thought I'd decide to join. I'm pretty sure I started in first grade and then I stopped in sixth grade to join basketball.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Was there ever a moment where you're like, I guess that's a boy thing?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, definitely. At the beginning of sixth grade year, I still tried it a bit. But as everybody matures, the boys just got stronger and it was harder to win. And that definitely changed my attitude towards the sport once you start losing.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. Yeah, that's not that much fun.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So what got you back into it, then? Because now you're in high school and you're wrestling.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah. Last year, I went down to watch my brother wrestle in the state tournament. And I didn't know they had a girls division, but once I was down there, I saw it. And I was like, I could do that. So then I just decided to pick it up again this year and see how it would go.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Wow. So this is your first year back at it and there you are, state champ?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: That's amazing.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, pretty exciting.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. So do you guys wrestle together, Jaxon? Do you wrestle with Camryn?
JAXON KENNING: No, not really. Cameron, she comes to some practices. But it's kind of hard, because there's not really that many girls for her to wrestle with. I think there's one more girl on her team. But she's in a different weight class, so it's kind of hard.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Yeah. Last year, we spoke with a young woman named Nari Miller. She also won a state wrestling title. And she said throughout the season, some boys refused to wrestle her because she's a girl.
And it was really frustrating because she's doing all this training, and she's doing all this prepping, and then last minute at the match, they'll be like, no, sorry. Does that ever happen to you?
CAMRYN KENNING: Not really. I only wrestled one other boy before the state tournament. And he didn't refuse to wrestle me.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: And how'd it go?
CAMRYN KENNING: I ended up getting pinned in the first period. It was OK. It didn't really bruise my ego or anything. So it was fine.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So I want to ask you both, and, Jaxon, I'll start with you-- do you have any advice for someone who might want to try out to be a wrestler, to be in wrestling?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. I would say definitely you got to put working in the offseason, because it's what you do in the offseason that'll prepare you. During the season, you put in more work, you get more out of it. And you got to put in dedication to the sport too. So going to multiple practices a week and just doing that extra stuff.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How about you, Camryn? What's your advice?
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, I would definitely say put in the work. If you just try, it'll pay off. Especially with girls, everybodt's just starting out. So it's really just the ones who work the hardest.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Are the ones who are successful.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: So what's next for you? Wrestling season's over. Jaxon, you just hanging out trying to get better?
JAXON KENNING: Yeah. If I wasn't hurt, I would be playing baseball right now. But just trying to get healthy and come back better and stronger for next season as soon as I can.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, we wish you well in that. How about you, Camryn? What are you up to these days?
CAMRYN KENNING: Softball just started for me. So I'll have that now.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: How do you balance it all with homework, and school, and friends?
CAMRYN KENNING: I would say is definitely hard on the school aspect of it-- a lot of long nights where I have to stay up and do work. But it was all worth it in the end.
MELISSA TOWNSEND: Well, good luck in your spring season sports. And, Jaxon, we're hoping for the best for your ACL.
JAXON KENNING: Yeah, thank you.
CAMRYN KENNING: Yeah, thank you for having us.
TIM NELSON: That was producer Melissa Townsend talking with Camryn and Jaxon Kenning. They're twins, both juniors at St. Cloud Technical High School, and they both competed at the high school state wrestling tournament, where Camryn won her weight division.
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