Every Tuesday at 6:50 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. during the high school year, we feature a team or athlete with our TRIA Prep Salute.
This week’s salute recognizes identical twin brothers from Watertown-Mayer High School, two of Minnesota’s best wrestlers.
Joel and Titan Friederichs of Watertown-Mayer High School are the same age and size, and for good reason: They are identical twins who like to wrestle.
***Click the video box above to watch the feature story Alec Ausmus put together***
“He makes me mad, I make him mad, and we just always try to one-up each other,” Joel said about being competitive with Titan. “I womp him, he womps me, it’s a domino effect that’s going up and up.”
Titan had similar thoughts when asked about his daily competition with Joel, “everyone’s dream is to wrestle themselves, It’s kind of like that,” Titan said with a smile. “He knows every move I know, he knows my basic moves, I know his basic moves, it’s probably the hardest match I’ll ever have.”
Joel and Titan have wrestled against each other every day since they were young kids. They have become two of the top wrestlers in Minnesota for their weight classes. Joel wrestles at 121 pounds, Titan at 127 pounds.
Titan is a two-time state champion, and has won over 100 consecutive matches. Joel has also competed in the state tournament and finished as a runner-up last season.
“Sometimes we just have to sit back and watch because it’s amazing what they can do on the mat,” said Kurt Becker, co-head coach of the Watertown-Mayer wrestling team who has competed as a team at state in two of the last three years.
For the Friederichs brothers, a love for wrestling started with their father, T.J., who has always been one of their coaches.
“Watching them succeed, they are far past anything I ever did. I think any father wants that for their sons,” said T.J.
Joel is about 45 minutes older than Titan, as identical twins, they have wrestled against each other all of their lives, and that won’t end after high school. Joel and Titan are committed to wrestle for the Gophers in college. Sticking together has always been part of the plan.
“Having the one guy I practice with all of the time going to the same college I am is super big, one of the biggest factors into it,” Titan said.
Joel said, “how we are improving now, he is the perfect wrestling partner. He knows what I got to do, I’m always with him. Having that for another 5 to 6 years is going to get us way better.”
The Friederichs brothers at times can fight, as brothers do, but when they wrestle, that’s when brothers bond.