First Father/Daughter Wrestling Ref Duo
By Jessica Wald
They are the only father/daughter reffing duo in the state, but it didn’t start there. Chris Weigel and his daughter Jazlyn, rural Kintyre, have always had a connection in the sport of wrestling; athletes, coaches, and now referees.
Chris started wrestling in elementary school and continued throughout high school. The season after graduating in 2003, he said Randy Piatz approached him, as they were short an official for the Napoleon Early Bird tournament. “So, crazy me said yes to help Randy and Shannon Johnson out. The rest is history, as currently, Chris is in his 19th season of reffing, taking off a couple years in between for a back surgery and coaching the Imperial girls’ wrestling team. He noted his first state tournament he reffed was in 2007.
Chris and Nikki Weigel’s oldest daughter, Jazlyn has been around wrestling her entire life, with her dad reffing, watching her brother throughout his career, and also watching her uncle Andy Nolz compete for South Border. Then, during her sophomore year of high school in 2021/22, she joined the wrestling team, as girls’ wrestling became a sanctioned sport in the state and a team was formed in Napoleon.
During Jazlyn’s senior year of wrestling, Chris became the girls’ wrestling coach and continued in that position for two years.
After she graduated Jazlyn said her dad encouraged her to sign up to officiate. “I’ve always wanted to stay involved with the sport that gave me so much, so I decided it would be good for me to give back and start officiating. I’ve always wanted to be a positive role model to younger girls and even guys when it comes to succeeding in the sport,” she said.
During her freshman year of college in Bismarck, she not only followed in her dad’s footsteps by reffing wrestling, but she also became the assistant coach for the Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter girls’ wrestling team, while her dad was the head coach.
“I reffed a few junior high tournaments last year, but . . .