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Section and State Summary
By Roger Mischke
March 6, 2003
RUM RIVER CONFERENCE
The Rum River Conference has twenty-eight state qualifiers and a total of eleven state place winners for an outstanding state tourney showing.
The Knights of Saint Michael-Albertville won the Section 4AA dual meet title with wins over De LaSalle 69-10, Minnehaha Academy 50-16 and Waconia 33-26. The Knights qualified ten wrestlers for the state tourney. Mike Thorn, Brandon Dick, Chas Betts, John Grygelko, Joe Grygelko, Jake Grygelko, Mickey Kirk all won section titles and Luke Vetsch, Adam Roden and Caleb McEachern were all earned seconds. Other section place winners were Jake Bjorkland was third, Chad Little was fourth and Kurt Schumm was sixth. The Knights had a great state tourney; coming away with the Class AA runner up trophy with win over Section 6 champion Becker 30-28 and section 8 champion Hibbing 33-24 before being defeated by rival and section 5 champion Litchfield 33-20 for the championship. Brandon Dick, Mike Thorn, Chad Little and Chas Betts were all 3-0 in the state duals to lead the way for the Knights and capped off an outstanding state tourney for the Knights.
The Falcons of Foley were runner-ups in Section 6AA with wins over Chisago Lakes 61-6 and their rival Milaca 30-23; the Falcons were then defeated by Becker for the Section 6AA championship 37-15. Ryan Holthaus, Greg Stumvoll and Eric Seppelt were all 3-0 in the section duals to lead the way for the Falcons. The Falcons qualified four wrestlers for the state tourney Ryan Holthaus and Greg Frank both won section championships and Greg Stumvoll and Eric Seppelt were both second. The Falcons had eight other section place winners; Josh Freudenberg 3rd and five fourths by Jake Jaeckels, Josh Gondeck, Zach Rajkowski, Jeremy Rau, Jeremy Rudnitski and fifth by Ryan Henry and sixth by Chris Ratke for a total of twelve section place winners to cap off another very good year for season for the Falcons.
The Wolves of Milaca defeated Mora 54-17 and dropped a very good dual to rival Foley 30-23 in a semifinals match of the Section 6AA dual meet tourney. John Fradette, Andy Kotsmith and Mitch Vedders were all 3-0 to lead the way for the Wolves. The Wolves had five state qualifiers; Clay Hoeck won the section, John Fradette, Chuck LaMee, Josh Dehart and Mitch Vedders were all earned seconds. The Wolves had six other state place winners; four thirds by Andy Kotsmith, Steven Vedders, Nick Ziegler and Tony Swenson and Axel Totzke was fifth and Bryan Witschen was sixth for a total eleven place winners. The Wolves with three state places capped off a very good season for the Wolves.
The Vikings of North Branch topped Princeton 35-29 in the quarterfinal of the section 6AA dual meet tourney. The Vikings dropped their semifinal match to Becker 53-12. John Buchanan, Josh Villella and James Kvale were all 2-0 to lead the way for the Vikings. The Vikings had three wrestlers qualify for the state tourney; Jeff Holmgren won the section and Jeremy Bergerson and Josh Villela were both second. The Vikings had seven other section place winners with three thirds by John Buchanan, James Kvale and Joe Holmgren and fifth by Cody Gallmeier and a pair of sixths by Sam Suparat and Jared Swanson for a total ten place winners for the Vikings at the section tourney. With the third place they finished an excellent post season and a strong regular season for the Vikings.
The Hornets of Big Lake topped Sartell 60-15 and dropped their quarterfinal dual to Becker 69-5 in Section 6AA action. Ben Hoglund won both of his matches to lead the way for the Hornets. The Hornets had two state qualifiers Ben Hoglund and Ryan Lumley both won section championships and they had five other place winners; Nick Grecula and Keith Lumley were both fourth and Aaron Stolp was fifth and a pair of sixths by Casey Kern and Tyler Sonenstahl for a total of seven section place winners for the Hornets.
The Tigers of Princeton dropped their quarter final dual meet in Section 6AA action to North Branch 35-29. The Tigers had one state qualifier section champion Justin Bronson and nine other section place winners; a pair of thirds by Phil Meinert and Tony Peltier and a pair of fourths by T.J. Hobbs and Scott Chalupnik, four fifths by Peter Beck, Evan Pemberton, Brad Aasen, Nick Peltier and a sixth by Matt Jensen. With the second place in the state they concluded a very good season for the Tigers.
The Mustangs of Mora dropped their quarter final dual in Section 6AA action to Milaca 54-17.
The Mustangs had two state qualifiers; Steve Johnson section champion and Dylan Rosenberg was second. They also had four other place winners a pair of fifths by Mike Mackedanz and Jake Sallblad and a pair sixths by Tim Patenaude and Ed Rodenborg.
The Wildcats of Chisago Lakes topped Pine City in first round in Section 6AA action and dropped their quarter final match to Foley 61-6. Luke Anderson won both of his matches to lead the way for the Wildcats. The Wildcats had one state qualifier Aaron James was second and six other place winners; Zach Allen was fourth, a trio of fifths by Randy Anderson, Scott Creen and Eli Allen and sixth by Brian Jones for a total of seven section place winners for a very nice showing at the section tourney.
The Dragons of Pine City dropped their opening round of Section 6AA action to Chisago Lakes 50-21. The Dragons had three section place winners; Matt Oven was third and Paul and Ben Mead were both fourth.
AT-LARGE TEAMS
The At-Large Teams had twenty state qualifiers and seven state place winners.
The Bulldogs of Becker crushed their foes in section 6AA dual meet action with wins over rival Big Lake 69-5, North Branch 53-12 and Foley 37-15. Jon and Robert Koranda, Jevon and Jadian Foley, Kent Backes, Eric OâBrien, Jeremy Pederson and Mike Hopkins were all 3-0 in the section tourney to lead the way for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs qualified eight wrestlers to the state tourney; with five section championships by Kent Backes, Eric OâBrien, Jadian Foley and Mike Hopkins and Jeremy Pederson. Three Bulldogs claimed seconds by Jason Shierts, Jon Koranda and Jeremy Adelman. The Bulldogs had six other place winners; a pair of thirds by Robert Koranda and Russ Lumley, a pair of fourths by Jevon Foley and Lex Anderson, fifth by Brandon Backes and Nick Houle was sixth for a total of fourteen section place winners. The Bulldogs lost their first round dual to rival and Section 4 champion Saint Michael-Albertville 30-28 and their first round consolation dual to Section 2 champion Scott West 35-20. Kent Backes, Jeremy Pederson and Eric OâBrian were all 2-0 in the state tourney duals. The Bulldogs capped off their most successful season ever with a 20-2 dual meet record and having a total of ten wrestlers winning twenty matches or more.
The Dragons of Litchfield crushed their foes in Section 5AA action with wins over New London-Spicer 53-19, Watertown-Mayer 48-18 and Paynesville 48-18. David Melepsy, Chase Piepenburg, Joe Buschette, Devon Blom and Bryar Johnson were all 3-0 to lead the way for Dragons. The Dragons qualified five wrestlers for the state tourney; Joe Buschette and Devin Blom and Jake Ziegler all won section championships and Travis Gottschalk and Bryar Johnson were both second. The Dragons also had three other section place winners by A.J. Werner was third and Dan Herbst was fourth and Corey Schlack was fifth for a total of eight section place winners. The Dragons marched their way to the State Dual meet championship by topping
Section 1 champion Plainview-Elgin-Millville 36-22; Section 3 champion Windom-Minnesota Lake-Butterfield Oden 41-22 and rival Saint Michael-Albertville Section 4 champion for the championship 33-20. Joe Buschette, Devin Blom, Travis Gottschalk, Seth Hansvick, Mike Strunk and Bryer Johnson were all 3-0 in the state dual meets to lead the way for the Dragons to complete a very outstanding season for a young Dragon team.
The Bison of Buffalo topped Minnetonka 45-25 in the first round Section 2AAA dual meet action; in the quarter finals the Bison lost to the number one seed Eden Prairie 42-26. Dan Ruter, Dustin Koskela, Dustin Weege, Brandon Brenzer, Jeremy Welter and Mike Christianson were all 3-0 to lead the way for the Bison. The Bison had two state qualifiers Danny Ruter section champion and Dustin Koskela was second and they had four others place fourth; Jeremy Welter, Tyler Reiss, Brandon Snare and Mike Christianson.
The Magic of Monticello topped Moorhead in the first round of Section 8AAA dual meet action 33-32; they lost to the section champions Elk River 60-12. Jon Dahlheimer was 2-0 to lead the way for the Magic. The Magic had four section place winners with three two qualifiers Jon Dahlheimer was a section champion at 112 and Ryan Mergen 160 and Dave Michaelis 135 were both second and Matt Connous was fifth in the section tourney.
The Lightning of Annandale/Maple Lake lost the first round dual in section 5AA action 35-31. The Lightning had two state qualifiers Stephan Pilgram second in the section at 140 and Ben Anderson second at 119. The Magic had five other section place winners; Tom Ogden was fifth and Phil Roemer, Matt Schultz, Adam Northenscold and Brad Salveson were took sixth place in the section.
The Cowboys of Breckenridge dropped a very close dual in the first round of Section 7A dual meet action 42-36. The Cowboys had two state qualifiers Blair Marinowski at 125 and Dean Dahl at 152 were both section champions. The Cowboys had five other section place winners for a total of seven; Jake Dahle was third and a trio of fourths by Andy VanHecke, Kris Vold and Jesse Stuehrenberg and Eric Cribb was fifth.
WEST CENTRAL NORTH
The West Central North had fifteen state qualifiers and four state place winners.
The Thunder of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle topped the field at the Section 7AA dual meet tourney; by coming from a number five seed and simply taking everyone by surprise; maybe even them selves. The Thunder topped Crosby-Ironton, rival Sauk Centre 39-24, Minnewaska 36-35 and Perham 36-27. Sam Schad, Adam Pesta, Scott Twardowski and Kurt Jenkins all were 4-0 and Grant Schad, Travis Pesta and Derek Pesta were all 3-1 in the section tourney to lead the Thunder. They had four state qualifiers Section champions Sam Schad at 119 and Scott Twardowski 189 and Adam Pesta 152 and Kurt Jenkins 215 were both second and the Thunder had four other section place winners; a trio of thirds by Grant Schad, Travis Pesta and Pat Jenkins and a sixth by Jake Zeis. In the State tourney dual meet action the Thunder claimed sixth. In the first round they lost to Section 3 Windom 42-20 and the consolation round beat Section 1 champion Plainview-Elgin-Milleville 49-22 and lost to Section 2 champion Scott West 39-20. Travis Pest and Grant Schad were both 3-0 in the state dual meets. The Thunder capped of an outstanding season with their two state place winners.
The Bulldogs of Paynesville topped Rocori 45-18 in the quarter finals of Section 5AA dual meet action and in the semifinals they topped Dassel Cokato in a very good dual 25-22. The Bulldogs fell to powerful Litchfield in the championship 48-18. Ryan Glenz, Marty Engen and Brad Person were all 3-0 to lead the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs had four state qualifiers; Section champion Marty Engen 189 and taking seconds were Ryan Glenz, Adam Christian and Sean Glenz. They had seven other section place winners; Matt Kerzman was third, Josh Johnson was fourth, a trio of fifths by Justin Reeck, Pat Utsch and Brad Person and a pair of sixths by Josh Kerzman and Joey Shierdan to give the Bulldogs a total of eleven section place winners.
The Mainstreeters of Sauk Centre lost their first round dual to rival Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 39-24 in Section 7AA dual meet action. The Mainstreeters had five state qualifiers including three section champions; Zac Winter 125, Ethan Vogt 171 and Kurt Haakinson at 140 and a pair of seconds by Cody Olson and Darrin Quistorff. They had two other section place winners a pair of thirds by Nick Ruegemer and Brian Beilke. The Mainstreeters capped of a very good season with a young team with their two state place winners.
The Huskies of Albany topped Delano in the first round of Section 5AA dual meet action 49-22 and they lost in the quarter finals to Dassel Cokato 61-8. Jake Zierden and Adam Goebel were both 2-0 to lead the way for the Huskies. The Huskies had one state qualfier Jake Zierden was second at 145 and six other section place winners; third by Brad Maciewjeski and five fourths by Matt Blackmore, Scott Schlangen, Kris Doll, Adam Goebel and Jeff Dirkes.
The Dutchmen of Melrose dropped their round dual in Section 5AA action to Watertown-Mayer 64-11. The Dutchmen had one state qualifier section champion Eric Schoenberg at 112.
WEST CENTRAL SOUTH
The West Central South had ten state qualifiers and six state place winners.
The Lakes of Minnewaska won their first round section 7AA dual meet action by crushing Pelican Rapids 66-6; they did drop their semifinal match to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 36-35. Joe Swartz, Mark Mitchell, Jeremy Fischer, Corey Cihlar, Jacob Bryce and Nathan Stoen were all 2-0 to lead the way for the Lakers. The Lakers had two state qualifiers Section champion Nathan Stoen 215 and Jacob Bryce 172 was second. The Lakers did have a total of twelve section place winners including a trio of thirds by Casey Boutain, Cody Pahan and Trevor Larson, a pair of fourths by Taylor Jergenson and Joe Swartz, four fifths by Sam Goracke, Mark Mitchell, Jeremy Fischer and Corey Cihlar and a sixth by Orlin Erickson. The Lakers capped off an outstanding season with the state championship and third place finish.
The Wildcats of New London-Spicer topped Annandale-Maple Lake 35-31 in their first round of section 5AA dual action. The Wildcats dropped their quarter final match to powerful Litchfield 53-19. Tony Noyes, Adam Westby and Jake Taylor were all 2-0 to lead the way for the Wildcats. They had two state qualifiers; section champions Adam Westby 215 and Tony Noyes at 125. The Wildcats had four other place winners including Jake Taylor was third, Louie Pirrotta was fourth, Cassidy Ammerman was fifth and Adam Luberts was sixth.
The Braves of Benson dropped their first round in Section 4A dual meet action to MACCRAY 52-24. The Braves had two state qualifiers Chance Kvistad 135 and Adam Carruth 140 were both second. Three other Braves were section place winners Scott Thompson and Luke Ruess were both fifth and Wade Miller was 6th for a total of five section place winners.
The Tigers of Morris dropped their first round in Section 7AA dual meet action to Pelican Rapids 42-31. The Tigers had one state qualifier section champion Nate Kleespie at 145 and five other section place winners by third by Kyle Koehntop, fourth by Cole Swenson, a pair of fifths by Aaron Erdahl and Cimmeron Gahm and a sixth by Kody Kramer.
The Thunder Hawks of Montevideo topped Marshall in first round Section 3AA dual meet action 48-24 and lost their quarter final match to Yellow Medicine East 45-15. Dusty Bakker, Tom Pauling, James Gallagher, Tom Halverson and Tyler Kantan were all 2-0 to lead the Thunder Hawks. The Thunder Hawks had three state qualifiers section champion Gage Halvorson at 112 and Tom Halvorson 140 and Dusty Bakker 171 were both second. Other section place winners were Tom Pauling was third and Tyler Kanten was fifth.
The Eagles of LQPV lost to Tracey-Milroy-Balaton 45-23 in their first round Section 3AA dual meet action. The Eagles had four section place winners a pair of fourths by Cammeron Avelsgard and David Carruth, a fifth by Brady Thomson and sixth by Brandon Hass.
PARK REGION CONFERENCE
The Park Region had twenty four state qualifiers and nine state place winners.
The Eagles of New York Mills had ten section place winners including three state qualifiers; Jacob Malone 171, Jeremy Hagen 130 and Jason Hatakainen 140 all were runner ups. The Eagles had three thirds by Jeremy Mursu, Jeramie Weller and Brent Weller and four fifths by Jared Hotakainen, Tim Wegscheid, Chris Keskitalo and Devlin Hessig. These place winner lead the Eagles to a fourth place finish with 162 points to qualify them to wrestle in the section dual meet tourney against the number five team. The Eagles totally dominated Barnesville 44-18 in the first round of Section 8A dual meet action and they lost a good dual to a very good Frazee team 36-21. Jared Hotakainen, Jeramie Weller, Brent Weller and Jacob Malone were all 2-0 in section duals. This capped off a very good season for the young Eagle team.
The Warriors of Menagha-Sebeka had nine section place winners including five state qualifiers to claim third place with 177 points. The Warriors had three section championships by Scott Ahlf, Austin Rife and Joel Hendrickson and seconds by Mike Cox and Josh Schindeldecker. The other place winners for the Warriors were Travis Ahlf was fourth, and pair of fifths by Jordan Anderson and Keith Hendrickson and a sixth by Jacob Braith. Their third place finish will have the Warriors wrestling the number two team in the quarter finals of the section dual meet tourney. The Warriors dropped their first round match in Section 8 A duals to Mahnomen-Waubun 35-33. The Warriors had a very impressive showing at the state tourney with three place winners and this closed out the most successful season for the Warriors in recent years.
The Raiders of Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale topped CACG in their quarter final match in Section 7A dual meet action. The Raiders topped West Central Area 39-30 in a very good match in the semifinals. They did drop the championship to Wheaton-Herman-Norcross 43-26 for a second place finish in Section 7A. Jasper and Jared Oyster, Cullen Captain and Casey Finck were all 3-0 to lead the way for the Raiders. The Raiders had six state qualifiers including section champions Casey Finck 215, Jared Oyster 130, Jasper Oyster 103 and seconds by Cullen Captain 135, Seth Moenkedick 140 and Keith Bowman 152. The Raiders did have a total of thirteen section place winners; including a pair of thirds by Brian Braaten and Josh Denny, a pair of fourths by Joe Cottrell and Dustin Denny a trio of fifths by Joseph Miner, Tyler Fuller and Bud Willis and a sixth by Adam Schwartz. The Raiders had a very outstanding state wrestling performance with three state place winners capped off a truly very successful season for a young Raider team.
The Panthers of Parkers Prairie topped Breckenridge in the first round of Section 7A dual meet action 42-36 and they lost their semifinal final match to Wheaton-Herman-Norcross 60-12. Tyler Arvidson, Chad Koep and Chris Stewart were all 2-0 to lead the way for the Panthers. They had four state qualifiers including section champion Chris Stewart 171 and seconds by Aaron Walsch 275, Tyler Arvidson 152 and Matt Arvidson 119. The Panthers had four section place winners including Travis Bjerketvedt, Ben Arvidson and Chad Koep claimed thirds and Jason Fiedler took fifth to give the Panthers a total of eight section place winners for an excellent showing.
The Road Crew of Pequot Lake-Pine River-Backus lost their first round dual in Section 7AA action to Staples Motley 54-19. The Road Crew had three state qualifiers including two section champions Shane Walton 112 and Phillip Shequen at 275 and second by Corey Swenson at 130. The Road Crew had two other place winners Seth Baker was third and Brady Switajewski was fourth. The Road Crew had an impressive showing at the state tourney with two place winners.
The Bulldogs of Ottertail Central lost their first round dual in section 7AA action to Aitkin 61-10. The Bulldogs had one state qualifier section champion Kyle Anderson 160 and three other section place winners including a fifth by Tyler Seeger and a pair of sixths by Gary Sundby and Mike Mackeledt.
The Broncos of Browerville-Eagle Valley won their first round dual 34-33 over Osakis in Section 7A dual meet action and they lost to Wheaton-Herman-Norcross 67-10. Nate Pachen and Luke Boser were both 2-0 to lead the way for the Broncos. They had two state qualifiers section champions Nate Pachan 145 and Torrey Line 140. The Broncos had seven other section place winners including a pair fourths by Wade Johnson and Grant Bentz; a pair of fifths by Gene Tschida and Luke Boser and a trio of sixths for a good section performance by Broncos.
The Silverstreaks of Osakis dropped their first round dual to Browerville-Eagle Valley 34-33 in Section 7A dual meet action. The Silverstreaks had seven section place winners; a pair of thirds by Michael Waldvogel and Eric Weiner, fifth by Grant Allen and four sixths by Sam Duchene, Randy Maher, Isiah Duchen and Orry Trisco.
212 CONFERENCE
The 212 Conference had sixteen state qualifiers and seven place winners.
The Warriors of BOLD crushed their foes in Section 4A dual meet action with wins over MACCRAY 66-6, Adrian 47-15 and Minneota 40-22. Nathan Kubesh, Cyle Olson, Shawn Plumley, Matt Zupke and Dan Elfering were all went 3-0 to lead the Warriors. They had eight state qualifiers including four section champions; Nathan Kubesh, Shaun Plumley, Nathan Kubesh and Jordan Keltgen and second by Bryan Pietig, Matt Jahnke, Matt Zubke and Brandon Schmoll. The Warriors had a total of twelve section place winners including; Clay Olson and Dan Elfering were both third and a pair of fourths by Tom Elfering and Cyle Olson. The Warriors defeated Section 6A champion Pierz 36-19 in the first round. In the semifinals they defeated Section 8 champion Frazee-Vergas 33-20 and in the championship they topped a determined Section 1 champion Pine Island 37-18. The Warriors had five wrestlers that were 3-0 in the state tourney duals Bryan Pietig, Clay Olson, Shaun Plumley, Dan Elfering and Justin Kubesh. With the state dual meet championship and the five state place winners this closed out the most successful season in the school history; one the Warriors fans will never forget!
The Sting of Yellow Medicine topped rival Montevideo 45-15 in the first round of Section 3AA dual meet action and Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 47-21 in the semifinals and dropped the championship match to Windom-Minnesota Lake-Butterfield-Oden 50-15. Chad Listul and Scott Jacobson were both 3-0 to lead the Sting. The Sting qualified four wrestlers to the state tourney including section champion Nick Cole 140, Chad Listul 103, Blaine Weber 125 and Scott Jacobson 130 were all second. The other place winners for the Sting were a trio of fourths by Zach Stock, Tyler Santzer and Travis Berg, a pair of fifths by Spenser Sannerud and Nick Schommer and a pair of sixths by Tom Jacobson and David Schueler. The Sting had a total of twelve wrestlers that were section place winners and their fourth place finish capped off a great season for the Sting.
The Fighting Saints of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg lost their first round match in Section 4A dual meet action to Canby 61-6. The Fighting Saints had one state qualifier Kasey VanHevlen and pair of thirds by Kordel VanHevlen and Gary Knesl, one fourth by Tyson Tofte and five fifths by Tom Rustad, Ryan Carslon, Tom Paulson, Kole VanHevlen and Nathan Wentzel and sixth by Darrin Calrson. This was an excellent showing by Fighting Saints to have ten place winners in this strong section to close one the their best seasons ever.
The Falcons of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City won their first round in Section 5A dual meet action over Trinity at River Ridge 37-31and the semifinal with Norwood Young-America 38-33. The Falcons lost the championship in a very good dual with Meadow Creek River Academy 36-24. Dan Evenson, Dain Kalkbrenner and Spencer Lund were all 3-0 to lead the Falcons. They had three state qualifiers section champion Jason Losing 125, Dain Kalkbrenner 215 and Adam Hoeper 103 were both second. The Falcons had a total of thirteen section place winners others include a pair of thirds by Dan Evenson and A.J. Fredrickson, five fifths by Dylan Anderson, Isaac Fordyce, Spencer Lund, Kyle Whitcomb and Jared Flemming and a pair of sixths by Aaron Rouser and Brandon Kragenbring. Despite the loss of three returning state qualifiers from last season the Falcons had truly and excellent season.
The Wolverines of MACCRAY won their first round match in Section 4A dual meet action over Benson 52-24. The Wolverines dropped their second match to BOLD 66-6. The Wolverines had five section place winners including Tyler Steen was third, a pair of fifths by Trevor Steen and Matt Uttermark and a pair of sixths by Tom Miller and Matt Niebelschutz.
The Jaquars of Renville County West lost their first round match in Section 4A dual meet action to Dawson-Boyd 59-18. The Jaquars had three section place winners Jared Sietesma and Ryan Schjenken were both fifth and Cory Enesvedt got sixth.
CENTRAL MINNESOTA CONFERENCE
The Central Minnesota Conference had twenty-one state qualifiers and seven state place winner.
The Pioneers of Pierz crushed their foe in the first round of Section 6A dual meet action Holdingford 77-6 and they also crushed Braham in the semifinals 64-13. In the finals the Pioneers topped their rival Mille Lacs 31-24. Craig Luberts, Nathan Janson, Kyle Bednar, Jesse Zajac and Jon Andres were all 3-0 to lead the Pioneers. They had eight state qualifiers including four section champions; Craig Luberts 140, Nathan Janson 112, Warren Gall 125 and Kyle Bednar 103 and seconds by Kyle Girtz, Tony Andres, Zach Sollinger and Jesse Zajac. The Pioneers had five other place winners including three thirds by Jon Andres, Nathan Britz and Tyler Stumph, fourth by Cody Luberts and fifth by Tim Young for a total of thirteen section place winners. The Pioneers lost their first round state dual meet to Section 4 champion BOLD 36-19 and then came back to defeat Section 2 champion New Richland-Heartland-Ellendale-Geneva 43-27 and for the Consolation title defeated Section 7 champion Wheaton-Herman/Norcross 46-23. Craig Luberts, Nathan Janson and Kyle Bednar were all 3-0 in the state dual meet competition. The Pioneers had the three individuals place winner to cap off yet another great season by this very young Pioneer team.
The Cubs of Kimball won their first round of the Section 5A dual meet action over rival Eden Valley-Watkins 39-33. The Cubs lost their semifinal dual in a very good dual with Meadow Creek- River Academy 36-34. Gary Salmela, Jeremy Dahnke, Brady Knaeble, Tom Libbesmeier and Kyle Winter were all 2-0 to lead the Cubs. They had four state qualifiers including three section champions; Tom Libbesmeier 171, Kyle Winter 215 and Blaine Lemke 135 and second by Gary Salmela. The Cubs had six other section place winners including third by Jeremy Dahnke, a pair of fourths by John Hanley and Brady Knaeble, a pair of fifths by Luke Deutsch and Brandon Hurrle and sixth by Dave Dahnke for a total of ten section place winners for an excellent showing in the section tourney and to cap of a very successful season the Cubs with a state championship and two other place winners.
The Eagles of Eden Valley-Watkins lost their first round match in Section 5A dual meet action to Kimball 39-33. The Eagles had four state qualifiers including two section champions Josh Hiltner 160 and Eric Sullinger 130 and seconds by Nick Peterson and Adam Hiltner. The Eagles also had five other section place winners including a third by Jeff Magedanz, a pair of fourths by Sean Topp and Ryan Knisley and a pair of sixths by Raymen Rice and Chris Faber for a total of nine section place winners for this young team.
The Royals of Royalton defeated Belgrade-Brooten in the first round of the Section 6A dual meet tourney. The Royals dropped the semifinals match with Mille Lacs 33-15. Josh Brady and Matt Mrnak were both 2-0 to lead the Royals. They had two state qualifiers section champion Matt Mrnak 215 and second by Ryan Smude 112. The Royals had eight other section place winners including a pair of thirds by Jesse and Josh Brady, fourth fourths by Jamie Carlson, Randy Borash, Kyle Hackett and Gary Borash, fifth by Adam Schlicting and sixth by Rachael Holthaus for a total of ten section place winners.
The Jaquars of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa lost their first round match of the Section 6A tourney to Royalton 37-21. The Jaquars had two state qualifiers section champions John Marquardt 145 and Dusty Baker 119 and five other section place winners including a trio of thirds by Chris Braegelman, Tyler Rath and Travis Henry, fourth by Danny Borgerding and fifth by Jess Tebrake for a strong section showing with seven section place winners.
The Huskers of Holdingford lost their first round dual to Pierz 71-6 in Section 6A action. The Huskers had three section place winners Ross Huls and Lewis Lumley were both fourth and Lewis Becker was fifth.
The Rockets of Rockford lost their first round dual in Section 5AA dual meet action to Rocori 53-21. The Rockets had on state qualifier Corey Feehan 130 and a pair of thirds Lane Dumas and Jon Wawra.
The Lakers of Howard Lake-Waverly lost to Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 51-27. The Lakers had five section place winners a pair of fourths by Chad Anderson and Derek Anderson and a trio of fifths by Clark Ostvig, Ryan Miller and Jieles Erickson.
CENTRAL LAKES CONFERENCE
The Central Lakes Conference had sixteen state qualifiers and five state place winners.
The Cardinals of Willmar won their first round match in Section 2AAA dual meet action over Chaska 45-18. The Cardinals then rolled past number two seed Wayzata 39-30 in the quarterfinals before falling to Hutchinson in the semifinals 49-28. Brandon Gilb, Ryan Riechman, Peter Johnson and Matt Wetterling were all 3-0 to lead the Cardinals. They had three state qualifiers including section champions Peter Johnson 135, Matt Wetterling 160 and Brandon Gilb 125 and six other section place winners Ben Monson was third, Luke Cruze fifth, and four sixths by Ryan Riechman, Lance Hauser, Brady Gilb and Ben Thonvold. The Cardinals closed out another very successful season once again with their two state place winners.
The Tigers of St. Cloud Tech defeated Little Falls 43-31 in the first round of Section 8AAA dual meet action. The Tigers then fell to Bemidji 49-16 in the semifinal action. Bronson Hatch, Derrick Orth and Montanna Ewers were all 2-0 to lead the Tigers. They had five state qualifiers including section champions Bronson Hatch and Derrick Orth and trio of seconds by Montanna Eweres, Josh Boelz and Jimmy Weiman. The Tigers had six other place winners; third by Jordan Stracke, Robbie Huott was forth, a pair of fifths by Jame Ethan and Andy Johnston and pair sixths by Alex Braun.and John Mailloux.
The Warriors of Brainerd fell to Fergus Falls in first round action of Section 8AAA dual meet action 36-25. The Warriors had two state qualifiers Section champion Andy Pickar and Dan Fleischhacker was second. They had six other section place winners including four thirds by Konrad Abramo, Kyle Dukowitz, Tom Zelinske and Chad Weiss and a pair of fourths by Greg Strand and Kyle Wilshusen for eight place winners overall for a strong showing at the section tourney.
The Cardinals of Alexandria won their first round of Section 8AAA dual meet action over Sauk Rapids 60-12. The Cardinals then lost in the quarterfinals to Bemidji 56-9. Ryan Logan, Dan Kirscht and Damon Bullock were all 2-0 to lead the Cardinals. They had eight section place winners including a pair of thirds by Paul Norling and Allen Zarbok, fourth by Luke Wevley, a trio of fifths by Damon Bullock, Dustin Price and Ryan Logan and a pair of sixths by Pat Barret and Sean Hanson by this young Cardinal team.
The Flyers of Little Falls defeated St. Cloud Apollo 43-30 in the first round of Section 8AAA dual meet action. The Flyers lost the quarterfinals to St. Cloud Tech 43-31 in a very good dual. Mike Ashby, Chris Roach and Adam Gosiak were all 2-0 to lead the Flyers. They had two state qualifiers Adam Gosiak 160 section champion and Chris Roach was second at 135; other place winners include a trio of thirds by Mike Ashby, A.J. Fontelroy and Ted Wilczek, fourth by Josh Bue and a pair of sixths by Troy Biermaier and Aaron Olson for a total eight section place winners for this young Flyer team.
The Spartans of Rocori topped Rockford in the first round of Section 5AA dual meet action 53-21. The Spartans fell to Paynesville 45-18 in quarterfinals action. Sam Howe and Max Johannes were both 2-0 to lead the Spartans. They had five section place winners including Joey Howe was third, a trio of fourths by Darren Nathan, Grant Johnson and Max Johannes and fifth by Lee Kollar.
The Eagles of St. Cloud Apollo lost their first round match in Section 8AAA dual meet action to Little Falls 43-30. The Eagles had three state qualifiers Section champions Neil Russel 171 and William Cooper Kelly 275 and Blake Schwegel was second at 215. The Eagles also had three other section place winners including a fourth by Ken Blakeley, fifth by Matt Rowan and sixth by Thane Taylor. This gave the Eagles six section place winners and a strong showing at the section tourney.
The Storm of Sauk Rapids lost their first round match to Alexandria 60-12 in Section 8AAA dual meet action. The Storm had three section place winners including a trio of sixth places by Kyle Peterson, Chris Tift and Chris Allen.
The Sabres of Sartell lost to Big Lake in first round action of 6AA dual meet action 60-15. The Sabres had a state qualifier, section champion Kent Nathe 125 and two other section place winners a pair of sixths by Andrew Demuth and T. J. Stang.
Independent
The Independent teams had sixteen state qualifiers and five state place winners.
The Otters of Fergus Falls defeated Brainerd in the quarter finals of Section 8AAA dual meet action 36-25. The Otters lost a tough dual to Elk River 46-16; in a match that involved several close matches. Adam Schlepp, Mitch Gabrielson and Jared Bangs all were 2-0 to lead the Otters. They had four state qualifiers including Section champions Jared Bangs 140 and Mitch Gabrielson 135 and two seconds by Adam Schlepp 119 and Travis Halling 275. The Otters had other section place winners including a pair of fourths by Zach Leuthardt and Andy Krog and a pair of fifths by Tom Good and Mike Swenson for a total of eight section place winners for an excellent showing by the Otters at the section tourney. The Otters excellent season was capped off with Adam Schleppâs outstanding performance at the state tourney.
The Bullets of Wheaton-Herman-Norcross defeated Browerville-Eagle Valley in the first round of Section 7A dual meet action. The Bullets crushed Parkers Prairie 60-12 in the semifinals and in the Championship the Bullets defeated Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale 43-26. Shane Fickes, Casey Gray, T.J. Serverance, Scott Tolifson, Matt Pool and Brandon Arndt were all 3-0 to lead the Bullets. They had six state qualifiers including two section champions Brandon Arndt 189 and Casey Gray 119 and four seconds by Matt Fridgen 130, T. J. Serverance 125, Shane Fickes 112 and Cody Rinke 160. The Bullets had seven other section place winners including third by Matt Pool, a trio of fourths by Scott Tolifson, Jeff Behrens and Tanner Lehman, a pair of fifths by Brady Sykor and Jared Lennox and sixth by Colby Larson. The Bullets took on Section 3 champion in the first round of state dual meet action where they lost a good dual 32-24, in the Consolation semifinals they defeated the Section 5 champions Meadow Creek/River Christian Academy 47-25 and lost the consolation championship to the Section 6 champion Pierz 46-23. Brandon Arndt and Cody Rinke both were 3-0 in the state dual meets to lead the Bullets and also to cap of an excellent season for the Bullet wrestling.
The Knights of West Central Area defeated Ortonville in the quarter finals in Section 7A dual meet action 53-21 and in the semifinals they lost in a very close match to Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale 30-30. Brady Schneeberger, Jordan Hammer, Phillip Beaumia, Matt Anderson and Tom Lohse all were 2-0 to lead the Knights. They had five state qualifiers including section champions Phillip Beaumia 160 and Brady Schneeberger 112 and a trio of seconds by Morgan Taylor 215, Tom Lohse 189 and Matt Anderson 171. The Knights had five other section place winners including a trio of fourths by Dustin Schneeberger, Kenny Montonye and Jordan Hammer and a pair of sixths by Nathan Lang and Dennis Sik. The Knights turned in an excellent section performance with their ten section place winners.
The Trojans of Ortonville lost their first round action of the Section 7A dual meet tourney to West Central Area 53-21. The Trojans had two state qualifiers section champion Jason Kellen 275 and second by Patrick Eustice 103. They had five other section place winners including a trio of thirds by Eric Collins, Ben Rudnick and Dylain Mclain, fourth by Cory Schmieg and a pair of fifths by Matt Koval and Drew Johsnon. This gave the Trojans a total of eight section place winners and a strong showing at the section tourney.
The Cardinals of Swanville-Upsala had two section place winners including a third by Nathan Strom and a fourth by Ben Toule.
GREAT RIVER CONFERENCE
The Great River Conference had twelve state qualifiers and four state place winners.
The Gobblers of Aitkin crushed Ottertail Central in the first round of Section 7AA dual meet action 61-10. In the quarterfinals the Gobblers lost a close match to Wadena-Deer Creek 35-23. Scott Chester, Jordan Keil, B.J. Wasserzieher and Josh Setzer were all 2-0 to lead the Gobblers. They had one state qualifier section champion Jordan Keil 130 and seven other section place winners including a trio of fourths by Adam Landgren, Korey Tibbetts and Scott Chester, a fifth by B.J. Wasserzieher and a trio of sixths by Trevor Sterling, Mike Wagner and Josh Setzer for a total of eight section place winners for a good performance at the section tourney.
The Raiders of Mille Lacs crushed Hinckley-Finlayson 45-27 in the quarter finals of Section 6A dual meet action. In the semifinals the Raiders topped Royalton 33-15 before falling to a very good Pierz team in the championship 31-24. Paul Osterman, Jon Odle and Justin Jones were all 3-0 to lead the Raiders. They had eight state qualifiers including three section champions Matt Steffenson 135, Paul Osterman 189 and Nick Wilkes 160 and five seconds by Ryan Lovaas, Justin Jones, Tyler Walters, Nolan Boucher and Jon Odle. The Raiders had three other section place winners including a trio of fifths by Kyle Prickett, Dustin Bretzman and Geoff Springer for total of eleven places and a great season capped of by the two state place winners.
The Bombers of Braham crushed Rush City in the quarter finals of Section 6A dual meet action. In the semifinals the Bombers lost to a very strong Pierz team 64-13. Matt Morgan, David Shockman and Korey Siltman were all 2-0 to lead the Bombers. They had three state qualifiers including three section champions Korey Siltman 275, Matt Morgan 130 and David Shockman 135. The Bombers had four other section place winners including a pair of thirds by Tony Bacon and Ernie Loerzel, fourth by Omar Bukhowa and a fifth by Jason Neville. The Bombers had a very good section tourney with seven section place winners and it was capped of by the excellent performances by Korey Siltman and Matt Morgan.
The Tigers of Rush City lost their first round of the Section 6A dual meet tourney to Braham 47-18. The Tigers had one state qualifier a second by Mike Wuorinen 160 and five other section place winners including a third by Richard Marohn, a pair of fourths by Robert Lind and Adam Morris and a fifth by Zach Sowman.
The Jaguars of Hinckley-Finlayson lost there quarter final match of Section 6a to Mille Lacs 45-27. The Jaquars had state qualifiers a pair of seconds by Steve Jesnen 103 and Dustin Nelson 112. They had five other section place winners a trio of fourths by Dylan Van Gorden, Charlie Hagman and Dan Hendirx and a pair of fifths by Nathaniel Vrudny and Travis Otterer.
Coaches, I would like to thank your for sending your team's results so I could follow your team's success throughout the season. With each edition I shared their success in the Mat Rat Reports and Section Reports. Look for a season summary. Send those season summaries when you are done with your season. Please include your overall dual meet records and a list of varsity wrestlers with grades and win/loss records. Please either fax (1-320-363-4192) or email matrat@astound.net. Thanks, The Mat Rat Roger Mischke