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By Roger Mischke
March 10, 2004
RUM RIVER CONFERENCE
The Rum River had a total of thirty-one state qualifiers and both Saint Michael-Albertville and Milaca are sending a total of nineteen between the two. A total of fifteen state place winners including three state champions.
Saint Michael-Albertville Knights Class 2AA State Champions
Mike Thorn 10th Grade 112 State Champion STMA
Chas Betts 12th Grade 160 State Champion STMA
Mitch Vedders 12th Grade 171 State Champion Milaca
Jake Grygelko 11th Grade 145 Second Place STMA
Brandon Dick 12th Grade 119 Third Place STMA
Clay Hoeck 12th Grade 135 Third Place Milaca
Keith Lumley 11th Grade 145 Third Place Big Lake
Ben Hoglund 12th Grade 160 Third Place Big Lake
Joe Grygelko 9th Grade 125 Fourth Place STMA
John Grygelko 11th Grade 189 Fourth Place STMA
Phil Meinert 12th Grade 171 Fourth Place Princeton
Chad Little 10th Grade 130 Fifth Place STMA
Luke Vetsch 11th Grade 171 Sixth Place STMA
Aaron Stolp 9th Grade 103 Sixth Place Big Lake
John Fradette 11th Grade 130 Sixth Place Milaca
Saint Michael-Albertville Knights crushed the field of teams for the section 4AA Section title. They topped Columbia Heights 81-0, Fridley 71-0 and Mound-Westonka 55-6. The Knights continued to be dominating as they qualified twelve wrestlers to the state tourney. Mike Thorn 103, Brandon Dick 119, Joe Grygelko 125, Chad Little 130, Mickey Kirk 140, Jake Grygelko 145, Josh Becker 152, Chas Betts 160, Luke Vetsch 171, John Grygelko 189 and Mark Kasper 215 were section champions. Andy Hackenmueller was second at 103. The Knights did have two others place Caleb McEachern was third at 275 and Kurt Schumm was 5th at 135. Head Coach Greg Greeno was name the 2004 Section Head Coach. The Knights topped the field at the state tourney with a quarterfinal win over Perham 52-8. In the semifinals they faced section 2 foe Scott West and topped them 34-23 and in the championship they faced section 2 foe Adrian. The Knights topped them 32-22 for coach Greeno's first state championship. Andy Hackenmueller at 103, Mike Thorn at 112, Chad Little at 130, Chas Betts at 160 and Jake Grygelko at 189 were all 3-0 in the state tourney duals. The Knights had eight state place winners; of those eight six of them will return next season.
The Milaca Wolves topped the Section 6AA field with wins over Melrose 69-9, Becker 41-22 and for the Section Championship Foley 36-16. There were five unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Wolves; they were Chuck LaMee, Josh DeHart, John Fradette, Clay Hoeck and Mitch Vedders. The Wolves had ten section place winners including seven state qualifiers. Chuck LaMee 112, Clay Hoeck 135, Mitch Vedders 171 and Steven Jacobson 215 were all section champions. John Fradette 130, Steven Vedders 140 and Andy Kotsmith 160 were all second. Josh Dehart 119 and Cody Kragt 125 were both third and Axel Totzke was fifth at 152.
Head Coach Randy Zimmer was named the Section 2004 Head Coach. The Wolves lost a very close match to Section three Champion Adrian 30-27 and to the Section eight champion Detroit Lakes 36-31. The Wolves had three state place winners including State Champion Mitch Vedders.
The Foley Falcons claimed second in Section 6AA with wins over Mora/Pine City 44-8 and Rocori 42-15 before losing to their biggest rival Milaca 36-16. There were three unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Falcons; they were Jake Bowland, Zach Rajkowski and Eric Seppelt. The Falcons had eleven section place winners including five state qualifiers Greg Stumvoll 130 won the championship and Zack Rajkowski 125, Jeremy Rau 171, Josh Freudenberg 215 and Eric Seppelt 135 all earned seconds. Jacob Bowland 103 and Kyle Henry 215 were both third, Jared Freudenberg 160 and Jake Jaeckels 119 were both fourth and Luke Young earned a fifth place finish.
The Big Lake Hornets dropped their quarterfinal match to Rocori 38-25. The Hornets had six section place winners including three state qualifiers Ben Hoglund 160 and Aaron Stolp 103 both won championships and Keith Lumley 145 claimed second. Nick Grecula was third at 140, Trevor Knaeble was fourth at 130 and Tyler Sonenstahl was fifth at 135. The Hornets have a very successful state tourney with three place winners.
The Mustangs of Mora/Pine City eight section place winners including one state qualifier Dylan Rosenberg at 152 won the section championship. Brad Koehn 125 and Matt Oven 275 were both fourth and four fifths by Chris Sawatzky 103, Brandon Akkerman 130, Kim Thompson 160 and James Barnes 215.
The North Branch Vikings dropped their opening round section match to Champlin Park 42-22. The Vikings had six place winners including a state qualifier at 215 Jeremy Bergerson and Sam Suparat 160 - 5th Josh Schwab 119, Joe
Lofboom 152, Zack Backus 171, and Cory Haley 189 all took 6th place.
The Chisago Lakes Wildcats dropped their opening round section match to Forest Lake 56-19. The Wilcats had three section place winners including section champion Aaron James at 189 and Luke Anderson at 189 was third; Luke lost a true second match. Brian Jones claimed fourth place at 103 for the Wildcats.
The Princeton Tigers lost their opening round section dual to Blaine 51-20. The Tigers had four section place winners including State qualifier Phil Meinert at 171; he claim second. Brad Aasen was fifth at 130, Matt Jensen was fourth at 140 and Chad Bukhholder was sixth at 145.
AT-LARGE TEAMS
These teams had sixteen state qualifiers led by Litchfield and Becker with a total of eight between those two teams. The had eight state place winners including one State Champion.
Litchfield Dragons Class 2AA Consolation Champions
Stephen Pilgram Annandale/Maple Lake 12th Grade 140 State Champion
Jeremy Pederson Becker 12th Grade 189 Second Place
Joe Buschette Lithfield 12th Grade 130 Third Place
Bryar Johson Lithfield 12th Grade 215 Fourth Place
Jon Koranda Becker 12th Grade 140Fifth Place
Jon Dahlheimer Monticello 11th 119 Grade Fifth Place
Ryan Mergen Monticello 11th 160 Grade Fifth Place
Beau Penk Litchfield 10th Grade 125 Sixth Place
The Litchfield Dragons successfully defended their Section 5AA Title with wins over Glencoe-Silver Lake in the quarters, in the semifinals over Dassel Cokato 39-22 and in the championship over Annandale/Maple Lake 53-13. There were eight unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Dragons; they were Reed Wimmer, Beau Penk, Chase Pipenburg, Joe Buschette, A. J. Werner, Cory Schlack, Bryar Johnson and Aaron Kromann. The Dragons had nine section place winners including four state qualifiers including champions Joe Buschette 130, Bryar Johnson 215, Cory Schlack 171 and Beau Penk 125. Chase Piepenburg 135 and Aaron Kromann 189 were both third, A. J. Werner 160 was fourth and a pair of fifths by Frank Kock 145 and Reed Wimmer at 103. The Dragons had a successful state tourney with their fifth place finish and three state place winners. The Dragons had four wrestlers go unbeaten in that state dual meet action; Joe Buschette, Frank Koch, Aaron Kromann and Byrar Johnson.
The Annandale/Maple Lake Lightning the number five seed upset the number four seed Watertown-Mayer 34-20 in the quarterfinals. The Lightning took on state ranked and number one seed Waconia in semifinals to came away with another upset win 30-29. In the championship they lost to the defending section champions Litchfield 53-13. There were three unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Lightning; they were Nick Clemence, Stephen Pilgrim and Nathan Roemer. The Lightning had nine section place winners including two state qualifiers Stephen Pilgrim 140 champion and Ben Anderson 125 was second. Nathan Roemer 145, Brad Salverson 171 and Dusty Nicka 275 were all third. Nick Clemence 112, Phil Roemer 135 and Adam Michalski 215 all earned fourths and Tyler Wadman was fifth at 119. Head Coach Bruce Bartels was name the Section 2004 Head Coach. The Lighting's Stephen Pilgram claimed his state championship in Coach Bartels last high school match he will coach.
The Monticello Magic in Section 5AA opening round action topped Delano 45-28 and in the quarterfinals they lost to Waconia 54-15. The Magic had four section place winners including three section champion; Mike Land 103, Jon Dahlheimer 119, and Ryan Mergen 160 and Dallas O'Nell was fifth at 275. The Magic has a very successful state tourney with two state place winners.
The Becker Bulldogs topped Albany in the quarterfinals of section 6AA action. The Bulldogs lost their semifinal match to Milaca 41-22. The Bulldogs had nine section place winners including four state qualifiers Jon Koranda 140 and Jeremy Pederson 189 both won championships. Robert Koranda 112 and Nick Houle 119 both earned seconds. Nick Houle was the number five seed and he upset the number seed to gain the finals and the state berth. Russ Lumley 130 and Mike Hopkins 275 were both third and Emery Forsythe 103 was fourth and a pair of fifths by Brandon Backes 145 and Jeremy Nelson 171. Matt Eigen was named the Section 2004 Asst. Coach. The Bulldogs had two state place winners; possibly falling a little short of their goals but they (Jon and Jeremy had great high school careers).
The Breckenridge Cowboys topped Ottertail Central in the quarterfinals of Section 7A action. The Cowboys gave top seeded Bertha Hewitt/Verndale all they wanted dropping a close dual 34-24. The Cowboys have seven section place winners including state qualifier Spencer Beech at 103 he earned second. Eric Cribb 275, Tyler Ascheman 152 and Seth Klostreich 145 all claimed thirds. They had a trio of fourths by Kris Vold 119, Jake Dahl 130 and Jess Stuehenberg 140. Coach Lynn Jennisen was name the Section Head Coach of 2004.
The Bison of Buffalo lost their opening round dual in Section 2AAA action to Wayzata. The Bison had eight section place winners including two state qualifiers Tyler Reiss won the championship at 135 and Mike Christensen was second at 215. Jeremy Walter 152 and Derek Klatt 160 were both third, Ben Olson 140 was fourth and a trio of sixths by Matt Lund, Dustin Weege 145 and Tom Maghrak 275.
212 CONFERENCE
A total of eighteen state qualifiers led by Yellow Medicine East and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City with a total of thirteen between those two teams. The 212 Conference had two state place winners.
Ryan Tongen 11th Grade Yellow Medicine East 103 Fifth Place
Chad Listul 11th Grade Yellow Medicine East 112 Third Place
The Falcons of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City topped the field in Section 5A action with wins over Montgomery-Londsdale 54-16 in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals they crushed defending champions Meadow Creek-River Academy 56-16. In the championship they topped Eden Valley-Watkins 43-17. There were eight unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Falcons; they were Bill Wheeler, Matt Pearson, Adam Hoeper, Jason Losing, Aaron Rouser, Matt Leither, Spencer Lund and Nick Leither. The Falcons had ten section place winners including eight state qualifiers including a pair of section champions Adam Hoeper 112 and Jason Losing 130 and seconds by Billy Wheeler 103, Matt Pearson 119, Aaron Rouser 140, Spencer Lund 152, Nic Leither 189 and Isaac Fordyce 160. A. J. Frederiksen 125 and Joe Hoeper 215 were both third. Falcon Coach Tim Roberg was name Section Head Coach of 2004 by his peers. The Falcons gained some valuable experience at the state tourney in their losses; there were actually more gains than actual losses.
The Sting of Yellow Medicine topped Montevideo in quarterfinal action in Section 3AA action 55-17 and in the Semifinals they crushed Fulda/Murray County Central 47-21. In the championship they lost to No. 4 state ranked Adrian 32-21. The Sting did split the matches; winning seven. There were six unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Sting; they were Ryan Tongen, Chad Listul, Blaine Webber, Nick Cole, Tyler Santjer and Ben Khali. The Sting had a great section tourney with eleven section place winners, including five state qualifiers. Ryan Tongen 103 and Tyler Santjer 171 both won section championships and Chad Listul 112, Blaine Webber 130 and Nick Cole were all second. The Sting had four thirds by Justin Stoks 189, Jordan Stock 152, Nick Schommer 215 and Ben Khali 275 and a pair of fifths by Landon Cole 125 and Spenser Sannerud 145. The Sting Coach Gary Wolf was name the Section Head Coach of 2004 by his peers and Section Asst. Coach of 2004 Hollis Weber. Great state tourney showing with two state place winners; and both will be returning next year.
The Bold/Buffalo Lake-Hector Warriors topped New London-Spicer 61-0 in opening round action of Section 5AA action. The Warriors in the quarterfinals to Dassel Cokato in a very good dual 33-31. The Warriors had six section place winners including three state qualifiers; Jon Kramer 112, Cole Neubauer 135 and Tom Elfering 145 all earned seconds. Pat LeVasseur was third at 103 and Brandon Schmoll 130 and Dan Elfering 189 were both fourth.
The Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Fighting Saints topped Benson in the quarterfinals of Section 4A 37-24. In the semifinals the Saints took on Number 1 seed and No. 3 state ranked Wabasso and lost 45-12. The Fighting Saints had six section place winners including one state qualifier Tom Rustad earned second place at 112. Josh Wentzel earn third place at 215 and a trio of fourths by Kevin Steinhaus 103, Kordell VanHeuveln 125 and Darrin Carlson 145 and Ben VanHeuveln was fifth at 160.
The MACCRAY Wolverines topped Ortonville in the opening round of Section 4A action topped Ortonville 56-18 and lost in the quarterfinals to No. 6 state rank Minneota 53-18. The Wolverines had six section place winners including one state qualifier Matt Uttermark 275 earned a second. A pair of thirds by Tyler Steen 103 and Trevor Steen at 145 and a trio of fifths by Thomas Miller 125, Jared Beghorst 152 and Mitch Grussing 171.
Renville County West lost their opening round Section 4A dual 49-17. The Jaquars had three section place winners including Shane Seitz fourth at 152 and a pair of fifths by Jared Sietsema at 130 and Josh Davis at 275.
PARK REGION CONFERENCE
The Conference had twenty state qualifiers led by New York Mills and Bertha Hewitt/Verndale with a total of twelve. This young section had five state place winners.
New York Mills Eagles Class 1A Consolation Champions
Jared Oyster Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 12th Grade 135 Second Place
Kirby Anderson Menagha-Sebeka 10th Grade 103 Third Place
Travis Bjerketvedt Parkers Prairie 12th Grade 215 Fourth Place
Cory Swenson Pequot Lakes/Pine River/Backus 12th Grade 135 Fifth Place
Jeramie Weller New York Mills 11th Grade 112 Sixth Place
The Eagles of New York Mills dominated the Section 7A field with three big wins over Browerville/Eagle Valley in the quarterfinals 54-16 and in the semifinals they topped Wheaton/Herman-Norcross the defending champions 37-21 and in the championship topping their rival Bertha Hewitt/Verndale 43-16. This the first trip to the state tourney as a team in the schools history. They have been pretty close of a few occasions with some very good teams in the past. There were five unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Eagles; they were Jeramie Weller, Jared Hotakainen, Jason Burg, Cody Salo and Delvin Hessig. The Eagles earned eleven section place winners including six state qualifiers. Jeramie Weller earned the section championship at 112 and five seconds by Jason Burg 125, Brent Weller 130, Dustin Geiser 140, Cody Salo 145 and Jake Hendrickx 152. Delvin Hessig earned third place at 215 and Jared Hotakainen was third at 119. The Eagles had a pair of fourths by Dan Malone 103 and Zac Hintzman 171 and one fifth by Brandon Marsh at 189. Assistant Coach Keith Hagen was honored by his Section 7A peers as he was named 2004 Section Assistant Coach of the year. The Eagles had an impressive showing in their first trip as a team to the state tourney. In the quarter that did lose to a very solid Wabasso team 32-23 but in the Consolation bracket they left little doubt that they can compete with the best teams in the state with wins over Awater-Cosmos-Grove City 49-12 and a huge win over a very good Grand Meadow-Leroy Ostrander/Kingsland team 37-21. Jeramie Weller, Brent Weller and Devlin Hessig all won three matches in the duals. The Eagles will be a team to be reckoned with in the 2004-2005 season.
The Raiders of Bertha Hewitt/Verndale topped Parkers Prairie in quarterfinal action of Section 7A action 61-12. In the semifinals the Raiders topped a much improved Breckenridge team 34-25 and in the championship they fell short to rival New York Mills 43-13. There were three unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Raiders: they were Jared Oyster, Joseph Miner and Tyler Fuller. The Raiders had a great section tourney with eight place winners including six state qualifiers. They claimed two section championships by Jared Oyster 135, and Tyler Fuller 152 and seconds by Bud Willis 189, Josh Denny 275, Aaron Moenkedick 171 and Sam Moenkedick at 119. The Raider's Ethan Kern earned third place at 103 and Jasper Oyster earned fifth place at 112. The Raiders capped off a very successful season with Jared Osyter's second place finish.
The Broncos of Browerville/Eagle Valley topped Osakis in the opening round of section 7A action with a very exciting 36-36 match. (per criteria) The Broncos then encountered the number two seed New York Mills in the quarterfinals where they fell short 54-16. The Broncos had six section place winners including two state qualifiers. Torry Line 140 and Grant Bentz 275 both won section championships, Wade Johnson earn third place at 171, Clayton Krause was fourth at 215 and a pair of fifths by Lance Dehn 145 and Dan Hayes at 160.
The Panthers of Parkers Prairie topped Menagha-Sebeka in the opening round of Section 7A action 44-26 and in the quarterfinals they lost to number one seed Bertha Hewitt/Verndale 61-12. The Panthers had six section place winners including two state qualifiers Travis Bjerketvedt 215 and Ben Arvidson 135 both earned seconds and a pair of thirds by Matt Arvidson 125 and Aaron Walsh 189, Issac Dorn earn fourth place at 160 and Jason Fiedler claimed fifth at 152.
The Road Crew of Pequot Lakes/Pine River/Backus lost their opening round of Section 7AA action to Aitkin 62-8. The Road Crew had two section place winners including Section champion Cory Swenson at 135 and Brandon McNamara earned fifth at 103.
The Ottertail Central Bulldogs lost their opening round dual in Section 7A action to Breckenridge 40-25. The Bulldogs had a successful section tourney with six section place winners including five fourths by Nick Hanson 274, Will Luhning 189, Mike Macheledt 145, Luke Stenoien 135 and Kelly Januszewski 125. Derrick Frederick earned fifth place at 171.
The Menagha-Sebeka Warriors lost their opening round dual in Section 7A action to Parkers Prairie 44-26. The Warriors had five section place winners including two state qualifiers Kirby Anderson section champion at 103 and Travis Ahlf was second at 112. Jordan Anderson had a great tourney as he earned third place at 130 and a pair of fifths by Larry Martini 140 and Brandon Kessler at 275.
The Osakis Silverstreaks had four section place winners including one state qualifier Chad Rodriguez won the championship at 160 and Eric Wiener 135 and Michael Waldvogel 140 both had great performances to earn third. Kenneth Maus earned fourth place at 152.
CENTRAL MINNESOTA CONFERENCE
The Central Minnesota has twenty state qualifiers led by Pierz and Eden Valley-Watkins with a total of fifteen between the two teams. They had eight state place winners; including two state champions.
Pierz Pioneers Class A State Champions
Craig Luberts Pierz 12th Grade 140 State Champion
Cory Feehan Rockford 12th Grade 135 State Champion
Josh Hiltner Eden Valley-Watkins 12th Grade 171 Second Place
Kyle Bednar Pierz 10th Grade 112 Third Place
Jon Andres Pierz 11th Grade 125 Fourth Place
Warren Gall Pierz 10th Grade 135 Fourth Place
Jesse Zajac Pierz 11th Grade 171 Sixth Place
Josh Brady Royalton 12th Grade 130 Sixth Place
The Pioneers of Pierz crushed their foes in Section 6A action to claim the championship. They beat Holdingford in the quarterfinals 76-3, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the semifinals and Paynesville in the championship 54-11. The Pioneers only lost six matches in the three duals. The Pioneers continued to have impressive performances with all fourteen wrestlers placing and earning ten state qualifiers. Nine section championships by Hank Virnig 103, Kyle Bednar 112, Jon Andres 125, Joe Hyatt 130, Warren Gall 135, Craig Luberts 140, Kyle Kirtz 152, Nathan Britz 160 and Jess Zajac 171. Matt Mrnak came back from being injured to earn a state birth by placing second at 215. They had a trio of thirds by Tyler Stumpf 275, Tony Andres 145 and Scott Janson 119 and Cody Luberts earned a fourth place at 189. Head Coach Mark Jensen was honored by his Section 6A peers as he was named the Section Head Coach of 2004. The Pioneers topped Section 3 Champions Lake Crystal-Welcome-Memorial 49-18 in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals they topped section 8 Champions Frazee again in a very good dual 34-23 and in the Championship they defeated the section 4 champions Wabasso in classic battle 28-24. Kyle Bednar, Craig Luberts, Kyle Girtz and Jesse Zajac were all 3-0 in the state duals. The Pioneers had five state place winners; four will be returning next season. Craig Luberts led the way with his two hundred win to help claim the team championship and his 201 first career win to claim his individual title to cap off an outstanding season.
The Eagles of Eden Valley-Watkins topped Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted in the quarter finals of Section 5A action 57-16. In the semifinals the Eagles topped Norwood Young America 53-14 to gain the championship despite three injuries to starters. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City topped the Eagles 43-17. There were four unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Eagles; they were Nick Peterson, Paul Stommes, Raymen Rice and Josh Hiltner. The Eagles had a very good section tourney despite losing two good wrestlers to season ending injuries. The Eagles had eleven place winners including five state qualifiers Josh Hiltner 171, Eric Sullinger 135 and Phillip Magedanz 215 were earned section championships. Nick Peterson 125 and Paul Stommes 145 earned state births by claiming seconds. Four thirds by Ryan Sullivan 103, Chris Faber 112, Adam Hiltner 130 and Raymen Rice 189 and a fourth by Luke Stommes at 160 and fifth by Riley Rice at 152. The Eagles also had Assistant coach Vern Berg honored by his peers as the Section 2004 Assistant coach of the year. The Eagles capped off a very successful season with Josh Hiltner capturing second place.
The Jaquars of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa topped Braham in the opening round of Section 6A action 37-33. In the semifinals they lost to number one rated Pierz 64-6.
The Jaquars had seven section place winners including two state qualifiers Tyler Rath 103 and Dusty Baker 119 both won section championships. Travis Henry 171, Jesse TeBrake 189 and Travis Rath 112 all earned thirds. Danny Borgerding 125 and Jake Loomis 140 both claimed fourths.
The Kimball Cubs topped Zimmerman in the opening round of Section 5A action 64-15. The Cubs fell to Norwood Young American in the quarterfinals 41-22. The Cubs had eight section place winners including a pair of thirds by Jeremy Dahnke 152 and Dan Bartel 140, four fourths by Jacob Keike 103, David Dahnke 130, Ryan Nutter 215 and Pete Jonas 275. They also earned a pair of fifths by Erich Deutsch 135 and Chris Bartel at 145.
The Lakers of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted topped Lester Prairie Holy Trinity 47-32 in the opening round of Section 5A action. The Lakers fell to Eden Valley-Watkins in the quarterfinals 57-16. The Lakers had five section place winners including state qualifier Jieles Erickson was second at 215. The had a pair of thirds by Shane Khan at 135 and Ryan Miller at 145, fourth by Alex Schlueter at 152 and Zack Crowley fifth at 140.
The Rockets of Rockford fell to Glencoe-Silver Lake 55-17 in the opening round of Section 5AA action. The Rockets earned five section place winners including section champion Cory Feehan at 135. Jon Wawra claimed third at 160 in what was possibly the toughest weight in section 5AA and Lane Dumas at 125 and Mike Torgerson at 171 both earned fourths and Jake Barnes was fifth at 189. The Rockets capped off their season with Cory Feehan's state championship.
The Royalton Royals had two section place winners including state qualifier Josh Brady 130 earned second at 130. And Gary Borash was third at 160. The Royals season came to a close with Josh Brady claiming sixth place in the state.
CENTRAL LAKES CONFENCE
The Central Lakes had nineteen state qualifiers led by led by Brainerd and St. Cloud Tech with a total of eight. (Note seventh place is listed because Section 8AAA does wrestle off for seven places). The Central Lakes Conference had two state place.
Ted Wilczek Little Falls 10th Grade 119 Sixth Place
Derrik Orth St. Cloud Tech 11th Grade 130 Sixth Place
The Tigers of St. Cloud Tech topped Alexandria in the quarterfinals of Section 8AAA action 50-27. In the semifinals they topped Brainerd in a rather controversial match 28-26 and in the championship the Tigers fell short to Bemidji 34-22. There were four unbeaten wrestlers that led the way for the Tigers; they were John Mailloux, Derrick Orth, Montana Ewers and Paul Denne. The Tigers had ten section place winners, including four state qualifiers. Three section championships were claimed by the Tigers by Andy Johnston 125, Derrik Orth 130 and Jordan Stracke at 215 and Montanna Ewers earned a state birth by earning second place. A pair of thirds were earned by John Mailloux at 119 and Paul Denne at 189. David Weller earn fourth place at 171 and three sixths were earned by Gateak Gew at 103, Alex Braun at 135 and James Ethan at 275.
The Brainerd Warriors topped Fergus Falls in a very good match of the quarterfinals of Section 8AAA action 33-26. In the semifinals the Warriors lost a very close and controversial match to St. Cloud Tech 28-26. This closed out a excellent season for the Warriors. The Warriors had a very good section tourney with twelve section place winners including four state qualifiers. The Warriors earn four seconds by Dan Fleishhacker at 112, Tom Zelinske at 125, Kyle Dukowitz at 135 and Greg Strand at 140. Jake Smith 160, Mike Wachsmuth 145 and Tyler Jensen at 103 all earned thirds. A pair of fourths by earned by Nate Ruben at 119 and Kyle Wilshussen at 215, fifth by Ryan McCay at 275, sixth by Nick Edwards at 152 and seventh by Adam Hanert at 171.
The Flyers of Little Falls topped Elk River in quarterfinal action of 8AAA 42-24 before losing to top seed Bemidji in the semifinals 48-21. The Flyers had an excellent section tourney earning twelve section place winners including two section championships by Ted Wilczek at 119 and Troy Biermaier at 140. Earning thirds for the Flyers were Randy Przybilla at 112 and Josh Bue at 130. Jason Brill claimed fourth at 103 and a pair of fifths by Steve Strack at 125 and Mike Lodermeier at 215. Andy Hegna placed sixth at 171 and Aaron Olson placed seventh at 275.
The Storm of Sauk Rapids topped Moorhead 42-23 in the first round of Section 8AAA action and in the quarterfinals the Storm lost to Bemidji 56-7. The Storm had seven section place winners including a third by Tom Maurer at 275 a trio of fifths by Evan Warnert at 112, Tyler Spiczka at 130 and Chris Allen at 189. Mitch Rau at 125 claimed sixth and Mitch Stanger was seventh at 119 and Wade Cruser seventh at 152. The Storm has a potential state qualifier at home because he couldn't make weight.
The Rocori Spartans topped Big Lake in the quarterfinals of 6AA Section action 38-25 and in the semifinals they fell to Foley 4-2 15. The Spartans had an outstanding section tourney with ten section place winners including three state qualifiers. Including two section championships by Grant Johnson at 125 and Darrin Massmann at 275 and Max Johannes earned his state birth by claiming second at 152. Spartans that had great tourney were Darren Nathan at 135, Chuck Aho at 145, Chris Mackendanz at 160 and Ian Schorn at 171 all earned third place. Kyle Schroeder at 189 and Nate Klein at 140 both earned fourths and Sam How claimed fifth at 119.
The Cardinals of Willmar fell in their quarterfinal match in Section 2AAA action to a much improved Chaska team 30-27. The Cardinals had a successful section tourney with eight place winners including two state qualifiers section champion Kyle Nelson at 119 and Peter Johnson second at 140. Brandon Gilb at 135 and Ben Monson at 189 both earned thirds. A trio of fourths by Tony Neuman at 171, Seth Arnold at 160 and Drew Larson at 125 and a sixth by Jared Dahl at 145. The Cards have two wrestlers that were potential third seeds ruled ineligible just prior to the tourney.
The Alexandria Cardinals dropped their opening round match in Section 8AAA action 50-27. The Cardinals had a good section tourney with ten place winners including state qualifier John Amundson earned second at 103. Luke Wevley at 171, Damon Bullock at 215 and Brett Ripley at 275 all earned thirds. Dan Kirscht at 140 and Dustin Price at 119 both earned fifths. The Cards had two sixths by Chris Hobbs at 130 and Pat Barrett at 160 and a pair of sevenths by Josh Betterman at 112 and Dave Kirscht at 135.
The Sabres of Sartell lost a very close dual to Melrose in the opening round of Section 6AA action. The Sabres had four section place winners including state qualifier Travis Lewellyn earning second place at 103. Jeff Stang at 112 and Andrew Demuth at 135 both earned fourths and Eric Freihammer earned fifth place at 125.
The Eagles of St. Cloud Apollo lost to Fergus Falls in the opening round of the Section 8AAA action. The Eagles had four section place winners including two state qualifiers Chris Jenderseck at 275 and Ken Blakeley at 171 both earned second place and a trip to the state tourney. Thane Taylor at 140 had a solid tourney as he earned third place and Brett Sharmer claimed four at 160.
WEST CENTRAL SOUTH CONFERENCE
The West Central South had eleven state qualifiers led by Minnewaska with five. The WCS had four state place winners.
Nathan Stoen Minnewaska 12th Grade 215 Third Place
Adam Carruth Benson 12th Grade 152 Third Place
Jacob Bryce Minnewaska 12th Grade 171 Fourth Place
Kyle Koehntop Morris Area/Hancock 12th Grade Fourth Place
The Minnewaska Lakers topped Morris Area/Hancock in quarterfinal Section 7AA action 62-9. In the semifinals they topped Wadena-Deer Creek 40-16 in a very good dual. In the championship the Lakers came up short as they fell to a very young and talented Perham team 38-25. Three unbeaten wrestlers led the way for the Lakers; they were Nathan Stoen, Jacob Bryce and Trevor Larson. This is the fourth season in the row the Lakers have came up a little short at section time. They have a very impressive dual meet record over the past two seasons of 70 and 2. The Lakers had a good section tourney with ten section place winners including five state qualifiers. The Lakers claimed three section championships by Jacob Bryce at 171, Nathan Stoen at 215 and Taylor Jorgenson at 160. Trevor Larson at 135 and Sam Goracke at 119 both had outstanding tourneys to earn state births by claiming seconds. The Lakers had five third places by Joe Swartz at 112, Colin Cihlar at 140, Cody Pahan at 145, Casey Boutain at 189 and big Abe Jergenson at 275. Section 7AA honored Assistant coach Al Bryce as the Section Assistant coach of 2004.
The Thunderhawks of Montevideo topped Marshall in the opening round of 3AA action 69-9. They lost in quarterfinal action to Yellow Medicine East 55-17. The Thunderhawks had five section place winners including a third by Gage Halvorson at 112, earning fourths were Andy Macziewski at 103, James Gallagher at 152 and Tom Pauling at 171 and claiming fifth Tallen Wald at 135.
The Tigers of Morris Area/Hancock topped Staples-Motley in the opening round of Section 7AA action 41-25. In the quarterfinals they lost to Minnewaska 62-9. The Tigers had four section place winners including section champion Kyle Koehntop at 152 and a pair of fourths in outstanding efforts by Aaron Erdahl at 160 and Jacob Nohl at 119 and Mike Hoffman earned fifth place at 140.
The Benson Braves lost their quarterfinal match in Section 4A action to Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 37-24. The Braves had six section place winners including two state qualifiers section champion Adam Carruth at 152 and Scott Thompson at 160 earned second for the state birth. Abe Miller was so close to be that third qualifier as he claimed third at 275 and the Braves had a pair of fifths by Kevin Wersinger at 140 and Wade Miller at 189.
The Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles lost their opening round dual to Redwood Valley 44-30. The Eagles had a great section tourney with five section place winners including three state qualifiers section champion Nate Barker at 119 and David Carruth at 135 and Brian Croatt both earned seconds for their state births. The Eagles Brock Kanstrup at 112 and Adam Dvorak at 215 both earned fifths.
The New London-Spicer Wildcats lost their opening round dual in Section 5AA action to BOLD/Buffalo-Lake Hector 61-0. This was actually a very good dual that featured 6 very good matches. The Wildcats had three section place winners; Adam Luberts at 130, Craig Keller at 135 and John Peterson at 160 all earned fifths.
WEST CENTRAL NORTH CONFERENCE
The West Central North have nineteen state qualifiers, leading the way are Sauk Centre and Paynesville each with six. The WCN had nine place winners including two state champions.
Kurt Haakinson Sauk Centre 11th Grade 145 State Champion
Derek Pesta Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 10th Grade 103 State Champion
Travis Pesta Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 12th Grade 130 Second Place
Sam Schad Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 10th Grade 125 Third Place
Brian Beilke Sauk Centre 11th Grade 103 Fourth Place
Zach Winter Sauk Centre 11th Grade 130 Fourth Place
Aaron Vogt Sauk Centre 12th Grade 189 Fifth Place
Matt Kerzman Paynesville 12th Grade 152 Fifth Place
Aaron Blackmore Albany 12th Grade 189 Sixth Place
The Sauk Centre Mainstreeters topped Aitkin in the quarterfinals of Section 7AA action 49-18. The Mainstreeters lost their semifinals match to a very young and talented Perham 44-23. The Mainstreeters had a good section tourney with nine section place winners including six state qualifiers. Ethan Vogt at 189 and Kurt Haakinson both won section championships and Brian Beilke at 103, Zach Winter at 130, Jake Uphus at 152 and Nick Ruegemer at 171 all earned state births by claiming seconds. Nick Ruegemer was the number five seed and he came back thru the consolation bracket to earn a true second in a very outstanding performance. The Mainstreeters capped off a great season with four state place winners including a state championship.
The Bulldogs of Paynesville topped Hinckley-Finlayson 58-14 in the quarterfinals of Section 6AA action. In the semifinals the Bulldogs topped Mille Lacs 38-31. The Bulldogs run into the topped ranked Pierz Pioneers in the championship of Section 6A and lost 54-11 to a very balanced team. Three unbeaten wrestlers led the way for the Bulldogs; they were Sean Glenz, Matt Kerzman and Pat Utsch. The Bulldogs had twelve section place winners including six state qualifiers. Pat Utsch at 215 and Sean Glenz at 145 both won section championships and Joey Sheridan at 112, Todd Theilen at 119, Matt Kerzman at 152 and Derek Buris at 275 all earned state births by earning seconds. Todd Theilen came back thru the consolation bracket for his true second; this was a great tourney performance by Todd. The Bulldogs Assistant coach Steve Fuchs was honored by his peers as the Section 6A Assistant coach of 2004. Coaches Virg Vagle and Steve Fuchs coached their last match of their careers; that was a successful one with Matt Kerzman claiming fifth place.
The Albany Huskies lost their quarterfinal match in Section 6AA action to Becker 45-23. The Huskies had a very good section tourney with eight section place winners including four state qualifiers. Scott Schlangen at 145 and Alex Plantenberg at 119 both won section championships and Aaron Blackmore at 189 and Jeff Dirkes at 275 both earned their state births by earning seconds. Brad Maciejewski at 112 and Kris Doll at 152 both earn thirds and Bret Mandel at 215 and Matt Meyer at 160 both earned fourth places. The Huskies capped off a successful season with a sixth place finish by Aaron Blackmore.
The Thunder of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle lost to Wadena-Deer Creek in the quarterfinals of Section 7AA action 50-19. The Thunder had four section place winners including three state qualifiers. The Thunder claim three section championships by Derek Pesta at 103, Sam Schad at 125 and Travis Pesta at 130 and Mtich Ainali earned a fifth place at 152. The Thunder has three state place winners including two state finalists and one state championship.
The Dutchmen of Melrose won their opening round match in section 6AA action over Sartell 39-36. In the quarterfinals match they lost to Milaca 69-9. The Dutchmen has three section place winners. Noel Meyer at 215 just missed a state birth as he claimed third and Mike Eveslage at 145 and Josh Hoppe at 152 both earned fourth place.
GREAT RIVER CONFERENCE
The Great River have ten state qualifiers led by Braham and Mille Lacs with four each. They had two place winners from the Great River Conference.
Matt Morgan Braham 12th Grade 140 Second Place
David Shockman Braham 12th Grade 135 Fifth Place
The Aitkin Gobblers topped Pequot Lakes/Pine River/Backus 62-8 in the opening round of Section 7AA action. In the quarterfinals the Gobblers lost to Sauk Centre 49-18. The Gobblers had a good section tourney with five section place winners including state qualifier Johnathan Arness as he earn his birth by claiming second place. Andrew Shavinsky at 103 and B. J. Wasserzieher at 135 both had very solid tourney by claiming third and Cole Sparks at 160 earn a fourth place and Phillip Just at 215 took fifth.
The Raiders of Mille Lacs topped Rush City in quarterfinal action of Section 6A 48-19. In the semifinals the Raiders lost to Paynesville 38-31. The Raiders had a good section tourney with nine place winners including four state qualifiers. Nolan Boucher at 189 and Jon Odle at 275 both won section championships and Justin Jones at 145 and Tyler Walters at 171 both earn seconds. Rob Olson at 103 was third and a trio of fourths by Kevin Pederson at 112, Nick Pfaff at 119 and Geoff Springer at 130 and Chris Steffenson was fifth at 215.
The Braham Bombers lost their quarterfinal match of Section 6A to Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in a very good dual 37-33. The Bombers had a great section tourney with eleven place winners including four state qualifiers. David Shockman at 135, Matt Morgan at 140, Omar Bukhowa at 125 and Ernie Loerzel at 160 all earn state births by taking second. Dan Powell at 152 earned third place and Jason Neville at 215 and Wally Workman at 275 both claimed fourths. Eric Jokinen at 103, Brad Hale at 112 and David LaTowelle at 145 all took fifth.
The Rush City Tigers lost their quarterfinal match to Mille Lacs in Section 6A action 48-19. The Tigers had four section place winners; a third by Matt Wurinen at 125, and three fifths by Richard Marohn at 119, Tim Allerton at 130 and Adam Morris at 135.
The Jaguars of Hinckley-Finlayson lost their quarterfinal match in Section 6A action 58-14. The Jaguars had four section place winners including state qualifier Pat Stradal at 189 placed second to earn his state birth. Dustin Nelson at 135, Charlie Hageman at 145 and Alex Gryskiewic at 152 all earned fourths.
The Ogilvie Lions had three section place winners; Ben Berg at 140 and Josh Golden at 130 were both third and Kendaell Harfiel was fourth at 171.
Independent
A total of twelve state qualifiers from these teams led by Wheaton/Herman-Norcross with four. These teams had five metal winners
Casey Gray Wheaton-Herman/Norcross 11th Grade 130 Second Place
Brady Schneeberger West Central Area 10th Grade 119 Second Place
Tyler Tubbs Chokio Alberta/Clinton-Graveville 12th Grade Third Place
Matt Anderson West Central Area 11th Grade Fourth Place
Drew Haataja Fergus Falls 12th Grade Fourth Place
The Fergus Falls Otters topped St. Cloud Apollo 54-19 in the opening round of Section 8AAA action. The Otters lost a very well wrestled dual to Brainerd in the quarterfinals to Brainerd 33-26. The Otters had a very good section tourney with twelve section place winners including three state qualifiers. Jared Bangs at 145 and Drew Haajata at 160 both won section championships and Brandon Anderson earn his state birth by coming back thru the consolation bracket for a true second as he defeated a wrestler that he had lost to in a dual. Levi Stenerson at 125, Karl Haajata at 130 and Andy Krog at 135 all earned fourths. Zach Leuthardt at 152 and Charlie Revering at 103 both took fifth and a trio of sixths by Mike Swenson at 112, Lonnie Gabrielson at 140 and D. J. Ringquist at 189 and Steve Basrber earned sixth place at 215.
The Wheaton-Herman/Norcross Bullets topped West Central Area in the quarterfinals of Section 7A action 47-24. The Bullets lost to New York Mills in the semifinals 37-21. The Bullets had seven place winners including four state qualifiers. The Bullets had three section championships by Casey Grey at 130, T. J. Severence at 125 and Cody Rinke at 171. Jared Lennox earned second for his state birth at 160. Brady Sykora at 112 was fourth and Shane Fickes at 119 and Jared Lennox at 160 were both fifth.
The West Central Area Knights topped CACG in the first round of section duals 42-28 and they lost their quarterfinal dual with rival Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 47-24. The Knights had a good section tourney with six section place winners including three state qualifiers. The Knights had three section championships by Morgan Taylor at 215, Matt Anderson at 189 and Brady Schneeberger at 119. Denis Sik at 171 and Nate Long at 112 had good tourneys with their third place finishes. Jordan Hammer at 130 claim fifth place.
The Roadwarriors of Chokio Alberta/Clinton-Graveville lost their opening round match in section 7A action to West Central Area 42-28. The Roadwarriors had four section place winners including section champion Tyler Tubbs at 145 and a trio of fifths by Matt Benson at 103, Brady Fuhrman at 125 and Shaun Taffe at 215.
The Trojans of Ortonville lost their opening round dual in Section 4A action to MACCRAY 56-18. The Trojans had three section place winners third by Pat Eustice at 119 and a pair of fourths by Dylan McLain at 112 and Cory Schmieg at 171.
The Moorhead Spuds lost their opening round dual in Section 8AAA action to Sauk Rapids 42-23. The Spuds had six section place winners including state qualifier Jay Thoreson at 152 where he earned his state berth with a second place. Beau Tweten at 135 had a great tourney as he claimed third place. Ryan Rodriques at 140 and Logan Carney at 189 both claimed four place and Matt Landeberg at 103 took seventh place.
Coaches, I would like to thank you 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 / cmmatrat@hotmail.com Thanks, The Mat Rat Roger Mischke