Mental Aerobics Championship to feature top competition on Saturday
March 14, 2008
By Vickie Greiner
The inaugural Mental Aerobics Championship Invite will debut at the Performance Arena of the Rochester Community and Technical College
on Saturday, Mar. 15 with more than 120 talented wrestlers competing in
15 weight classes. Tournament action begins at 10 a.m. This event will
showcase many elite Minnesota wrestlers, as well as top wrestlers from
several neighboring states. This is a charity tournament with all proceeds being donated to wrestling families in need.
In addition to the 14 regular weights, a 98 pound bracket has been
added to this event. Mitchel Lexvold (8) of Kenyon-Wanamingo and
Nicholas Clobes (10) garnered the top two seeds in that division.
Lexvold placed sixth at state in 2008. Joey Munos (8) of St. Paul South
and Daniel Woiwor (7) of Becker were seeded first and second
respectively at 103 pounds; both are state medalists.
In the 112-pound weight class, Apple Valley's Dakota Trom (8) earned
the top nod, while sophomore Zach Mommaerts of Oconomowoc, WI is seeded
second. He brings an 83-8 career record into the tourney. Trom is a USA
national folkstyle runner-up, and a freestyle/greco champion. Mommaerts
placed fifth in state.
Heading the 119-pound division is state runner-up Nate Friederich (11)
of ML-LC who has amassed 122 career victories. Eighth-grade state champ
Ben Morgan of Forest Lake captured the #2 seed. Other members of the
weight class who have eclipsed the 100-career win mark include senior
Ben Presler of Royalton (108) and sophomore Drew Lexvold of
Kenyon-Wanamingo (105).
Luke Amsden, a senior from River Valley with a noteworthy career record
of 224-27, claimed the first seed at 125. He placed third at state '08
and has multiple other appearances. Jake Ingalls of Algona, IA landed
the #2 spot. He took third at Asics Nationals, third at Brute/Adidas
Nationals, and seventh at state. Devon Bonds (11) of Humboldt is also
in the field and has 100 career wins.
Two-time state runner-up Jason Sunderman (11) of LeSueur-Henderson and
state medalist Jordan Christian (12) of Paynesville are the top two
seeds at 130. Christian brings 131 career wins into the tournament.
Sunderman placed fifth at USA Nationals.
South Dakota's Dustin Walraven (12) carved out an astonishing 194-18
record during his high school career along with four state titles,
making him the wrestler to beat in the 135-pound division. Several
competitors will try to halt his win streak, including second-seeded
Pat Smith (11) of Chaska who has notched 137 career wins. Smith placed
third at state, and is a past state freestyle/greco champ and Northern
Plains medalist.
Wrestling fans who are looking for a rematch between 140-pounders Derek
Schreiner (12) of Wayzata, with a career record of 186-40, and Joshua
Wiseman (12) of Champlin Park, career record of 184-26, could get one
at this tourney when the elite meet, but several other outstanding
wrestlers in their bracket hope to make some noise along the way.
Schreiner just capped off an undefeated season with his third state
title. Wiseman was 45-2 on the year and has a state title, a second,
and two thirds on his wrestling resume'. Several others hope to make
some noise in this bracket. Included among them is #3 seed Eric Yngsdal
(12) of Byron, a state champ with a 191-31 career mark. He has three
state medals and has made five state appearances. Others with more than
100 wins include state runner-up Tyler Kivel (11) of Scott West (124
victories) and two-time state entrant Matt Piersak of Mounds View (127
wins).
Headlining the 145-pound division is senior state champ Torey Stewart
of JCC who posts a 199-23 career mark. He has won USA Nationals twice
and also had two runner-up performances to his credit. Stewart placed
fourth at Junior Nationals. Chris Stevermer (11) of Prior Lake earned
the number two seed and has an overall record of 134-43. He has medaled
three times at state including one championship effort. Stevermer
placed third at Sophomore Nationals.
In 152-pound action, the bracket features 10 wrestlers -- nine of whom
have surpassed the 100-win mark. Junior state champ Kevin O'Brien
(Becker) earned the top seed and has a 125-27 record. The #2 seed went
to three-time state entrant Tucker Freeman (10) of
Madelia-Truman/Martin Luther (6th in '07, 4th in '08). He has a 123-22
career record. Other wrestlers eclipsing the 100-win mark in this
weight class include three-time state qualifier Zach Pesch of
LeSueur-Henderson (158), former state medalist Eric Muldoon of Prior
Lake (119), state entrant Kyle Wilson of Deer River (118), state
participant Mike Shaughnessy of Orono (116), state medalist Jake Zeiher
of Sibley East (116), Jesse Schumacher of PEM (112), and two-time state
qualifier Blaine Miller of PEM with 108. The field also includes state
medalist Bryce Andrews of MTML with 98 wins; a two-time state qualifier.
Another loaded bracket will be showcased at 160 pounds. Battling it out
will be state champ senior Matt Pfarr of LeSueur-Henderson, seeded
first with a 178-47 career record, along with second-seed senior Jake
Bonsack of USC, a 2008 state champ who also had a third place finish
last year. He has 110 career wins. Pfarr has two other state medals to
his credit, 5th and 6th. Coming off a 46-1 season is the #3 seed,
two-time state entrant Theo Jensen-Innis of LaCrosse, WI. He has 130
career victories and a third place finish at state, while fourth-seeded
Heath Rud of Byron brings 104 wins into the tournament and a
fourth-place medal from state.
Leading the 171-pound weight class is state champion Shamus O'Grady, a
senior with the Mat Bandits, 81-24 career record. Eric Croatt, a senior
from Ortonville, is seeded second and has 165 career wins, 59 losses.
He placed second at state and is a Brute/Adidas national runner-up.
State medalist Bruce Babcock of Stewartville is seeded third. Three
other wrestlers in the bracket have 100-plus wins, including state
medalist Alex Bach of Maple River (145), former state entrant Nathan
Goette of USC (125), and state medalist Trevor Dammon of LaCrosse, WI
(103).
Two-time state runner-up Aaron Norgren of Maple River (178-37) will be
looking to work his way to the top of the podium at 189 pounds. He also
has a sixth-place medal from state and took third in the junior
division at nationals. Seeded second in the bracket is Jeff Nielsen
(10) of Central (71-41) who placed fourth at state and sixth at Fargo
for nationals.
Wrestling fans should be treated to some exciting matches in the upper
weights. At 215, two-time state champ Jake Kahnke of Prior Lake record
unavailable) earns the number one seed (46-0 on the season), while
state champion Parker Brand of LARP gets the nod as #2. He had a 44-0
record in 2007-08 with 33 pins. Brand has manufactured 149 career wins
with 94 falls. Also eclipsing the 100-win mark is state medalist Josh
Waldee of Rochester JM (101). Heavyweight action at 285 finds senior
three-time state champ Sam Maresh (170-34) of Champlin Park in the #1
slot, with state champ Tyler Lindhart (40-5) of Zumbrota-Mazeppa seeded
second. Maresh was 46-0 on the year with 19 falls. Lindhart registered
19 falls en route to a 36-3 mark.