The wrestling season starts with changes. Section realignment took place. Chatfield and LFCMC remain in 1A with Dover-Eyota, Goodhue, GMLOS, Kenyon-Wanamingo, St. Charles, Triton, Wabasha-Kellogg and 1AA drop-down LARP. Caledonia/Houston moves into 1AA with Austin, Byron, Cannon Falls, Kasson-Mantorville, La Crescent/Hokah, Lake City, Pine Island, PEM., Stewartville, Waseca and Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Weight classes changed too. There are now 13 weights: 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215 and 285.
Looking to have a big season are the Chatfield Gophers. Matt Mauseth’s group went 8-1 in the TRC (taking second to Caledonia/Houston). The Gophers made the 1A finals but fell to Cal 28-24. Chatfield finished 16-3 as 1A runner-up. The Gophers had six total state qualifiers. All six return. Of their twelve 1A individual tourney guys, only two graduated. Heading the returning cast are state champions, junior Javier Berg (106, 44-2) and senior Kail Schott (182, 38-4). Schott is a three-time state entrant with over 100 career wins. Berg has twice made state. Also back is two-time state entrant, sixth place last year, Gage Bartels (Sr. 126, 34-10). Carson Rowland (Jr. 145 > 37-7) and Kaisen Johnson (So. 113 > 28-13) round out the returning state qualifiers. Schott, Berg, Bartels and Johnson were 1A champs. Adding to the team’s depth are 1A fourth place finishers Alden Pearson (Jr. 132 > 18-18), Ayden Miner (Jr. 138 > 28-13), and Jack Dornack (Sr. 152 > 28-13), fifth place Bralyn Burnett (Sr. 285 > 16-17), plus Nathan Allen (Sr. 170, 18-13). Berg, Schott, Bartels, Rowland, Johnson, Miner, Dornack and Allen give Chatfield eight returning All-TRC guys. Ben Carrier (Jr. 138) and Bill Kester (170) are a couple more notable returnees. On the girls side, senior Chloe Berg (11-4) is the returning section champ and state runner-up at 126. Grace Finley (145) and Ivy Kester (152) also competed at sections. The Gophers have weekend tourneys at Lakeville-North, FCLMC, the Bi-State Classic, LCWM, Lake City and JWP. Girls tourneys are in Hutchinson, Hopkins and Pine Island. Key TRC triangulars are December 8 (at PEM, Cal/Hou) and February 6 (at FCLMC, D-E). J-Berg (#1 at 114), Johnson (#7 at 121), Bartels (#8 at 127), Dornack (#10 at 145), Rowland (#7 at 152), Miner (#9 at 172), and Schott (#1 at 189) are ranked, as is C-Berg (#3 at 125). The team is #3.
Caledonia/Houston enters the year as the defending 1A champion. The Warriors made the 1A state title match, falling to Jackson County Central 43-19. Cal/Hou finished 34-7 as state runner-up. But Shay Mahoney and Justin Conway’s group got bumped to 1AA. And five of nine individual state qualifiers graduated; five-time entrant Tucker Ginther (state champ at 145, 37-2), Cory Scanlan (state 6th place at 138, 37-13), two-time entrant Ayden Goetzinger (195, 41-8), Grant Ness (285, 14-6), and Eric Mauss (182, 33-8). Scanlan, Mauss, and Goetzinger were All-TRC. Simon Seymour (160, 34-12) also graduated. The Warriors return seven 1A meet competitors including four state qualifiers. Owen Denstad heads the cast. The senior three-time state entrant took third last year at 132 (48-5). Two-time state-entrants Isaac Blocker (Sr. 152, 14-7) and Braxton Lange (Jr. 120, 40-8) are also back, as is one-time qualifier Hunter Frank (So. 113, 27-22). Denstad and Lange were section champs. Additionally, Aiden Burns (So. 106, 27-20), Tanner Ginther (Jr. 126, 22-15), and Aden Kulas (Jr. 170, 11-15) took fourth, sixth, and sixth at sections. Lange, Ginther, and Denstad were All-TRC. Cooper Allen (132) and Will Allen (section competitor in 2021) are two more notable returnees. Cal/Hou has the St. Charles, Western Dubuque, The Clash, and the K-M weekend duals. They have the Bi-State Tourney in La Crosse. They have key triangulars December 8 (at PEM, Chatfield) and February 1 (at St. Charles, D-E). Denstad (#2 at 145) begins the year ranked.
GMLOS went 5-4 in the TRC last year. The Bulldogs fell to K-W 56-16 in a 1A quarter, finishing 13-8. Girls Diann Smith (runner-up at 138), McKenna Hendrickson (runner-up at 132, 20-3), and Mackenzie Armagost (fifth at 126, 23-8) made state for Randy Smith’s group. The latter two graduated. The defending section champ D-Smith (23-4) is thus the top returnee. After her, Delaney Alden (100 > 9-10) took fifth at sections. Paisley Schlee (107, 8-9), Megan Owens (152), and Zoe Steinkamp (120) also competed. Karina Lee (114) is another key returnee. The 11-person girls team in ranked #5. Smith is #2 at 136. The guys graduated just three of 12 section competitors. Cohen Wiste (138 > 44-1), the program win-leader and multi-time state qualifier, was the top guy. Section fourth place finishers Aiden Quintana (120 > 26-12) and John Swanek (220 > 25-12) also departed. Wiste and Quintana were All-TRC. Returnees Braxten Wiste (Sr. 145 > 33-16), Parker Armagost (Fr. 106 > 18-24) and Cael Smith (8th 113 > 31-7) took fourth, fifth, and fifth at sections. Teague Alden (Jr. 126 > 15-14), Timmy Hogfeldt (Jr. 132 > 15-18), Dalton Pischke (Jr. 152 > 15-27), Drake Payne (So. 160 > 22-26), Rowan Sween (Jr. 195 > 16-27), and Colton Gardner (Sr. 285 > 28-19) also competed. Jaylen Renfro (113/126O), Zac Gehling (160/170), and Ayden Stier (182) are three more mat vets. GMLOS has the Woodbury duals, weekend tourneys at South Winn, FCLMC and Westfield. They host a quad January 4 (Cal/Hou, LARP, Westfield) and a triangular (Chatfield, St. Charles) January 25.
LARP went 3-6 in the TRC last year. The Screamin’ Eagles fell to Stewartville in a 1AA wrestle-in match and finished 7-19. LARP moves down to 1A this year. Tim Tekautz and Darrin Hegland’s group did not have a state entrant last year. Their most notable loss was All-TRC, 1AA fifth place finisher Andrew Wilkemeyer (285 > 27-17). Of the 11 guys to wrestle at sections, eight return. Owen Lange (Fr. 113 > 28-17), Christian Zibrowski (Fr. 106 > 30-10), Titan Tekautz (Sr. 145 > 19-9), and Camdyn Anderson-Ingram (Sr. 160 > 21-14) finished fourth, fifth, sixth, and sixth at sections. Eli Johnson (Fr. 120), Colten Jenkins (So. 126 > 16-18), Jordan Zibrowski (Sr. 132 > 26-15), and Jaden Perez (So. 220) also competed. The Zibrowskis were each All-TRC. Jordan has over 100 careers wins and is a former state entrant (2021). Zach Plank (170), Trygg Hegland (170), Ben Wenzel (138), and Avery Kammerer (195) are four other key returnees. Two girls are out including fifth place section finisher Lauren Honken (Sr. 107 > 13-10). LARP has weekend big duals in Austin and K-M. They have tourneys at FCLMC, PEM and Westfield. They host three triangulars: January 16 (K-W & Triton), January 18 (FCLMC & St. Charles), and February 9 (PEM, Century).
FCLMC went 4-5 in the TRC. The Wolves beat W-K in a 1A wrestle-in match but fell to Chatfield 51-24 in the 1A quarters. Blaise Sass’ group finished 12-9. Orion Sass and Katie Whelan were FCLMC’s state entrants. Sass (160, 22-8) graduated, doing so with top five section placers Cooper Ferrie (3rd at 285 > 31-4), Oliver Hoeltzle (4th at 170 > 28-12), and Carter Hovland (5th at 152 > 28-13). Hovland and Hoeltzle were All-TRC. The Wolves return just four guys who wrestled at sections. Kane Larson (So. 132 > 31-11) took third while Cole Sass (Jr. 182 > 25-17) took fifth. Connor Wingert (Sr. 138 > 23-20) and Boston Wright (Sr. 145 > 16-22) also competed. Jeremiah Bushman (145), August Pfeffer (113), Lane Sass (106/113), Ashton Newman (126), and Quinci Kaase (138) are four more varsity returnees. Whelan is the top returning girl, as she took fifth at state (185, 10-6). The squad has six girls out. The Wolves have the Austin Duals. They host their own Holiday tourney while going to La Crosse Logan, PEM, Rochester-Century and Pine Island. The girls go to Pine Island and Eau Claire-North. The Wolves host three triangulars (Westfield & PI, Riceville & Stewartville, Chatfield & D-E) and a quadrangular (GMLOS, K-W, Triton).
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