Wrestling: Gophers and Komets Carry on Early Season Battle
For the third straight year, southeast Minnesota wrestling powerhouses Chatfield (#2 in Class A) and Kasson-Mantorville (#2 in Class AA) hooked up for a spirited early-season dual (rankings as of December 4). The Gophers won the past two ballyhooed match ups, in 2023 by way of Miles Mulhern’s pin at heavyweight and a 26-24 tally, and last year more comfortably, 35-19. For their dual this year, it took a big comeback and some tense matches late in the affair for a winner to be determined. Chatfield won more matches. With all but two bouts going into the third period or going the distance, K-M finally got a win in the series. The Gophers won six of the first seven matches. Joey Cady (#1 at 107) won the opening bout by 15-0 tech fall in the third period. Gunner Polikowsky (114) followed with a 14-8 decision over Oliver Powell, as the former built a 13-3 first period lead but could not score bonus points. K-M then got their only win of the lighter weights, as third-ranked Kaden Lindquist won a 17-1 tech fall at 121. Gophers Jameson Priebe (#3 at 121), Logan Pearson (#3 at 127), and Layne Root (133) each posted wins up weights at 127, 133, and 139. Priebe won by 8-5 decision over Zeke Ranvek, Pearson by 19-4 tech fall in the second period, and Root by 6-4 decision over Kalin Anderson. All three bumped up per the absence of ranked Kaisen Johnson (#8 at 139), who was at the Minnesota High School Football All-Star game. At 145, Hunter Polikowsky won a 12-3 major decision that gave Matt Mauseth’s Gophers a 23-5 lead. But K-M, stronger at the upper weight then then the lower, won the next five matches. Rex Ayshford won a 16-1 tech fall at 152 and Jonah Coleman (#4 at 145) an 11-1 major at 160. The wins made the score 23-14 Gophers. In a key match at 172, Chatfield’s Nolan Happel trailed Keymoni Bent 4-3 in the third period and desperately looked for a match-winning takedown, only to come up short, losing by 7-3 decision. Ninth-ranked Parker Richards then posted a second period pin at 189 for the Komets, tying the dual 23-23 heading to the final two weights. At 215, Gopher Andrew Boelter was hanging in there in the third period versus #7 Kasson Wynia. The match was tied 8-8 past the midway point, but Boelter made a mistake and Wynia took him to his back and got the big pin at the 5:35 mark. Wynia was the guy Mulhern pinned in 2023. And thus, at heavyweight, Chatfield’s Will Boelter (#5 at 220) needed a pin of Griffin Grover to tie slash win the match. The Gophers would then take the dual on criteria of most matches won. Boelter was on top most of the affair, but could not cinch in a half-nelson deep enough to flip his foe. Grover did his job, not getting put on his back. Boelter led 6-1 in the third period before getting taken down and finishing the match on bottom. He got the win by 6-5 decision, as both guys were spent. But it was not enough for Chatfield to win the dual. They fell in a good wrestling battle by 29-26 final. It was their second loss of the year, both by three points. Heavyweight Jackson Bernard also did not wrestle, as the Gophers sent just one senior to the mat. Chatfield is 1-1 in the TRC, 1-2 overall.
Wrestling (12/11 – 12/13)
#5 in D-II Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose/Mindoro 44, Caledonia/Houston 22 (The Warriors won the first three matches, Kiptyn Meiners (107) by 19-2 tech fall, Jace Conway (114) and Nolan Conway (121) by fall, to lead 17-0, but then one just once more, Will Allen (172) by 20-5 tech fall. GET/M-M features seven guys ranked top 13 in Wisconsin D-II)
South Winn Tourney (GMLOS (69) took tenth of 16 teams. Decorah (244.5) topped West Delaware/Manchester (203) for first. Parker Armagost (132 > won fall, lost fall, won four falls) went 5-1 to take third. Drake Payne (215 > won fall, lost fall, won fall, won medical forfeit) went 3-1 to take third. He is 10-1 on the year. Only eight Bulldogs wrestled)
South Winn Girls Tourney (GMLOS (74) took eighth of 27 teams with Osage (209) topping Decorah (201) for first. The Bulldogs top finishers were Zoe Steinkamp (130) and Brandy Christianson (155), who went 3-2 and 2-2 to take fourth respectively)
La Crosse Logan/Central Invite (FCLMC (126) took fifth of 14 teams with St. Croix-Central (279) topping St. Charles (189) for first. Grant Daniels (150 > won 19-4 tech fall, won 12-8 decision, won 17-1 tech fall, won 4-3 decision, lost 8-5 decision in SV-1) took second going 4-1 for the tourney. August Pfeffer (132 > lost fall, won 7-2 decision, won 5-0 decision, lost fall) took second going 2-2 for the tourney. Ben Norby (126 > won two falls, lost 19-4 tech fall, won fall) took third going 3-1 for the tourney. Top-ranked Kane Larson did not participate as he was at the Football All-Star game)
Western Dubuque ‘Bobcat’ Duals (Fourteen weights versus thirteen) > Caledonia/Houston 24, Williamsburg (IA) 42 (The Warriors went 0-4 in matches decided by decision while also forfeiting 165 and 190. Aiden Burns (126) and Cooper Allen (215) won by fall, Kiptyn Meiners (106 > 15-3), Hunter Frank (144 > 12-4), and Will Allen (175 > 10-2) by major decision); Cal/Hou 51, Beckman Catholic 27 (The Warriors took forfeits at 106 (K-Meiners), 120 (Nolan Conway), and 132 (Trevin Meyers) as part of a 35-0 start after six weights. They forfeited 165 and 190. A. Burns (126), Aaren Kulas (138), Karsen Klug (157), and C. Allen (215) won by fall, Jace Conway (113) by 16-0 tech fall, and W. Allen (175) by 11-2 major decision); Cal/Hou 30, Western Dubuque (Epworth) 42 (The Warriors won four of the first six weights to lead 20-9, but Western Dubuque then took six in a row to lead 42-20 with two weights to go. Cal/Hou forfeited 165 and 190. K. Meiners (106), J. Conway (113), and Anthony VonArx (285) won by fall, A. Burns (126 > 10-0) and A. Kulas (138 > 13-1) major decisions, C. Allen (215) a 9-2 decision); Cal/Hou 34, Cedar Rapids-Kennedy 47 (The teams split the 12 bouts wrestled, but the Warriors had the only two forfeits at 165 and 190. J. Conway (113), A. Burns (126), H. Frank (144), and K. Klug (157) won by fall, W. Allen (175 > 21-5) and A. VonArx (215 > 18-0) by tech falls. The Warriors are 0-0 in the TRC, 1-7 overall, though they have scored at least 19 points in every match)
Northfield “Larry Severson” Invite (LARP’s boys (166) took third behind #1 in Class A Staples-Motley (258) and Pine Island (177.6) of 16 teams. Christian Zibrowski (#10 at 127 > won 15-0 tech fall, won fall, won fall, won 8-3 decision) went 4-0 to take first. He improved to 10-0. Zach Plank (#6 at 189 > won three falls, lost fall to S-M’s #9 at 215 Luke Bjerga) went 3-1 to take second. Chace Drazkowski (#3 at 285, wrestled 215 > won 10-4 decision, lost 2-1 decision in overtime, won 10-0 major, won 4-2 decision by ultimate tiebreaker) went 3-1 to take third. Owen Lange (#7 at 139 > won 21-3 tech fall, lost 25-10 tech fall, won 14-4 major, won fall) went 3-1 to take third. Trygg Hegland (285 > won fall, lost fall, won two falls) went 3-1 to take third)
Leave a Reply