Wrestling: #1 Chatfield Tops #4 LCWM, Wins FCLMC’s Tourney
The Chatfield wrestling machine kept rolling with a dominating top five dual matchup victory and a team win at FCLMC’s annual holiday tourney. The #1 Gophers’ second dual of the year was with #4 Lake Crystal-Wellcome-Memorial. The Knights were a state entrant a season ago, taking fifth, but a matchup with the defending state champs was lopsided. Chatfield built a 44-6 lead before dropping 215 and 285. Notable big wins in the span were Logan Pearson topping #3 Brody Herbst by 12-7 decision at 114, and #1 Carson Rowland topping #3 at 160 Ryan Palmer by 2-1 decision at 152. Chatfield’s six other ranked wrestlers all rolled. Jameson Priebe (#2 at 107), Javier Berg (#4 at 121), Kaisen Johnson (#4 at 133), Alden Pearson (#7 at 145), and Ben Carrier (#7 at 172) all notched pins while Ayden Miner (#2 at 160) won a 17-1 tech fall. D’Andre Williams also won a 3-0 decision at 189. Even Chatfield’s two early losses were close. At 127, Layne Root fell by 10-6 to #7 at 121 Ryder Antony. At 139, Hunter Polikowsky fell by 8-4 to #9 Carson Othoudt. Ranked Knights Nick Slater (#1 at 189) and Mason Adams (#8 at 215) ended the meet with tech falls at 215 and 285. But Chatfield (0-0, 2-0) notched an impressive win, 44-16.
At FCLMC’s tourney, Chatfield (264) rolled as a team topping nearest foe Pine Island (182.5). LARP (177) took third, FCLMC (98.5) fourth, and GMLOS (77) sixth of 10 teams. Twelve Gophers, four Screamin’ Eagles, two Wolves, and one Bulldog made the finals. Chatfield’s #4 Javier Berg went 2-0 (two falls) to take 121-pounds. He topped LARP’s #3 Christian Zibrowski (won fall, lost fall) in the finals, a battle of 2024 state entrants. It was Zibrowski’s first loss (11-1). Berg claimed his second Most Outstanding Wrestler award of the year. Gophers #4 Kaisen Johnson (133 > injury default, 25-7 tech fall, fall), #2 Ayden Miner (160 > 19-4 tech fall, 17-1 tech fall, 9-7 decision), #7 Ben Carrier (172 > two falls, 11-8 decision), and Will Boelter (215 > three falls) each went 3-0 to win titles. Miner nipped Triton’s Hunter Garness in the finals. Carrier notably topped FCLMC’s #5 Kane Larson (won 20-4 tech fall, won fall, lost 11-8 decision) in the finals, jumping out 9-0 and withstanding a Larson eight-point third period (for the 11-8 win). Gophers #2 Jameson Priebe (107 > two falls), Logan Pearson (114 > 18-1 tech fall, 5-3 decision), Hunter Polikowsky (139 > medical forfeit, 17-1 tech fall), #1 Carson Rowland (152 > fall, 11-0 major decision), and Cole Ramaker (285 > fall, 4-3 decision) each went 2-0 to win titles. Priebe beat teammate Gunner Polikowsky (won fall, lost fall) in the finals. H-Polikowsky topped GMLOS’ Cael Smith (won fall, won 13-0 major decision, lost 17-1 tech fall) in the finals. Ramaker topped LARP’s Jaden Perez (won fall, lost 4-3 decision) in the finals. Priebe (7-0), L-Pearson (6-0), Berg (8-0), Rowland (7-0), and Miner (7-0) remained undefeated. LARP’s Owen Lange (127 > two falls, 7-3 decision) and Quintin Betthauser (145 > 17-1 tech fall, 22-3 tech fall, 20-2 tech fall) each went 3-0 to claim titles. Lange improved to 13-0. Betthauser notably beat Chatfield’s #7 Alden Pearson in the semis, then beat Gopher Wyatt Jacobson (won fall, lost 20-2 tech fall) in the finals. FCMC’s sole title was by Cole Sass (189 > 8-7 decision, two falls) who went 3-0 including beating LARP’s Zach Plank (won two falls, lost fall) in the finals. Plank pinned Sass at the teams’ dual on January 5. Taking third for Chatfield were Cody Ramaker (138 > went 3-1) and A-Pearson (145 > went 2-1). Michael Alexander (133 > went 4-1) and Carter Cady (152 > went 3-1) took third for LARP. Taking third for GMLOS was Parker Armagost (127 > went 3-1).
Girls Wrestling: Gophers Sweep Trailblazing Girls Triangular
Girls wrestling is a fast-growing sport in both Minnesota and other states. When Chatfield’s squad trekked to Rochester-Mayo for a triangular that also included Byron, all three teams were taking part in something that had never happened in this part of the state. They battled in a girls head-to-head team triangular. The ladies have had gal-only in-season tourneys, and wrestled junior varsity (and varsity) matches against guys (and girls), and there have been two Minnesota girls state individual tourneys, but numbers have not been high enough to go team versus team. And Chatfield’s girls swept said triangular. Savannah Vold is the Gopher girls’ head coach. Her team took out Mayo 52-18 and Byron 48-18. In both matches, there were several forfeited weights, something not dissimilar for boys Class A dual meets. Gophers Melody Ward (100), Bryn Goetzinger (118), Brynn Horsman (130), and Amelia Sladek (148) had pins versus the Spartans. Celie Eisenman (106) and Emily Bova (112) won by forfeit. Isabelle Severson (155) won by injury default. Maizee Priebe (124) and Elle Eickhoff (142) added 18-1 and 15-0 tech fall wins. Chatfield only ceded points via forfeits at 136, 170, and 235. Each team was open at 190. Versus the Bears, Bova (106), Goetzinger (118), Priebe (124), and Severson (155) had pins. Ward (100), Makynli Ostby (112), Horsman (130), and Sladek (148) won via forfeit. Chatfield forfeited 170 and 235. Both teams were open at 136 and 190. Area girls teams Chatfield, GMLOS, and FCLMC are ranked “Lean and Mean” by The Guillotine. Gophers Bova (#6 at 106) and Kendyl Nolte (#9 at 148) are ranked in state.
Wrestling (12/17 – 12/21)
Pine Island Triangular > FCLMC 24, Pine Island 43 (Kane Larson (172), Cole Sass (189), and Beau Lacey (285) had pins for the Wolves. August Pfeffer (121) and Ashton Newman (145) won 5-4 and 17-12 decisions. FCLMC forfeited 114 and 133); FCLMC 23, Westfield 52 (Grant Daniels (139), Quinci Kaase (152), and James Cullen (215) won by fall for the Wolves, while K. Larson (172) won a 20-4 tech fall. FCLMC forfeited 114 and 133 again. Wolves > 0-2 TRC, 1-8 overall)
Triton Quadrangular > LARP 36, Triton 33 (In a match with five combined forfeits, LARP built a 30-15 lead after 152, then got a Zach Plank pin (189) to ensure a tie, up 36-24. Jaden Perez falling by 5-2 decision to Cobra Craig Knutson at 285 cemented the dual. Owen Lange (127) and Carter Cady (152) also won by fall. Christian Zibrowski (121), Jaxson Johnson (139), and Quintin Betthauser (145) won by forfeit. The S-Eagles forfeited 114 and 172); LARP 48, Waseca 28 (The Screamin’ Eagles got pins from Carter LaFee (114), C. Zibrowski (121), J. Johnson (139), C. Cady (152), Z. Plank (189), and Chase Drazkowski (215). O. Lange (127) and Q. Betthauser (145) won by forfeit); LARP 45, Rochester-Century 21 (O. Lange (127), Q. Betthauser (145), and J. Perez won by fall, C. Zibrowski (121) and C. Cady (152) by 16-0 tech falls, C. LaFee (107) and C. Drazkowski (215) by 12-3 and 17-5 major decisions, Nolan Happel (160) by 14-12 decision. Z. Plank (189) won by forfeit)
Lake City Quadrangular >; LARP 55, Lake City 12 (The Screamin’ Eagles got pins from C. LaFee (107), O. Lange (127), J. Johnson (139), C. Cady (152), and Ben Wenzel (172). Trevin Sublet (114), C. Zibrowski (121), and Nolan Happel (160) won by forfeit. Z. Plank (189) won a 15-5 major decision. Q. Betthauser (145) won a 13-12 decision. LARP improved to 2-0 in the TRC, 11-0 overall); Caledonia/Houston 46, Waseca 23 (Nolan Conway (107), Cooper Allen (180), and Aden Kulas (215) won by fall for the Warriors. Aiden Burns (121) and Hunter Frank (145) won 17-0 and 19-2 tech falls. Kiptyn Meiners (114), Trevin Meyers (127), and Dawson Geiwitz (152) won by forfeit); Caledonia/Houston 30, Lake City 42 (The Tigers won 133, 139, 145, and 152 to build a 30-17 lead. Cal/Hou trailed 36-30 heading to heavyweight, which Lake City won by fall. K. Meiners (107) had the Warriors sole pin. N. Conway (114) won by forfeit. A. Burns (127), Will Allen (160), and Ad. Kulas (215) won 15-0 tech falls. C. Allen (189) won a 10-7 decision. The Warriors (0-0, 1-1) forfeited 133, 145, 152, and 172)