Girls Wrestling: Five From Chatfield and GMLOS Each Make State
For the first time, girls wrestling had eight individual section tournaments to determine a 16-girl state field. Up until this point, two sections have been combined for a super sectional, an eight-girl state field. GMLOS and Chatfield have been two programs leading the charge in girls wrestling. Each got five state entrants in the first year of the expanded field. For the Gophers in Section 1, freshman Kendyl Nolte, seniors Elle Eickhoff, Emily Bova, and Eve Goetzinger, and junior Maizee Priebe qualified. For the Bulldogs in Section 2, juniors Brandy Christenson and Kloe Meyer, sophomore Zoe Steinkamp, freshman Chloe Hubbard, and 8th grader Willow Dewey did so. Chatfield’s Nolte (155) is the only section champ. The rest go to state as section runner ups. Nolte (10-7) notched three first period pins for her title and state berth. Fourth-ranked Elle Eickhoff (142) repeated in making state. She won two first period falls before falling by fall in the finals to Simley’s #3 Greta Gundry (23-6). Eickhoff (26-4) then won a true second match by fall. She took fifth at state last year. Ninth-ranked Emily Bova (106) won a fall but fell by 5-3 decision in the semis to the eventual champ Lucinda Ornelas (11-10) of Owatonna. Bova (17-4) then notched three straight pins to earn a trip to state. Eve Goetzinger (#7 at 155) notched a pair of falls to make the 148-pound finals before losing a 20-6 major to Owatonna’s #5 Aliah Fischer (14-0). Maizee Priebe (112) won two falls and a 17-5 major decision to make the finals before falling to Z-M’s #9 Macy Schaefer (26-9) by 13-2 major. Both Goetzinger (25-2) and Priebe (22-6) did not need to wrestle a true second to make state. Eight of 10 Chatfield girls placed top four. Bryn Goetzinger (118) went 4-1 to take third but did not get a true second match. Melody Ward (100 > 2-2) and Brynn Horsman (124 > 3-2) took fourth. The Goetzingers are sisters to Seth Goetzinger, a former state champ. LARP had three competitors with junior Bobbie Wnuk (170 > 3-2) doing best, taking fourth. FCLMC had five competitors. For GMLOS in Section 2, Zoe Steinkamp repeated in making state. Steinkamp (124) won three falls before falling by fall to eventual champ, Apple Valley’s #4 Andrea Quinones (23-5) in the finals. Zoe then won a true second match by narrow 6-5 decision to New Prague’s Paige Swanepoel. Steinkamp (19-4) finished the match on her back but eked out a trip to St. Paul. Brandy Christenson (155) won two falls before losing to the eventual champ, Apple Valley’s #1 Cassy Gonzalez (17-0) by fall in the semis. Christenson (7-7) then won back-to-back falls and a 14-3 major decision in the true second match to earn her trip. Christenson qualified for state in 2024 at 118 pounds. Willow Dewey (148) lost in the semis to eventual champion, Eastview’s Nelly Kemunto (3-0). Dewey (8-11) rallied with three straight falls in the wrestlebacks to earn her state trip. Chloe Hubbard (106) won by fall only to lose to the eventual champ, New Prague’s Azalea Kallai (14-2) in the semis. Hubbard (19-4) rallied with two falls and a 19-3 tech fall in the true second match to earn her state berth. Finally, Kloe Meyer (235) won a fall to make the finals of her four-girl weight class. She then fell by fall to Apple Valley’s #6 Mila Carnahan (23-7) but made state without a true second. Meyer (10-2) took third last year, just missing the cut. The Bulldogs had a competitor at all 13 weights. Paisley Schlee (100 > 3-2) took third, falling to Apple Valley’s #10 Madilyn Trottier by fall in a true second match. Addysin Hubbard (130 > 4-2) and Mariah Severson (142 > 2-2) took fourth.
Wrestling: Gophers Sweep FCLMC Tri, Share TRC Title
Short of a season opening loss to LARP, Chatfield wrestling went unblemished through its TRC season. They wrapped up their regular season dual meet schedule with a triangular in Harmony versus FCLMC and Crestwood. The Gophers took down the Cadets 58-14. Chatfield won forfeits at 107 (Everett Priebe), 114 (Joey Cady), 172 (Brenden Kobs), and 285 (Jackson Bernard). Logan Pearson (127), Layne Root (145), Cody Ramaker (152), Andrew Boelter (189), and Will Boelter (215) had first period pins. Hunter Polikowsky wrestled out a 10-2 decision. Chatfield also beat FCLMC 52-15. Said win secured the Gophers a share of the TRC title. Cady (114), Kaisen Johnson (133), and Kobs (160) won by forfeit. Gunner Polikowsky (121), Pearson (127), and W-Boelter (215) won by fall. E-Priebe (107) and H-Polikowsky (152) won 15-0 and 16-1 tech falls. H-Polikowsky’s was his 100th win. Hunter Bernard (139) and Root (145) won 3-2 and 13-7 decisions. FCLMC’s got pins from Quinci Kaase (172) and Kane Larson (189), plus an 8-1 decision by Jackson Hearon (285). FCLMC opened the tri by taking five of the final six matches to beat Crestwood 46-27. Quentin Daniels (107), Jackson Fischer (114), Kaase (172), and Hearon (285) won by forfeit. Ben Norby (121), Grant Daniels (152), and Larson (189) won by fall, James Cullen (215) a 15-1 major. Best the Journal-Sports can tell, Chatfield (8-1 in league, 14-4 overall) shares the TRC title with PEM (8-1, 19-6) while Caledonia/Houston (7-2, 11-16) and LARP (5-2, 18-4) have two losses. FCLMC finishes at 3-5, 9-11.
Wrestling (2/5)
St. Charles 28, Caledonia/Houston 38 (The Saints won 145, 152, and 160 to lead 25-21, but the Warriors took 172, 189, and 215 all by six-point decisions to secure the win. Kiptyn Meiners (107), Aiden Burns (114), Nolan Conway (127), and Cooper Allen (215) won by fall for Cal/Hou, Tucker Martell (172) and Will Allen (189) by forfeit, and Aaron Kulas (139) by 7-0 decision. The Warriors (7-2 in the TRC, 11-16 overall) finish behind Chatfield (8-1, 14-14) and PEM (8-1, 19-6) in the TRC)
GMLOS 54, NRHEG 23 (Keegan Lunning (121), Felix Christenson (160), and Wyatt Krull (285) won by forfeit for GMLOS, Chase Van Hill (127), Parker Armagost (133), Cael Smith (139), Jaydence Ward (145), Calum Sween (172), and Drake Payne (215) by fall); GMLOS 37, Maple River/USC 36 (The match had five lead changes. GMLOS rallied from down 36-27 heading to 215. D. Payne (215) notched a pin and W. Krull (285) followed with a 4-2 decision, tying the score 36-36. The Bulldogs won on most-matches-won (7 to 6) tiebreaker. C. Van Hill (121), P. Armagost (127), and C. Sween (160) also won by fall, Logan Gregerson (133) by forfeit, C. Smith (145) by 14-7 decision. GMLOS is 2-7 in the TRC, 8-15 overall)
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