Wrestling (3/3)

19 Area Athletes Punch Trips to State

Chatfield, LARP, FCLMC, and GMLOS wrestling squads took on the Section 1A guys individual tournament while Cale-donia/Houston competed at the 1AA event.  All five programs had kids qualify for state.  Chatfield tied a school-record (from last year) with nine individual entrants, Jameson Priebe (107), Logan Pearson (114), Javier Berg (121), Kaisen Johnson (127), Alden Pearson (145), Carson Rowland (152), Ayden Miner (160), Ben Carrier (172), and Will Boelter (215).  LARP got four state entrants, the most they have had in the Journal-Sports era (since 2011); Quintin Betthauser (145), Carter Cady (152), Zach Plank (189), and Chace Drazkowski (285).  For FCLMC, Kane Larson (172) and Cole Sass (189) qualified.  GMLOS’ sole state qualifier is Cael Smith (139).  Caledonia/Houston gets two entrants in Aiden Burns (114) and Braxton Lange (133).

Gophers Grab Seven 1A Titles, Nine State Qualifications

Notably heading Chatfield’s state cast are Javier Berg, who grabbed his fourth section title, brothers Alden and Logan Pearson, who each won section titles, Carson Rowland and Kaisen Johnson, who each made state a third time.  The Gophers took first at 107, 114, and 121, then again at 145, 152, 160, and 172.  Jameson Priebe (38-2) won a fall and a 15-0 tech fall, then beat Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Liam Sommer (42-6) by 8-2 decision in the 107 finals in a battle of fantastic freshman, #1 versus #2 in state.  Priebe grabbed his first state berth.  He took third at sections last year.   Logan Pearson (33-5), ranked #8, also earned his first state berth with a run that included a pin in the quarters, then impressive wins over K-W’s #4 Bryan Jacobson (41-7) by 3-2 decision in the semis, over Goodhue’s #7 Lucas Erickson (31-6) by 16-8 major decision in the finals.  It was Pearson’s first section tourney.  The frosh comes out as 114-pound champ.  Running roughshod over his weight (121) was #3 Javier Berg (33-2).  The senior grabbed his fourth 1A title with three impressive wins, back-to-back pins, then a 17-0 tech fall of K-W’s #4 Ryan LaCanne (36-12).   Berg has now won 106 twice, 114, and 121.  Up at 145, #7 Alden Pearson (34-12) won by fall and beat Goodhue’s Adam Grant by 7-1 decision to make the finals.  There, he topped LARP’s #5 Quintin Betthauser (35-10) by 13-4 major decision.  Pearson avenged three regular season losses, two by close decision.    He thus joined brother Logan in grabbing his first state berth and section title.  At 152, #1 Carson Rowland (36-2) rolled, winning by 18-0 tech fall, fall, and injury default over LARP’s Carter Cady (32-11) in the finals.  Cady defaulted per a head laceration (though he came back for a true second match).   It was the second section title, and third state berth, for the senior Rowland.  He is the defending 152-pound state champ.  His semifinal pin was the illustrious 100th of his career.  At 160, #1 Ayden Miner (40-4) won three matches by a collective 39-3 score; 15-0 and 18-2 tech falls, then a 6-1 decision win over D-E’s Talen Rabe (32-10) in the finals.  The senior repeated as 160-pound champ.  He leads his team with 522 points scored (according to trackwrestling.com).  Ben Carrier (172) posted two falls before renewing his rivalry with FCLMC’s Kane Larson (42-4) in the best 1A finals match of the event.  In a battle of #3 (Carrier) versus #2 (Larson), Carrier (31-4) secured a late reversal in the second overtime for the 3-1 decision win (by tiebreaker-1).  The match had multiple “almost” (point) scrambles.  The duo split two other decision matches this year.  Carrier (31-4) made state as 172-pound runner up last year.  The senior has won 27 of his last 28 matches, lone loss to Larson (according to trackwrestling.com).  Chatfield’s two section runners-up were juniors #5 Kaisen Johnson (127) and #9 Will Boelter (215).  Johnson (33-8) rode a fall and a 14-4 major decision into the finals before falling to K-W’s #4 Reed Sommer (42-5) by fall.   Johnson beat Sommer 8-5 for last year’s 121-pound title.  It is nonetheless the junior’s third state qualification.  Boelter (38-8) posted a fall and a 15-0 tech fall to make the finals before falling by fall to Goodhue’s #2 Caleb Kurtti (40-2).  Boelter then won his true second match by fall for the junior’s first ever state berth. Cody Ramaker (285) also wrestled a true second match.  The senior battled in a team best six matches, losing a quarterfinal to K-W’s Charles Koncur by 5-1 decision, then winning four in a row in the wrestle-backs (fall, 3-2 decision, fall, and fall), before losing by 4-2 decision to LARP’s Chase Drazkowski (26-13) with a state berth on the line.  Ramaker (25-19) took third.  Hunter Polikowsky (139) also took third.  After a 19-4 tech fall win in the quarters, Polikowsky’s state hopes were mainly dashed by losing to GMLOS’ Cael Smith (37-9) in the semis by 6-5 decision.  Polikowsky (35-11) then posted back-to-back falls but did not get a true second match.  Eleven of 13 Gophers finished top three.  Sean Kirchner (189 > 16-14) and Layne Root (133 > 23-15) also placed, taking fourth and fifth.  The Gophers already have a girls state qualifier in Elle Eickhoff.

Four Runners-up Give LARP Four State Entrants

LARP wrestling had four guys wrestle their way to state per runner-up finishes.  Three did so by winning true second matches.  At 189, #8 Zach Plank (42-8) posted two falls to make the finals.  He then renewed his rivalry with FCLMC’s unranked but formidable Cole Sass (38-9).  In their sixth matchup of the year, Sass evened the series 3-3 by 14-7 decision.  Plank won three of the first four matches by fall.  The junior earned his first state berth as 1A runner-up without a true second match.  Quintin Betthauser (145), Carter Cady (152), and Chace Drazkowski (285) each made the finals but had to win true second matches.  Betthauser (35-10), ranked #5, used a bye and a fall to get to the finals.  Renewing his rivalry with Chatfield’s #7 Alden Pearson (34-12), the Gopher won the fourth match between the two this year by 13-4 major decision. Betthauser entered 3-0, twice winning by narrow decision.  The R-P senior then came back and topped Goodhue’s Adam Grant by 8-0 decision to earn his first wrestling state berth.  The win was Betthauser’s 100th.  He is now a two-sport individual state entrant (track and field).  Cady (32-11) took the most bandaged route to a state berth.  The Lewiston-Altura senior won 18-2 and 16-1 tech falls to make the finals before having to bow out to Chatfield’s #1 Carson Rowland (36-2) per medical forfeit after a head-to-head collision.  Cady, with a wrapped head, then topped St. Charles’ Bryndon Koeppel (30-19) by 12-4 major decision in a true second to qualify for state.   Drazkowski (26-13) used a fall and then a big 4-1 decision win in sudden-victory overtime over K-W’s Charles Koncur (30-13) to get a finals match.  Goodhue’s #4 Jack Carlson (43-4) then used a big throw to pin Drazkowski.  The sophomore came back and beat Chatfield’s Cole Ramaker (25-19) by 4-2 decision in a true second to earn a trip to state.  State entrant a year ago, #6 Christian Zibrowski (121), won a 16-1 tech fall but then could not get past K-W’s #4 Ryan LaCanne (36-12) in the semis, falling by 8-4 decision.  The sophomore (31-5) then posted wins by fall and 16-1 tech fall to take third place without a true second.  Zibrowski took fifth place at state last year at 107.  Also placing highly for LARP were Evan Rislov (127 > 12-10) and Owen Lange (133), who each took fourth.   Lange (31-7) entered ranked #8 in state at 127.  His losses were to K-W’s #6 Masyn Hanson (39-8) by 12-6 decision and to St. Charles’ Colton Mathison (32-11) by 12-7 decision.

FCLMC’s Larson Repeats Making State, Sass Wins Section Title

FCLMC wrestling had its two big hopefuls to make state.   Their top two guys, Kane Larson (172) and Cole Sass (189) each punched tickets to St. Paul.  Sass (38-9), a senior, used a 10-2 major decision and a pin to make the finals. There, he renewed his rivalry with LARP’s #8 Zach Plank (42-8).  In the combatant’s sixth match of the year, Sass notched a 14-7 decision to even the tally 3-3 and to make state.  He is the second Sass brother to make state in three years.  Orion Sass went in 2023 as 160-pound 1A runner-up.  Larson, last year’s 160-pound runner-up, used a fall and a tech fall to make the finals versus Chatfield’s Ben Carrier.   In their third match versus each other, Carrier posted a reversal in the second overtime for the 3-1 decision victory (by tie-breaker-1).  The match had multiple “almost” (point) scrambles.  The duo split two other decisions this year.  Larson (42-4) rallied with a 16-1 tech fall win in a true second match.  FCLMC’s Ben Norby (107 > 17-17), Grant Daniels (139 > 14-21) and Quinci Kaase (170 > 25-19) each placed fifth.  The Wolves already have a girls’ state qualifier in Charlotte Ferrie.  

Warriors Lange and Burns Qualify for State 

Caledonia/Houston wrestling battled in the 1AA tourney.  Seven Warriors wrestled to top four places.  Two made state, each as section runner-up, Aiden Burns (114) and Braxton Lange (133).  Lange (20-3), a senior, used a fall and a 4-2 decision over Pine Island’s Sam Muller (26-13) to make the finals.  There he fell to K-M’s #8 Aiden Friedrich (36-5) by 7-0 decision.  Lange did not wrestle a true second match.  He heads back to state a third time, last making it in 2023 as the 1A 120-pound champ.  Aiden Burns (27-9) took the same route.  The junior, ranked #10, posted a 15-0 tech fall and a fall to make the finals.  He too lost by 7-0 decision, to Z-M’s #2 Samuel Moore (38-7). Burns earned his first state trip also without a true second.   No other Warrior wrestled to go to state.  W-Allen (23-12), a junior, won a 17-0 tech fall in the quarters, but saw his state hopes fade some via a 4-1 decision to K-M’s Keymoni Bent (28-14) in the semis.  Allen came back with wins by 6-2 decision and fall in the wrestle-backs.  But Bent lost to La Crescent/Hokah’s Henry Dohnalik (33-12) by 7-5 decision in the finals.  Allen took third without a true second.  Allen beat Dohnalik by 13-3 major decision in the regular season.  Walker Kohlmeyer (107 > 21-11), Aaren Kulas (121 > 11-21), Cooper Allen (189 > 28-8), and Aden Kulas (285 > 23-11) each took fourth.  C-Allen’s two losses were a 1-0 decision in the semis to Cannon Falls’ #3 Tristan Zingler (28-2), then a 7-0 decision to Z-M’s #10 Owen Lexvold (35-9) for third place.  Tanner Ginther (152 > 10-3) took fifth.  Both of his losses were by decision in sudden victory, 8-1 in the quarters and 5-2 in consolation semis.  

GMLOS’ Smith Rides Big Semifinal Win to Make State

Breaking a two-year state qualifier guys’ draught, GMLOS’ Cael Smith got his program back to state.  The freshman notched a fall and then a big 6-5 decision win over Chatfield’s Hunter Polikowsky (35-11) to make the finals.  Polikowsky beat Smith by 17-1 tech fall and pin earlier this year.  Smith (37-9) then fell to Goodhue’s #9 Hayden Holm (31-14) by fall to take second place (without a true second match).  He is GMLOS’ first male state qualifier since 2022 (Cohen Wiste, Christan Luthe).  But he is the third sibling in his family to qualify for state.  Sister Diann was girls’ state runner-up the last three years.  Brother Daniel was twice a state entrant.  A Smith sibling has gone to state six straight years now.  Four Bulldogs took fourth place, Calum Sween (152 > 23-25), Ayden Stier (172 > 27-21), Wyatt Krull (220 > 22-23), and Rowan Sween (285 > 26-24).  Of their eight total losses, only one was by decision.  Drake Payne (189 > 31-16) took fifth place.  GMLOS already has a girls state qualifier in Zoe Steinkamp.