Two of the 2014 team champions return to defend their respective
titles: Simley of Inver Grove Heights in Class AA and Apple Valley in
Class AAA. Simley is looking for its second consecutive title and Apple
Valley is working toward its 10th.
Two teams are making their first appearances: West Central
Area/Ashby/Evansville in Class A and Farmington in Class AAA. On the
opposite end of the spectrum, Apple Valley returns for its 33rd
consecutive and 34th overall appearance.
In the individual competition, 19 champions return for more gold medals
— seven in Class AAA, six in Class AA, and six in Class A.
The 2015 State Wrestling Tournament opens Thursday, February 26, and
runs through Saturday, February 28 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The three-day format features all of the team dual competition on
Thursday, followed by exclusive individual competition Friday and
Saturday.
This is the seventh year that the teams have been seeded. The 24
coaches of the section champions logged onto a special page of the
League Web site and each coach ranked the other teams one through seven.
The highest and lowest rankings for each team were discarded, leaving
five rankings for each team. From those rankings, the top five teams
were seeded. In conference calls with all eight head coaches of each
class and gender, League Associate Director Craig Perry announced the
top five seeds. A blind draw established the opponent for the top three
seeded teams. Numbers four and five compete against each other
automatically.
Class A Team Highlights
Minneota (Section 3) leads a field of five returning teams. The
Vikings, who enter as the No. 1 seed, are making their sixth appearance
under this name and their seventh overall. In 2014, they fell in the
consolation semifinals as a co-op with Lincoln HI of Ivanhoe.
The four other returning teams are Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (Section
5), Pierz (Section 7), Frazee (Section 8), and Jackson County Central
(Section 2).
The Falcons of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, who are unseeded this year,
are making the third consecutive appearance and their 10th overall. If
they win, it would be their second title. They won their one previous
championship in 2007.
The Frazee Hornets are making their third consecutive and 22nd overall
appearance. They are seeded No. 2 this year and are hoping to improve on
last year’s fourth-place showing. The Hornets are in the hunt for their
fifth title; they won previously in 1992, 1999, 2002, and 2011.
The unseeded Pierz Pioneers, who claimed the consolation hardware last
year, are making their fifth consecutive and 12th overall appearance. If
they win it would be their third championship; they won previous
back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.
The final returning team is Jackson County Central. The Huskies are the
No. 5-seeded team this year and are looking to improve on last year’s
third-place showing. Jackson County Central is making its sixth
consecutive and seventh overall appearance under this name. If the
Huskies win, it would their sixth title. They claimed their other
championships in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Jackson County
Central, as a co-op with Southwest Star Concept of Okabena, made four
additional appearances between 1998 and 2007 and won titles in 1999 and
2000. Jackson also made three appearances as a co-op with Heron
Lake-Okabena-Lakefield between 1993 and 1997.
The other teams in the Class A field are West Central
Area/Ashby/Evansville (Section 6), Zumbrota-Mazeppa (Section 1), and
Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area (Section 4). The unseeded Knights of
West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville are making their first tournament
appearance under this name. West Central Area, which is located in
Barrett, made one additional appearance in 1996.
The Cougars of Zumbrota-Mazeppa, who are seeded No. 3 this year, return
to tournament action after a two-year absence. This is their eighth
appearance overall. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area, which includes
students from Nicollet, is making its eighth appearance. The Knights
made six appearances as a single school and one as a co-op with Mankato
Loyola. They last competed in the tournament in 2012. Lake
Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area earned the No. 4 seed this year.
The 11 a.m. Thursday Class A seeded quarterfinal pairings and the team
records followed by the final rankings of The Guillotine wrestling
publication are: Pierz (25-4 No. 11) vs. No. 2 Frazee (15-2 No. 2); West
Central Area/Ashby/Evansville (24-2 No. 8) vs. No. 3 Zumbrota-Mazeppa
(29-5 No. 3); Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (17-7 No. 12) vs. No. 1 Minneota
(32-2 No. 1); No. 5 Jackson County Central (21-7 No. 9) vs. No. 4 Lake
Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area (18-8 No. 4).
Class AA Team Highlights
The Spartans of Simley of Inver Grove Heights (Section 14) return as
the defending champions. This is the eighth consecutive and 21st
appearance for the Spartans, who are the top seed this year. If they
win, it would be their 11th championship. In addition to last year, they
won three consecutive titles between 1987 and 1989 and they won again
in 1992. Simley also won five consecutive championships between 2008 and
2012.
Four other teams also return from the 2014 field: Foley (Section 6);
Milaca/Faith Christian (Section 7); Scott West which includes students
from Belle Plaine, Jordan, and Holy Family Academy of Belle Plaine
(Section 2); and Totino-Grace of Fridley (Section 5).
The unseeded Foley Falcons are looking to improve on last year’s
third-place showing. This is their eighth consecutive and 22nd overall
appearance and they won previous titles in 1989, 1993 and 1994. The
Eagles of Totino-Grace, who are making their third consecutive and 13th
overall appearance, tied for consolation honors last year. They enter
this year’s tournament as the No. 4 seed.
Scott West, the No. 3 seed, is making its second consecutive appearance
and its 15th overall. The Panthers claimed runner-up honors in 2014.
The unseeded Wolves of Milaca/Faith Christian are returning for their
second consecutive appearance and their 12th overall. They fell in the
consolation semifinals last year.
Albert Lea Area, which includes students from Glenville-Emmons and
Alden-Conger (Section 1), Worthington (Section 3), and Perham (Section
8), are the other teams competing in the Class AA field. Albert Lea Area
is making its 12th appearance, but first since 2011. The Tigers are on
the prowl and are looking for their third championship; they won
previously in 1977 and 1981. Albert Lea Area earned the No. 2 seed this
year.
The Perham Yellowjackets return after a one-year hiatus to make their
eighth appearance. They are the No. 5 seed this year. The final
returning team is the Worthington Trojans. This is their 10th
appearance, but first since 1997. The Trojans were not seeded this year.
The 9 a.m. Thursday Class AA seeded quarterfinal pairings and the team
records followed by the final rankings of The Guillotine wrestling
publication are: Foley (26-5 No. 8) vs. No. 2 Albert Lea Area (33-1 No.
2); Milaca/Faith Christian (24-8 No. 11) vs. No. 3 Scott West (15-2 No.
6); Worthington (21-6 No. 12) vs. No. 1 Simley (26-5 No. 1); No. 5
Perham (25-3 No. 4) vs. No. 4 Totino-Grace (15-8 No. 5).
Class AAA Team Highlights
Apple Valley (Section 3) returns as the nine-time defending champion.
The Eagles, who are the top seed, are making their 33rd consecutive and
34th overall tournament appearance. In addition to the past nine years,
they also won team championships in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1995,
1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.
The No. 2-seeded Knights of St. Michael-Albertville (Section 7) are
returning for their 17th consecutive and 25th overall appearance. If
they win it would be their eighth title. They won previously in 1996,
1997, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. St. Michael-Albertville settled for
third-place honors in 2014.
Three additional teams return from the 2014 qualifying field. Moorhead
(Section 8) is making its third consecutive and 10th overall appearance.
The unseeded Spuds took consolation honors in 2014. Prior Lake (Section
2) also returns. The Lakers, who are the No. 5 seed this year, are
making their fifth consecutive and seventh overall appearance. They’re
hoping to improve on last year’s runner-up showing. The final returning
team is Willmar (Section 6). The Cardinals, seeded No. 3 this year,
placed sixth in 2014. They are making their fourth consecutive and sixth
overall appearance.
The other teams competing in Class AAA are Centennial of Circle Pines
(Section 5), White Bear Lake Area (Section 4), and Farmington (Section
1). The Centennial Cougars, who are not seeded this year, return to
tournament action for the first time since 2013. They are making their
11th appearance overall. Unseeded White Bear Lake Area is making its
fourth appearance, but first since 2011. The Farmington Tigers, who
enter as the No. 4 seed, are making their debut appearance.
The 9 a.m. Thursday Class AAA seeded quarterfinal pairings and the team
records followed by the final rankings of The Guillotine wrestling
publication are: Moorhead (18-6 No. 12) vs. No. 2 St.
Michael-Albertville (24-2 No. 2); Centennial (18-7 unranked) vs. No. 3
Willmar (27-0 No. 3); White Bear Lake Area (20-7 unranked) vs. No. 1
Apple Valley (19-2 No. 1); No. 5 Prior Lake (22-9 No. 6) vs. No. 4
Farmington (24-10 No. 5).
Class A Individual Highlights
106 pounds —Ethan Cota (42-1) of Kenyon-Wanamingo is the only returning
medalist. He placed fifth in this weight class last year. There are no
perfect records.
113 pounds — Three medal-winners return: Brock Buysse (34-3) of
Minneota, runner-up at 106 pounds; Tanner Pasvogel (18-1) of Sibley East
of Arlington, third at 106 pounds; and Trenton Coyer (29-7) of Osakis,
sixth at 113 pounds. No one has a perfect record.
120 pounds — Three medalists from last year’s 113-pound class move up
to compete for the title at 120 pounds. Jared Goldsmith (38-3) of
Chatfield was runner-up, Joey Majerus (40-1) of Zumbrota-Mazeppa took
third place, and Michael Suda (33-0) of Pipestone Area placed fifth.
Anthony Kern (15-4) of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale, who was sixth at 106
pounds last year, is the other returning qualifier. Suda has the only
perfect record.
126 pounds — Two 2014 champions lead the field. Cameron Sykora (34-0)
of Border West claimed the title at 120 pounds last year. Austin Anderly
(38-1) of LeSueur-Henderson won gold at 113 pounds. One other medalist
returns, Brendon Coyer (30-5) of Osakis. Sykora is the only undefeated
competitor.
132 pounds — Louie Sanders (36-0) of Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial
Area, champion at 126 pounds, is the top qualifier. Four other medalists
return in search of gold. Blane Tschida (41-0) of Kimball Area was
third at 126 pounds. Cody Weiland (31-0) of Crookston and Jason Meyer
(30-5) of Sibley East, placed fourth and fifth at 132 pounds,
respectively. Zach Scott (37-4) of Holdingford finished sixth at 126
pounds. Sanders, Tschida and Weiland each enter competition with a
perfect record.
138 pounds — The champion at 132 pounds, Quinten Berres (40-0) of
Kimball Area, leads the field. Bryce Bruner (36-3) of Minneota was last
year’s runner-up in this class. Berres and Ben Baumgartner (35-0) of
Park Rapids Area are the only undefeated competitors.
145 pounds — Hank Friederichs (39-1) of Chatfield, last year’s champion
at 138 pounds, is among four returning medal-winners. He is joined by
Jared Willaby (39-3) of Windom/Mountain Lake, who was third at 132
pounds; Austin Skillings (27-6) of Frazee, third at 138 pounds; and Nik
Borchert (36-0) of Mille Lacs, sixth at 138 pounds. Borchert has the
only perfect record.
152 pounds — Two medal-winners return: Kolton Eischens (39-0) of Pierz
was runner-up at 145 pounds and Shane Siewert (33-2) of Lake City placed
fourth at 152 pounds. Eischens is the only undefeated wrestler in this
class.
160 pounds — Two medalists lead the field in pursuit of a title. Paden
Moore (39-1) of Jackson County Central finished third at 152 pounds last
year. Ted Androli (38-4) of Kenyon-Wanamingo took sixth at 132 pounds.
There are no perfect records.
170 pounds — Zachary Carlson (41-0) of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, who
placed third at 160 pounds in 2014, is the only undefeated competitor.
One other medal-winner returns, Luke Norland (38-2) of Jackson Country
Central. Norland finished fourth at 160 pounds.
182 pounds — The only medalist in the field is the reigning champion at
170 pounds, Keegan Moore (40-0) of Jackson County Central. Moore and
Kyle Lange (17-0) of Royalton/Upsala are the only undefeated
competitors.
195 pounds — Hunter Fick (32-1) of West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville,
placed fifth in this class last year. He is joined by two other
medal-winners in Nathan Brinker (24-0) of Holdingford, who was sixth at
182 pounds, and Cole Hennen (34-2) of Minneota, who finished sixth at
160. Brinker has the only perfect record.
220 pounds — Dillon Card (8-0) of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale returns in
this class, looking to improve on last year’s third-place finish. He is
the lone returning medalist and the only undefeated competitor.
285 pounds — Three medal-winners return in this class from the 2014
field: Garrett Malstrom (34-0) of Frazee took third place last year;
Tanner Welsh (35-3) of Dover-Eyota placed fifth; and Martin Granados
(32-2) finished sixth. Malstrom and Logan Nibbe (37-0) of Prairie Valley
have the only perfect records.
Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area leads the Class A field with 11
qualifiers. Minneota has nine competitors and Frazee has eight.
Class AA Individual Highlights
106 pounds — There are no returning medalists in this class and of the competitors are undefeated.
113 pounds — Three medal-winners from last year’s 106-pound class move
up to compete at 113 pounds. Cole Jones (32-2) of Grand Rapids was
runner-up, Keaten Schorr (35-6) of Kasson-Mantorville placed third, and
Jake Gliva (23-2) of Simley finished fourth. There are no perfect
records.
120 pounds — Garrett Aldrich (37-4) of Albert Lea Area, the reigning
champion at 106 pounds, leads the field. He is joined by returning
medalist AJ Bethea (26-5) of Hibbing, who placed fifth at 106 pounds.
There are no unblemished records.
126 pounds — Three medalists from 2014 move up to compete at 126
pounds: Paul Fitterer (35-2) of Cannon Falls, runner-up at 113 pounds;
Tanner Vassar (37-3) of Annandale/Maple Lake, third at 120 pounds; and
Anthony Jackson (37-5) of Simley, fourth at 113 pounds. No one is
undefeated.
132 pounds — Four returning medal-winners compete in this class. Ryan
Epps (36-2) of Cannon Falls was runner-up at 120 pounds while Dylan
Connell (34-2) of Chisago Lakes of Lindstrom placed fifth in that class.
David Flynn (40-3) of Scott West and David Brenden (23-4) of Grand
Rapids finished third and sixth at 126 pounds, respectively. There are
no perfect records.
138 pounds — James Berg (37-4) of New Prague looks to improve on his
runner-up finish in this class last year. He is joined by returning
qualifiers Logan Axford (35-2) of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut
Grove, who placed fifth at 132 pounds, and Kyle Nordstrom (29-9) of
Simley, sixth at 132 pounds. No one in this class is undefeated.
145 pounds — Griffin Parriott (41-0) of New Prague, 2014 champion at
132 pounds, leads the field. The only other returning medalist is Nick
Mergen (38-1) of Albany, who placed fifth at 138 pounds. Parriott has
the only perfect record.
152 pounds — Brady Berge (42-0) of Kasson-Mantorville, who won the gold
at 145 pounds last year, returns in search of a new title. Three other
medal-winners join in the competition: Logan Kass (22-6) of Benilde-St.
Margaret’s of St. Louis Park, took third at 138 pounds; Devin
Fitzpatrick (31-2) of Mahtomedi placed fourth at 138 pounds; and Parker
Jackson (39-2) of Detroit Lakes was fourth at 152 pounds. Berge is the
only undefeated wrestler.
160 pounds — Defending champion Andrew Fogarty (41-0) of Scott West
pursues another title at 160 pounds. He is the only returning
medal-winner and boasts the only unblemished record.
170 pounds — Carter Nielsen (41-0) of Foley, the 2014 runner-up at 152
pounds, is the only returning medalist in this class. Nielsen also has
the lone perfect record.
182 pounds — Austin May (31-4) of Zimmerman looks to repeat as champion
after claiming gold in this class in 2014. He will be challenged by one
other medal-winner in Jackson Striggow (40-1) of Orono, who placed
fifth in this weight class last year. There are no perfect records.
195 pounds — In a battle of undefeated competitors, defending champion
in this class Lance Benick (39-0) of Totino-Grace leads the field. He
will be challenged by two other wrestlers with perfect records: Carson
Hagen (37-0) of Worthington and Wyatt Richardson (33-0) of GMLOKS.
Benick is the only returning medal-winner in this class.
220 pounds — Jack Ryan (37-4) of Simley looks to improve on his
third-place finish in this class last year. Two other returning
medalists will compete: Triston Westerlund (40-3) of Albert Lea Area,
third at 195 pounds; and Chase O’Connor (37-5) of Kasson-Mantorville,
sixth at 195 pounds. No one is undefeated.
285 pounds — James Huwe (27-8) of Detroit Lakes is the only returning
medal-winner. He is looking to improve on last year’s third-place
showing. No wrestlers have a perfect record.
Simley leads the field with 13 qualified wrestlers. South St. Paul and Totino-Grace each have eight qualifiers.
Class AAA Individual Highlights
106 pounds — There are no returning medal-winners and no perfect records in this weight class.
113 pounds — Four medal-winners return in search of a title; Alex Crowe
(37-1) of Shakopee, sixth in this class; Rylee Molitor (34-1) of
Sartell-St. Stephen, runner-up at 106 pounds; Kyle Rathman (31-4) of
Apple Valley, third at 106 pounds; and Jack Bergeland (32-10) of
Centennial of Circle Pines, fourth at 106 pounds. No one has a perfect
record in this class.
120 pounds — Brent Jones (37-3) of Shakopee, who won at 106 pounds in
2014, leads a field of four returning medalists. The others are all
jumping up from 113 pounds. Jamin LeDuc (36-3) of Farmington was the
runner-up, Brian Maas (40-3) of Bemidji was third, and Jake Bergeland
(36-5) of Centennial was fourth.
126 pounds — Two defending champions move up to compete for the title
at 126 pounds. Wade Sullivan (36-5) of Lakeville North took top honors
at 113 pounds in 2014. Mitchell McKee (40-2) of St. Michael-Albertville
claimed the gold at 120 pounds. George Farmah (29-4) of Eastview of
Apple Valley, runner-up in this weight class, is the other returning
medalist. There are no undefeated competitors.
132 pounds — Five medal-winners return in this field: Adam Hedin (41-0)
of Rosemount, fourth in this weight class; Austin Brenner (30-6) of St.
Cloud Tech, fifth at 113 pounds; Sam Bennyhoff (37-2) of Mound
Westonka, fifth at 120 pounds; Dylan Sogge (23-7) of Prior Lake, sixth
at 120 pounds; and Mike Matheson (27-14) of Centennial, sixth at 126
pounds. Hedin boasts the only unblemished record.
138 pounds — Ben Brancale (39-1) of Eden Prairie is the highest
returning medal-winner in this weight class. He placed second at 138
pounds in 2014. Brancale will be joined by two other medalists: Logan
Saltou (38-1) of Rochester John Marshall, fifth at 126 pounds; and Grant
Bolduan (35-7) of White Bear Lake Area, sixth at 132 pounds. No
competitor has a perfect record.
145 pounds — Six 2014 medal-winners compete for a title at 145 pounds:
Brock Morgan (32-8) of Apple Valley, third in this class; Ben Donnelly
(35-7) of Woodbury, fourth in this class; Taylor Venz (35-6) of
Farmington, third at 126 pounds; James Pleski (38-2) of Forest Lake,
third at 138 pounds; Miles Patton (37-3) of Rochester Mayo, fourth at
138 pounds; and Elijah Muedeking (30-8) of White Bear Lake Area, fifth
at 138 pounds. No one is undefeated.
152 pounds — Carson Brolsma (39-0) of Osseo leads the field. He was
runner-up at 145 pounds in 2014. The other returning medal-winner is
Brandon Moen (38-3) of Owatonna, who took third place at 132 pounds.
Brolsma is the only competitor with a perfect record.
160 pounds — Four returning medalists compete for a title. The 2014
champion at 152 pounds, Owen Webster (35-2) of Shakopee, is joined by
Lucas Westrich (37-3) of Lakeville North, runner-up at 160 pounds, and
Garrett Beaman (39-1) of Henry Sibley of Mendota Heights, runner-up at
170 pounds. Matt Njos (34-3) of Anoka, who placed fourth at 160 pounds
last year, rounds out the field. No qualifiers are undefeated.
170 pounds — Mark Hall (38-0) of Apple Valley, the defending champion
at 170 pounds, is the only returning medalist in this class. Hall is
also the only undefeated competitor.
182 pounds — There are no returning qualifiers in this class. No one enters with a perfect record.
195 pounds — Bobby Steveson (32-1) of Apple Valley, 2014 champion at
182 pounds, is the top returning qualifier. One other competitor won a
medal last year: Tristyn Hanson (36-1) of Lakeville North was fifth at
195 pounds. No wrestlers in this class are undefeated.
220 pounds — Three 2014 medal-winners at 195 pounds move up to compete
for a title. Gable Steveson (39-0) of Apple Valley, Rylee Streifel
(37-2) of Prior Lake and Jake Briggs (31-5) of St. Michael-Albertville
took runner-up, third- and fourth-place honors, respectively. Adam
Treptau (36-1) of Buffalo/West Lutheran is the other returning
medal-winner, placing sixth at 220 pounds. Steveson has the only perfect
record.
285 pounds — Alex Hart (31-0) of Prior Lake, the reigning champion at
220 pounds, pursues a new title as a heavyweight. He is the lone
returning medalist. Hart and Andrew Piehl (35-0) of Rogers are the only
undefeated competitors.
St. Michael-Albertville qualified 14 wrestlers. Willmar qualified 10 and Apple Valley has nine.
The Schedule and Ticket Information
This year’s schedule features the team tournament running all day on
Thursday, February 26. The action starts with the Class AA and Class AAA
quarterfinals at 9 a.m. They will be followed by the Class A team
quarterfinals at 11 a.m., which will be run simultaneously with the
Class AA and Class AAA consolation semifinals.
At 1 p.m. on Thursday, all three classes will wrestle in the team
championship semifinals and Class A will also have its consolation
semifinals. The consolation and third-place team matches for all three
classes will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday evening, followed by the team
championship matches for all three classes at 7 p.m.
On Friday, February 27, the Class AAA individual first round begins at 9
a.m. The Class A individual first round starts at 11 a.m., followed by
the Class AA individual first round at 1 p.m. On Friday evening, the
Class AAA individual championship quarterfinals begin at 4:30 p.m. The
Class A and Class AA individual championship quarterfinals will follow
at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively. The evening session will
conclude with all wrestlebacks at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday there will be five rounds of competition. The first starts
at 9:30 a.m. and will consist of all individual consolation
quarterfinals. The second round will start approximately at 10:45 a.m.
and will entail all individual championship semifinals. Round Three
begins approximately at 12:45 p.m. and will encompass all individual
consolation semifinals. At approximately 4:30 p.m., all individual
fifth- and third-place matches will begin. The day will end with all
individual championships beginning at approximately 7 p.m. Awards will
then follow the final round.
Other than the first matches of each session, all subsequent rounds
will start immediately following the conclusion of the previous
competition in that session. Thus, most of the start times are
approximate. Fans should bear that schedule in mind in planning their
arrival at Xcel Energy Center.
Ticket prices are $14 per adult and $9 per student for each session.
Daily passes are available for $26 for adults and $17 for students.
Season passes, good for the entire tournament, are available to adults
for $78 and to students for $51.
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