This year implemented a different venue and different feel. The tournament this time was at the St. Michael High School. There were still three days of competition but instead of all team the first day and each of the three classes filling eight mats the following two days this year saw each class taking a single day with team in the mornings and all individuals in the afternoons. Parts of the tournament remained the same, there were indeed stressed coaches, the nervous parents were in attendance and most certainly the high-end grapplers were in the building. Missing were the rabid fans cheering on their local champions. Instead, we scrambled from a distance to hook into prepspotlight.tv. There was no awards ceremony for the placers, no photo ops for the wrestlers or parents who put in all the years to see their sons at the pinnacle of their careers. All of the pomp and circumstance that we have come to expect in today's world was not there. Having processed that for a day and knowing many of the actual entrants who wrestled a few ideas pop into mind. These guys train mostly all year for their big day. They hit the camps, clinics, out of season practices, weight rooms and countless miles running down a road alone. They trim excess pounds to get to a weight class they feel best suits them and nobody is giving approval or patting them on the back for their efforts. They sacrifice time with friends and family to do all this and so do their coaches. To be sure, most of them love to put on a show for others. They are performers and to reach a state tournament they have been on big stages getting after it for many years. But deep down they also have a burning desire to just compete. Give them a mat and they simply want to wrestle. They have become masters at gauging and controlling themselves when nobody is looking and even though there were no huge crowds, no podiums, medals or photo ops….every wrestler in the St. Michael gym knew exactly who is who. They went there to be with the best of the best and they got exactly that. They will take their experiences with them and years down the road when talking with others who wrestled that day or even viewed it from afar,….nobody will ask to see a medal but they will remember who is who and visit about the experience. They will remember competing far longer than where a medal ended up anyways and just maybe all the pomp and circumstance we ‘expect’ today is over rated a bit anyhow. Perhaps these wrestlers have it figured out and the love of competition exceeds all else, when your good you know it yourself.

145: Reubens Swanson (19-6 indicates season record) placed 6th

·         Quarterfinal - #5 Gavin Gust (Dover-Eyota) 32-1 won by major decision 11-2 over Reubens Swanson.

·         Cons. Semi - Defeated #8 Joe Anderson (Springfield) 34-3 per fall 4:29.

·         5th Place Match - Beau Jurrens (Zumbrota-Mazeppa) 18-12 won by decision 10-6 over Reubens Swanson.

The West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville Knights indeed took part in the State Tournament. Coach Brandon Gruchow and his quintuplet of warriors descended on St. Michael last Saturday and make their mark in the world of Class A wrestling. Those who qualified were 145: Reubens Swanson, 152: Jordan Lohse, 160: Anthony Sykora, 182: Nathaniel Kisgen and 220: Colton Lindquist.

152: #3 Jordan Lohse (34-4) placed 5th

·         Quarterfinal - #5 Jonah Gruenes (Minneota) 35-3 won by decision7-2 over Jordan Lohse.

·         Cons. Semi - Defeated #8 Jett Thoreson (St. Charles) 24-6 per decision 8-5.

·         5th Place Match – Defeated Ethan Warren (Ogilvie) 29-8 per injury default 4:13.

As impressive as it was to get through their own section tournament and then survive the brutal Super Sections this year which was a Section 5 and 6 pairing, these five young men superseded expectations and walked into the metro with intent to compete. In fact, they each outlasted a stacked field of talent and all five laid claim to a top six or better placing in their respective weight classes. That speaks quite highly of them and the program they hail from. Swanson earned 6th, Lohse 5th, Sykora 5th, Kisgen 3rd, and Lindquist finished in 6th. Well done gentlemen!

160: #7 Anthony Sykora (35-3) placed 5th

·         Quarterfinal - #5 Gabe Gorecki (Royalton-Upsala) 31-3 won by fall 2:38 over Anthony Sykora.

·         Cons. Semi – Defeated #7 Matthew Haley (Jackson County Central) 28-12 per technical fall 4:41 (16-0).

·         5th Place Match – Defeated #8 Blake Lehnertz (Dover-Eyota) 29-4 per decision 6-1.

Those from Section 6A whom also placed include: 113: David Revering (BHVPP) 4th place, 120: Eli Larson (Border West) 3rd place, 138: Dane Niemi (NYM) 4th place, 170: Hunter Dean (BHVPP) 6th place, and at 220: Daniel Erlandson (BRECK) state runner-up. Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie represented Section 6A in the team portion and after winning the Super Section went onto earn the state runner-up. Congratulations to all Section 6A placers.

182: #2 Nathaniel Kisgen (32-5) placed 3rd

·         Quarterfinal – Defeated Tyler Archer (Westfield Razorbacks) 26-6 per fall 0:21.

·         Semifinal - #1 Tyson Meyer (Minnewaska Area) 36-0 won by decision 7-2 over Nathaniel Kisgen.

·         3rd Place Match – Defeated #10 Caleb Vacura (Badger-GB-MR) 27-6 per major decision 15-6.

220: #6 Colton Lindquist (34-7) placed 6th

·         Quarterfinal - #3 Daniel Erlandson (Breckenridge) 27-2 won by decision 7-4 over Colton Lindquist.

·         Cons. Semi – Defeated Brennon Hoffman (Medford) 12-3 per decision 4-1.

·         5th Place Match - Jackson Esping (Minneota) 31-6 won by decision 5-3 over Colton Lindquist.