Panthers host Grizzles Friday with conference crown on the line
By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
HUTCHINSON – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva faced some of its toughest competition of the season Saturday.
In addition to three-time state champ Jackson, the field at Hutchinson included ranked teams Prior Lake, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove, Willmar and Hutchinson.
“We knew the competition was as tough as any we will face all year. We were hoping to be competitive in a difficult situation,” said NRHEG coach Shawn Larson. “We did not rise to the occasion. Our true test will be responding to this setback this week.”
The Panthers doubled their point total from a year ago, but their 110.5 points could do them no better than a sixth-place tie with Watertown-Mayer.
Prior Lake captured the championship with 235 points, followed by Atwater-CG with 203 and Jackson with 166.5.NRHEG managed to finish with 11 place winners, but no individual champs.
Dillon Kubiatowicz and Dillon Parpart had the best day for the Panther grapplers as they have most of the season. Both finished second.
Kubiatowicz dropped a 3-1, overtime decision to Willmar’s Juan Resendez in the 113-pound championship.
Kubiatowicz earned a shot at the title with a 3-2 overtime win in the semifinals.
Parpart made it to the finals at 170-pounds where he lost a 7-2 verdict to Prior Lake’s Rob Schultz. Parpart had a 3-0 win in the semifinals.
Todd Erickson earned a third-place finish for NRHEG in the 220-pound weight class. Erickson pinned Atwater’s Jordan Fester with one second remaining in the opening period in the third-place match.
Erickson got pinned by eventual champ Alex Hart of Prior Lake in the semifinals.
The Panthers received fourths from Jet Wayne (145), Tyler Logan (152) and Nick Bartness (182).
Wayne suffered a technical fall loss in 5:06 in the third-place match.
Logan was pinned in his quest to capture third place.
Bartness was upended 7-2 in a battle for third place.
Cole Lenort (106), Cordell Peterson (120) and Zeke Erickson (285) were fifth-place winners for NRHEG.
Lenort edged Jackson’s Jacob Tvinnereim 6-5 for fifth place.
Peterson sacked fifth place with a final-period pin.
Placing sixth for the Panthers were Palmer Peterson (126) and Karter Sletten (138).
NRHEG and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton will square off in New Richland for the Gopher Conference championship Friday night in a match rescheduled from Thursday. The Panthers won 36-32 last year.
The Panthers, 9-5 overall, will wrestle at the Bob Swalla Memorial Tournament in Kasson Saturday.
Hutchinson Invite
1)-Prior Lake 235
2)-Atwater-Cosmos-Grove 203
3)-Jackson 166.5
4)-Willmar 151
5)-Hutchinson 150
6)-NRHEG 110.5
6)-Watertown-Mayer 110.5
NEXT: Friday (rescheduled) – WEM/JWP at NRHEG, 7 p.m.