By TROY THOMPSON
Sportswriter
The NRHEG wrestling team continued a strong season on Friday, Jan. 16, claiming a championship title in a hotly-contested dual meet. The event featured head-to-head competitions against No. 6-ranked Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (KMS) and No. 10-ranked West Central Area (WCA). NRHEG also squared off against Morris Area-Hancock Area-Chokio/Alberta (MAHACA).
The Panthers finished the meet in a three-way tie with the two ranked teams and earned the championship title based on the most cumulative team points for the event.
Dillon Kubiatowicz (120), Cordell Peterson (126), and Todd Erickson (285) all went undefeated in their matches for the day to help lead the Panthers to the championship trophy.
Kubiatowicz pinned WCA’s Hunter Hanson and MAHACA’s Ben Koehl while wrestling KMS’s Jonathon Tostenson to a 15-4 major decision.
Peterson tallied a pin against MAHACA’s Jared Rohloff while besting KMS’s Caleb Collins and WCA’s Levi Larkin 7-1 and 13-2 respectively.
Erickson dominated the heavyweight mats by pinning all three foes he faced.In team scoring, NRHEG downed MAHACA 73-6 and defeated sixth-ranked KMS 35-29. The Panthers came up short against 10th-ranked WCA 45-25.
“When we wrestled West Central Area we wrestled strong in many areas, however we continued our problem of giving up too many bonus points,” said Panther coach Shawn Larson. “WCA is an up-and-coming team and they wrestle an aggressive style that I can admire.”
Larson said the championship trophy was nice, but admitted regulations had a possible hand in earning the prize.
“We finished with the night with two strong duals against KMS and MAHACA,” he said. “Both of these duals would have been slightly different had it not been for teams being in match count issues. Our sport is unique because right now there are rules stating how many matches individuals can have in the season. Unfortunately, sometimes teams have to sit their quality wrestlers due to this rule. The coaches association and the Minnesota State High School league have been working on this rule for awhile. I think with the match-ups, we still would have a chance at victory over KMS, and I know that MAHACA would have given us a much closer outcome if they were able to run their best line-ups at us.”
Still, NRHEG continues to earn well-deserved respect among the state’s wrestling powers and the team, as well as individuals, continue to perform well.
“Overall, I am proud of our team,” said Larson. “We are really coming together and we are going to just have to keep working at getting better.”
The Panthers are back in action on Thursday, Jan. 22, against conference opponent WEM/JWP in Waterville at 7:00, and Saturday, Jan. 24, in Forest Lake for another quality dual meet tournament.
Results:
NRHEG 73 - MAHACA 6
1. (106 lbs.) Brett Kubiatowicz of NRHEG pinned Jake Anderson of MAHACA in 34 seconds.
2. (113 lbs.) Cole Lenort of NRHEG pinned Matt Munsterman of MAHACA in 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
3. (120 lbs.) Dillon Kubiatowicz of NRHEG pinned Ben Koehl of MAHACA in 3 minutes and 55 seconds.
4. (126 lbs.) Cordell Peterson of NRHEG pinned Jared Rohloff of MAHACA in 1 minute and 51 seconds.
5. (132 lbs.) Cole Staloch of NRHEG beat Brady Cardwell of MAHACA 15-0 (Technical Fall).
6. (132 lbs.) Trai Wicks of NRHEG won by forfeit against MAHACA.
7. (145 lbs.) Palmer Peterson of NRHEG pinned Phillip Messner of MAHACA in 4 minutes and 20 seconds.
8. (152 lbs.) Trent Ostby of MAHACA pinned Lucas Herrmann of NRHEG in 1 minute and 43 seconds.
9. (160 lbs.) Trey Hoppe of NRHEG beat Steven Koehl of MAHACA 18-3 (Technical Fall).
10. (170 lbs.) Nick Bartness of NRHEG pinned Toby Sayles of MAHACA in 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
11. (195 lbs.) Keith Maxon of NRHEG pinned Gage Wevley of MAHACA in 1 minute and 50 seconds.
12. (195 lbs.) Jon Weller of NRHEG won by forfeit against MAHACA.
13. (220 lbs.) Zeke Erickson of NRHEG beat Jacob Sperr of MAHACA 1-0 (Decision).
14. (285 lbs.) Todd Erickson of NRHEG pinned Alec Gausman of MAHACA in 1 minute and 41 seconds.
NRHEG 35 - KMS 29
1. (106 lbs.) Dylan Rudningen of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg pinned Brett Kubiatowicz of NRHEG in 1 minute and 43 seconds.
2. (113 lbs.) Cole Lenort of NRHEG pinned Jared Carlson of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in 3 minutes and 28 seconds.
3. (120 lbs.) Dillon Kubiatowicz
of NRHEG beat Jonathan Tostenson of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 15-4 (Major Decision).
4. (126 lbs.) Cordell Peterson of NRHEG beat Caleb Collins of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 7-1 (Decision).
5. (132 lbs.) Nick Meyer of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg pinned Cole Staloch of NRHEG in 1 minute and 12 seconds.
6. (138 lbs.) Alex Merritt of NRHEG pinned Jake Magaard of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in 3 minutes and 31 seconds.
7. (145 lbs.) Palmer Peterson of NRHEG beat Simon Johnson of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 7-3 (Decision).
8. (152 lbs.) Jet Wayne of NRHEG beat Ryan Torkelson of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 9-4 (Decision).
9. (160 lbs.) Aaron Collins of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg beat Trey Hoppe of NRHEG 11-0 (Major Decision).
10. (170 lbs.) Zach Carlson of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg beat Nick Bartness of NRHEG 12-1 (Major Decision).
11. (182 lbs.) Israel Rodriquez of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg beat Keith Maxon of NRHEG 5-3 (Decision).
12. (195 lbs.) Karter VanHeuveln of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg pinned Jon Weller of NRHEG in 5 minutes and 46 seconds.
13. (220 lbs.) Zeke Erickson of NRHEG beat Matthew Collins of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 11-1 (Major Decision).
14. (285 lbs.) Todd Erickson of NRHEG pinned Colten Kinney of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in 4 minutes and 55 seconds.
WCA 45 - NRHEG 25
1. (106 lbs.) Drake Swanson of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville pinned Brett Kubiatowicz of NRHEG in 48 seconds.
2. (113 lbs.) Jake Nohre of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville beat Cole Lenort of NRHEG 16-0 (Technical Fall).
3. (120 lbs.) Dillon Kubiatowicz of NRHEG pinned Hunter Hanson of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville in 1 minute and 08 seconds.
4. (126 lbs.) Cordell Peterson of NRHEG beat Levi Larkin of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville 13-2 (Major Decision).
5. (132 lbs.) Keaton Long of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville beat Cole Staloch of NRHEG 13-2 (Major Decision).
6. (138 lbs.) Tyler Onstad of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville pinned Chad Erickson of NRHEG in 1 minute and 18 seconds.
7. (145 lbs.) Jake Larkin of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville pinned Bryce Okland of NRHEG in 54 seconds.
8. (152 lbs.) Kyle Mickelson of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville beat Jet Wayne of NRHEG 6-3 (Decision).
9. (160 lbs.) Royal Crow of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville beat Trey Hoppe of NRHEG 5-1 (Decision).
10. (170 lbs.) Nick Bartness of NRHEG pinned Joel Seifert of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville in 3 minutes and 21 seconds.
11. (195 lbs.) Keith Maxon of NRHEG beat Blake Amundson of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville 11-4 (Decision).
12. (195 lbs.) Hunter Fick of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville pinned Jon Weller of NRHEG in 1 minute and 14 seconds.
13. (220 lbs.) Buzz Miller of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville pinned Matt Jensen of NRHEG in 1 minute and 41 seconds.
14. (285 lbs.) Todd Erickson of NRHEG pinned Sid Kamarath of West Central Area-Ashby-Evansville in 1 minute and 02 seconds.