The NRHEG wrestling Panthers competed in the Section 2A Individual Tournament on Tuesday, March 16. From that qualifier they had 4 wrestlers advance. Wrestlers who moved on to the MSHSL State Preliminary Tournament were Nikolas Petsinger (126), Thor Routh (152), Ralph Roesler (182), and Makota Misgen (285).
At the MSHSL State Preliminary Tournament Saturday, March 20 that included the top four individuals from Section 2A and Section 3A, NRHEG had one wrestler make it into the top 4. Nikolas Petsinger was 0-2 at 126, Thor Routh was 1-2 at 152, Makota Misgen was 0-2 at 285, and Ralph Roesler lost in the third-place match to eliminate him. Roesler was 2-2 on the day.
“The qualifying process was quite different this year,” said Panthers coach Shawn Larson. “I can see the reason behind the decisions of the MSHSL to run the tournament with the current process. It is, however, very difficult to make it to the top eight. I am thankful that wrestlers across the state were given the opportunity to compete, and I hope that the MSHSL State Tournament is able to happen for all sports in the coming weeks.
“As far as our wrestlers are concerned, we did what we could,” said Larson. “There is not one match that we wrestled on Tuesday or Saturday, where we did not leave it all on the mat. When you give your maximum effort you can keep your head up. Now it is time to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and begin to make improvements for our next season.”