Wrestling: WCA-A-B-E's Sykora, Alexandria's Nelson lead a pack of area athletes in medal contention at state

ST. PAUL - Many area wrestlers shined on the first day of the MSHSL State Wrestling tournament and find themselves in a position to potentially finish as state finalists or better.

This includes Alexandria senior Blaze Nelson (145 - Class AA) along with West Central Area-Ashby-Brandon-Evansville senior Anthony Sykora (182 - Class A), junior Hunter Gruchow, and Minnewaska freshman Miles Wildman (106 - Class A), who have made the semifinals in their brackets after strong showings on Friday, March 3 at the Xcel Energy Center.

The semifinals and additional consolation matches begin on Friday after the start of the girls tournament (9 a.m.). The placement matches begin at 4 p.m., with the finals starting at 7 p.m.

All wrestlers in a wrestle-back match on Saturday need one win to finish with all-state honors. The semi-finalists have already earned all-state finishes.

Note: All rankings in this article are from The Guillotine

Nelson (37-7), ranked No. 9 at Class AA at 145, started off his tournament with a bang by pinning Simley Derrick Dohmen (1:35) in the first round. His strong day continued in the quarterfinals with a first period pin of Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Laiken Copeman (1:22).

In the semifinals, Nelson wrestles an undefeated wrestler, Koy Buesgens of New Prague, who is 52-0 and is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state by The Guillotine.

Freshman Nolan Fettig (106) got off to a great start to the day with a 12-9 decision over Albert Lea’s Ryan Collins. Fettig lost by a pin (3:42) to Simley’s Austin Gryzwinski (ranked No. 2) in the semifinals but bounced back in a wrestle-back match and defeated Totino-Grace’s Logan Refsnider 4-2.

Fettig (44-3) will have another wrestle-back match on Saturday morning against Dawson-Boyd-Lac Qui Parle Valley-Montevideo United’s Ben Gunlogson (ranked No. 7 in the state).

Fettig is ranked No. 6 in the state.

Junior Mason McGrane (126), ranked No. 7 in the state, fell behind 7-2 after two periods of his match against Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Jack Krier (ranked No. 2) in the first round. McGrane scored four points in the third period, but Krier went on to win 12-6.

In his wrestle-back match, McGrane fell to Rock Ridge’s Dutch Hedblom. McGrane finishes the season with a 32-6 record.

Sykora started his hunt for back-to-back state titles with a pin (3:19) over Chase Irlbeck (Wabasso). Sykora again dominated in the quarterfinals as he earned a 15-0 tech fall win over Eric Mauss of Caledonia-Houston. Sykora (47-1) wrestles Paynesville Area’s Peyton Hemmesch (34-6) in the semifinals.

Sykora is ranked No. 1 in the state at 182.

Hunter Gruchow began the day with a bang by pinning Alexander Schuh (Tracy-Milroy-Balaton-Westbrook-Walnut-Grove) in 34 seconds.

He then erased a 6-3 deficit in his quarterfinal match and won 15-8 over Crookston’s Ethan Bowman. Hunter is ranked No. 4 at 145 and wrestles Canby’s Lincoln Fink (36-12) in the semifinals.

The Knights had a handful of clutch victories in the opening round. First 8th-grader Owen Gruchow (106) trailed 10-2 in his match against Ian Phrakonkham (Fosston-Bagley) but found a way to earn a pin (4:58) to advance to the quarterfinals.

Also, junior Will Rustan (220) ended the morning session with a 6-4 win in tiebreaker period one over Landen Halvorson (Ogilvie), while senior Beau Robinson (195) pulled out an 11-9 decision over Jojo Thompson (Deer River) and junior Solomon Wales (138) earned a 5-3 decision over Simon Boeckman (Holdingford).

Owen Gruchow lost by a pin (1:30) to Berg in the quarterfinals. Gruchow beat Parker Honl (Central Public Schools) with a pin (1:25). Owen Gruchow (36-8) wrestles Antony (29-18) of Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Area.

Robinson lost a close 4-2 match to Jacob Schimek of St. Clair/Mankato Loyola (ranked No. 4 in the state) in the quarterfinals. Robinson battled LeSeur-Henderson’s George Doherty and earned a third period pin (4:54). Robinson (31-12) wrestles JCC’s Matthew Haley in a Saturday wrestle-back match.

Rustan got pinned by Jackson County Central’s Caleb Ventura (ranked No. 2) in 46 seconds in the quarterfinals. Kenyon-Waninmingo’s Will Van Epps (35-5) beat Rustan by a 12-0 major decision. Rustan finishes the season with a 29-16 record.

In the quarterfinals, Wales, ranked No. 6, lost by a 5-1 decision to Gavin Johnson (Kenyon-Waninmingo). Wales (37-12) earned an 8-2 decision over Fosston-Bagley’s Zach Thompson and is set to face Frazee’s Bailey Peichel (31-11) in the wrestle back round on Saturday.

Senior Justin Blascyk (285), ranked No. 8, came close to pulling out a clutch victory in the first round over Royalton-Upsala’s Brandon Mugg (No. 6) by a 3-2 decision.

Blascyk didn’t get the chance to have a wrestle-back match and finished his season with a 33-10 record.

Wildman, who is an 8th-grader that is ranked No. 5 in the state at 106 in Class A, continued his great season with a 5-3 decision over Antony in the first round.

Wildman (39-2) followed that up with a 7-2 decision over Ogilvie’s Beau Hudoba to get to the semifinals finals, where he’ll meet the top-ranked wrestler in the bracket, Javier Berg (42-2) of Chatfield.

Sophomore Chase Smith (120), ranked No. 8, drew a tough battle to begin his tournament as he faced the fifth-ranked Simon Kruse (Saint Clair-Mankato Loyola). Kruse managed to edge out a 4-2 win in the first round.

Smith showed out in his wrestle-back match against Braxton Lange (Caledonia-Houston) by an 8-0 major decision. Smith (35-4) wrestles David Schuh (36-12) of (Tracy-Milroy-Balaton-Westbrook-Walnut-Grove) to begin the Saturday morning sessions.

Sophomore Reggie George (106), ranked No. 2, fell behind 2-0 in his match against Ryan LaCanne (Kenyon-Wanamingo) but outscored him 6-0 to seal a 6-2 win in the first round.

Pipestone’s Miklo Hernandez got his offense going in the quarterfinal match, earning an 11-3 major decision over George.

Frazee’s Cash Ostermann won the wrestle back over George by injury default. George finishes the season with a 40-3 record.

Joining him with a first round win was junior Jacob Taplin (132) as he beat Canby’s Sam Diretz by a 4-2 decision.

Taplin then had a tall task, wrestling the defending state champion, Royalton-Upsala’s Alex Diedrich. Taplin got some points in the match but lost by a 19-5 major decision.

Taplin (29-10) pinned Zach Palmer (20-18) of LCMWA (1:44). Taplin wrestles Ryan Jensen, ranked No. 2, of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (41-4) in another wrestle-back match on Saturday.

Junior Gaven Cimbura (160) faced the third-ranked wrestler in the state, Holdingford’s Drew Lange. Lange controlled the match, winning by a 20-3 technical fall.

Cimbura trailed 6-1 with mere seconds left in his match against Eden Valley-Watkins’ Isaac Ortiz but got a takedown, and a three-point nearfall forced overtime. Cimbura managed to pull out the 7-6 win in a tiebreaker period and advance to Saturday.

He’ll meet Luverne’s DJ Rock (46-6) in a wrestle-back match on Saturday.

In the girls tournament, sophomore Joy Kral (6-4) wrestles in the 185-pound bracket and faces Gloriann Vigniavo (21-2) of Apple Valley in the first round. Kral is ranked No. 6 in the state, while Vigniavo is ranked No. 4.

Sophomore Braden Shamp (285) pulled off a big upset as he defeated the second-ranked wrestler in the state, Marcus Peterson of United North Central, 6-4 in the first round.

Shamp lost by 8-0 major decision to WEM-JMP’s Keegan Kuball in the quarterfinals. Shamp pinned Caledonia-Houston’s Grant Ness (1:57) to move on to Saturday’s wrestle back. He’ll face Mugg (34-6).

In the first round, Freshman Justin Olson (120) fell by pin to Braxton Lange of Caledonia-Houston (3:53), while senior Deagan Captain (138) fell in the first period to Cory Scanlan of Caledonia-Houston and senior Justin Koehn (182) fell to Peyton Hemmesch (Paynesville Area) by fall (3:25).

Captain fell by 9-2 to Wyatt Engen (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) and finished the season with a 28-9 record.

Tate Twardowski pinned Koehn (2:19) in the wrestle-back match. Koehn finishes the season with a 23-21 record.

Olson didn’t have a wrestle back and finished the season with a 30-13 record.

Senior Bennet Arceneau (132), ranked No. 6, lost to Hudson Burnett (Pipestone Area), ranked No. 7, by a 16-6 major decision in the first round and didn’t get to have a wrestle back. He finishes the season with a 36-9 record.

Junior David Revering (145), ranked No. 8, fell to Tucker Ginther (Caledonia-Houston) by a 6-2 decision in the first round.

Revering earned a 5-0 decision over Royalton-Upsala’s Will Groceki to earn another wrestle back match on Saturday. Revering faces Holdingford’s William Pilarski (42-7) on Saturday morning.

In the girls tournament, junior Abby Ervasti (19-4) wrestles in the 138-pound bracket, first against Bloomington Kennedy’s Kelsey Cruz Rojas (20-12). Cruz Rojas is ranked No. 9, and Ervasti is ranked No. 4.