3 Tigers remain in contention for state title
· Yahoo Sports
Feb. 26—Six Albert Lea wrestlers started their state tournament runs Thursday morning at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Competing in the round of 16, the only individual session of the day, three Tigers won their matches and kept themselves in contention for a championship in their respective weight classes.
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Junior Devon Gross was the first Tiger to win his match, defeating Sartell-St. Stephen freshman Jack McGrew by pinfall in the first period. Devon Groess, the No. 9-ranked 121 pounder earned a takedown in the opening seconds of the match and never let him back up, getting the fall at :57.
He moves into the quarterfinals where he will take on No. 2 Beckett Edstrom from Hastings.
Junior Brecken Wacholz was the next Tigers to notch a win, earning a hard-fought 4-1 decision win at 172 pounds. Wacholz, ranked No. 8 in the weight class, defeated the No. 3-ranked Grady Weinbrenner from Rogers.
Wacholz got a takedown with 12 seconds left in the first period and never gave up the lead. Weinbrenner mounted an escape in the second, but that was his lone point of the match, as Wacholz advances to the quarters, where he will meet No. 9 Gabriel Cohn of St. Thomas Academy.
Unranked sophomore Trent Ignaszewski was the final Tiger to win his opening-round match, winning a dominant 18-4 major decision at 189 pounds. He defeated No. 9-ranked Abram Gordhamer, a senior from Apple Valley, earning four takedowns and a four-point nearfall through three periods.
Ignaszewski moves into the quarterfinals where he will take on the No. 5-ranked Jacob Hansen from Park Center.
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Three other Tigers competed but did not fare as well as their teammates.
Unranked junior Dylan Groess competed in the 127-pound bracket, matching up with No. 2 Gabriel Roehl of Buffalo in the first round. Dylan Groess kept it close against a tough opponent, only getting taken down twice, but was unable to mount an offensive attack, losing in a 7-0 decision.
Dylan Groess moves into the consolation bracket, where he will take on Shakopee senior Kaleb Long.
Junior Malakai Olson wrestled in the 133-pound bracket and faced off against No. 6 Walker Gaulrapp, a junior from Elk River. Gaulrapp proved to be a tough opponent for Olson, as the match ended in the third period in a 16-1 tech fall.
Olson falls into the consolation bracket where he will square off with No. 10 Arlo Brinkman of Irondale-Spring Lake Park.
The final wrestler to compete for Albert Lea Thursday was No. 6 Ryan Collins at 145 pounds. Collins had a tough draw in the first round, taking on No. 5-ranked, Chaska/Chanhassen senior Dane Krull. Collins was down 7-0 after the first two periods, but mounted a small comeback with two takedowns in the final period. Unfortunately for Collins, the comeback fell short, losing a 9-6 decision.
He moves into the consolation bracket where he will meet No. 10 Andrew Ankeny of Robbinsdale Armstrong.
All six wrestlers will compete again Friday morning, Devon Groess, Wacholz and Ignaszewski in the quarterfinals, and Dylan Groess, Collins and Olson in the consolation rounds. Both sessions are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Friday. A win in the quarters will advance them to the semifinals which will take place at 4 p.m. Friday.