Two quick falls got the Buc grapplers off to a fast start on their way to a 49-12 victory over the visiting New Ulm Eagles this past Thursday night.

Travis Hagedorn at 103 and Jake Wirtjes at 112 put their opponents on their backs in the first period to put the Bucs up 12-0.

“Travis got us going right away,” says head coach Randy Wirtjes. “We wrestled aggressively, I feel good about where we are going into the holiday break but we need to keep improving.”

The Eagles got some points back as D.J. Gronewald dropped a tough 4-2 decision and eighth-grader Carter Hanson, wrestling for the injured Bryce Werner, gave up a fall to New Ulm’s Cole Cihak.

Forfeits by the Eagles at the 130 and 135 pounds gave BEA a 24-9 lead before the Eagles’ Eric Ellanson scored the last points of the night for the visitors with a 4-2 decision over Collin Nienhaus.

It was all Bucs after that as Sinjin Bell earned a major decision followed by decisions by Daniel Eckhardt and Tyler Johnsrud. A forfeit at 171 gave the Bucs six more points and increased their lead to 40-12. Taylor Andrews added three more points for the Bucs with a hard fought 5-1 decision over Adam Dauer to make the score 43-12.

Next came the marquis match of the night at 215 pounds which pitted the Bucs’ Mat Willner, ranked No. 6 in Class A against the Eagles’ Pat Brinkman, who had the No. 1 ranking in Class AA.

Brinkman had defeated Willner twice last year in close matches but this night belonged to Willner who took a 4-1 lead in the first period and then gained back points early in period two on his way to a 7-3 victory.

Jake Lee scored the final three points of the night for the Bucs with a tough 6-4 win over the Eagles’ Jake Schmidt.

The win gives the Bucs a 1-0 record in the conference and keeps them undefeated in dual matches this year.

Bucs win Park Duals

The Blue Earth Area wrestling team dominated the competition on their way to the team title at the Park Duals held Dec. 13 in Cottage Grove.

The closest margin of victory was 29 points when the Bucs defeated Chatfield, 48-19.

BEA shutout Woodbury JV 75-0, defeated Goodhue 61-9 and Cannon Falls 57-14.

“We wrestled with intensity. In the wrestling room we keep saying we want to keep improving so we can peak at the end of the season,” says head coach Randy Wirtjes.

Six wrestlers went 4-0 on the day.

At 103, Travis Hagedorn pinned all his opponents, as did Mat Willner at 215 pounds, who is ranked No. 6 in Class A.

D.J. Gronewald recorded three pins. The 119-pounder also had a major decision win.

Two Bucs also pinned three of their opponents; Jake Wirtjes at 112 pounds and Tyler Johnsrud at 160.

Sinjin Bell’s wins at 145 pounds included a pin and major decision.

Several wrestlers notched three wins, Joe Franta (3-1) at 130; Bryce Werner (3-0) at 135; Cody Eckhardt (3-1) at 171; Taylor Andrews (3-1) at 189; Dan Eckhardt (3-1) at 152; and heavyweight Jake Lee (3-1).

Dan Eckhardt and Lee lost to two highly ranked wrestlers of Chatfield.

Eckhardt dropped a 13-4 major decision to Justin Buss, ranked No. 1 at 145 pounds in Class A.

Lee, ranked No. 3 in Class A, was on the short end of a 3-2 decision to Jon Farnell, the No. 2-ranked heavyweight.

BEA 75, Woodbury 0

103: Travis Hagedorn (BEA) pinned Reid Lyden, 2:57.

112: Jake Wirtjes (BEA) pinned Roman Wundrow, 3:13.

119: D.J. Gronewald (BEA) pinned Mike Buhl, 3:46.

125: Carter Hanson (BEA), forfeit.

130: Joe Franta (BEA) tech. fall Collin McCarty, 22-5.

135: Bryce Werner (BEA) maj. dec. Dan Tyler, 12-3.

140: Collin Nienhaus (BEA) pinned Connor Harreid, :34.

145: Sinjin Bell (BEA) maj. dec. Nick Qui, 13-4.

152: Dan Eckhardt (BEA) pinned Drew Loechler, 1:17.

160: Tyler Johnsrud (BEA) pinned Logan Kugler, 3:23.

171: Cody Eckhardt (BEA) tech. fall Mike Lang, 21-6.

189: Taylor Andrews (BEA) dec. Tom Elbert, 7-3.

215: Mat Willner (BEA) pinned Xavier Blanchard, :29.

285: Jake Lee (BEA) pinned Nico Yanez, :41. BEA 48, Chatfield 19

103: Hagedorn pinned Alex Haffner, 3:26.

112: Wirtjes, forfeit.

119: Gronewald pinned Jacob Pierce, 1:21.

125: Tanner Clement (Chatfield) pinned Carter Hanson, 5:13.

130: Franta pinned Nick Haffner, 1:37.

135: Werner dec. Zach Curry, 9-6.

140: Aric Swancutt dec. Nienhaus, 7-2.

145: Bell, forfeit.

152: Justin Buss dec. D. Eckhardt, 13-4.

160: Johnsrud, forfeit.

171: C. Eckhardt dec. Luke Boyum, 7-2.

189: Juan Gomez dec. Andrews, 6-2.

215: Willner pinned Michael Bell, 3:10.

285: Jon Farnell dec. Lee, 3-2.

BEA 57, Cannon Falls 14

103: Hagedorn pinned Jared Duffy, 2:32.

112: Wirtjes pinned Roman Wundrow, 1:09.

119: Gronewald pinned Bo Schutte, :23.

125: Hanson dec. Bryant Nygaard, 3-2.

130: Robert Otterness dec. Franta, 8-5.

135: Ryan Rich tech. fall Jared Resutek, 19-4.

140: D.J. Flodeen pinned Nienhaus, 1:25.

145: Bell pinned Joe VanBoxel, 1:53.

152: Johnsrud pinned Quin Mandell, 5:04.

160: D. Eckhardt dec. Brock Gogin, 3-2.

171: C. Eckhardt pinned Mitch Myers, :56.

189: Andrews dec. John Grimes, 3-1.

215: Willner pinned Jace Rohoff, 1:13.

285: Lee pinned Adam Thesing.

BEA 61, Goodhue 9

103: Hagedorn pinned Kyle Drehmel, 3:14.

112: Wirtjes pinned Tyler Lexvold, 2:28.

119: Gronewald maj. dec. Charlie Dicke, 9-1.

125: Hanson dec. Codey Lexvold, 10-6.

130: Franta, forfeit.

135: Werner pinned Tyler Breuer, 2:34.

140: Ty Stecklein pinned Nienhaus, 1:15.

145: Bell, forfeit.

152: D. Eckhardt pinned Zach Schneider, :57.

160: Johnsrud pinned Mike Austin, 3:06.

171: Ethan Tvtewon dec. C. Eckhardt, 8-5.

189: Andrews dec. Brady Vietns, 3-2.

215: Willner pinned Jonathan Schmitz, :20.

285: Lee dec. Luke O’Reilly, 8-1.