It was sweet revenge and victory for one Blue Earth Area wrestler at the State Tournament held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

For another, it was a bitter loss to the only wrestler to defeat him this season.

Heavyweight Jake Lee, ranked No. 3, was pitted against No. 2-ranked John Farnell of Chatfield in the championship match.

Lee’s lone loss of the season came at the hands of Farnell when he scored a takedown with seconds on the clock to earn a 3-1 decision during the Park Duals on Dec. 13.

The Buc senior entered the finals with a 42-1 record and Farnell was undefeated at 41-0.

Farnell held a 3-1 lead with time running out in the match. Lee made a desperate attempt for a takedown, however, the Chatfield senior was able to score two points of his own for a 5-1 victory and the State title.

The road to the finals wasn’t an easy one for Lee.

He defeated Goodhue’s No. 7-ranked Luke O’Reilly 7-3 in his first match. Then it was a 5-3 decision over No. 4-ranked Logan Rinke of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.

In the semis, Lee hung on for a 6-5 win over Canby’s No. 1-ranked Brad Wollum.

Willner also had a difficult road if he was going to earn a medal.

Before his third-place title match, Willner needed to work his way through the wrestlebacks after a 7-6 triple-overtime loss to No. 2-ranked Evan Stock of Yellow Medicine East in his opening match.

Willner downed Dave Cowen of Minnewaska Area 7-0 and pinned Cole Christianson of Badger/Greenbush-Middle River in 1:52 to advance to the consolation semifinals.

Willner then pinned top-ranked Brad Kneisel of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in 1:48 for a chance to wrestle for third place.The Bucs 215-pounder (43-1) ended up having a rematch with Stock and avenged his first-round loss with a 6-3 decision and took home the bronze medal.

United South Central’s 215-pounder A.J. Dryer was able to earn a sixth-place medal.

Dryer was defeated in the quarterfinals after winning his first-round match 3-0.

The Rebel junior won his first wrestleback match 10-5 over Brian Reece of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle and then pinned Brody Davidson of Crookston in 4:23.

A 3-2 loss to Stock put Dryer in the fifth-place match, where he was pinned by Kneisel for the second time in the tournament, this time in 1:21.

USC’s Preston Staloch was able to rebound following his opening match loss.

The junior 145-pounder had a tough first-draw, No. 1-ranked Jordan Bendson of Staples-Motley. Staloch last a 5-2 decision and was thrown into the wrestlebacks.

He won first match, 5-3 in overtime over No. 3-ranked Sam Lindgren of LeSueur-Henderson.

A 10-6 loss to No. 4-ranked Aaron Zimmer of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg knocked Staloch out of the tournament.