Wrestlers and coaches of the Maple River/United South Central wrestling team pose with their medals and the Section 2A championship trophy after they defeated both Blue Earth Area first, and then Medford in the championship match at the Section 2A Tournament held on Saturday, Feb. 19, in St. Clair.

The Maple River/United South Central wrestling team punched their ticket to the State Team Wrestling Meet when they first defeated the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers in Section competition, and then downed the Medford Tigers in the Section 2A championship match.

MR/USC defeated BEA 37-28 on Saturday, Feb. 19, then downed Medford later that same day, 42-22.

MR/USC 42, Medford 22

MR/USC never trailed in the championship match against the Tigers, but the score was tied twice during the match before MR/USC dominated towards the end, winning four of the last five matches.

MR/USC jumped out to an early 6-0 lead when Wyatt Walters pinned Medford’s Luis Lopez at 106 pounds. The Tigers’ Kaden Harfmann won a 14-4 major decision over Kolt Bullerman at 113 that made it 6-4.

MR/USC’s Braxton Simon won a 6-2 decision over Jack Meyer at 120 pounds which increased the lead to 9-4, but Medford’s Tommy Elwood got a 9-1 major decision over Ethan Elvebak at 126 that brought the score to a close 9-8, still in favor of MR/USC.

At 132 pounds Boden Simon of MR/USC won a 4-2 decision over Evan Schweisthal to make it 12-8, but the Tigers’ Charley Elwood took a 9-1 major decision over Byron Getchell which tied the match at 12-12.

The score became 18-12 when MR/USC’s Gavin Bird won by forfeit at 145 pounds, but Medford’s Garron Hofman won a 5-3 decision over Ethan Evenson at 152 to make it 18-15. A Medford 4-1 decision by Tate Hermes over Konner Harpestad at 160 tied the match again, at 18-18.

MR/USC’s Noah Ziegler won by a forfeit at 170 pounds, and Cooper Ochsendorf pinned Aiden Ahrens at 170 to put MR/USC ahead 30-18.

Laken Ivie of MR/USC lost a 11-3 major decision at 195 pounds to Dylan Heiderscheidt making the score 30-22, but Collin Van Cleave won by a forfeit at 220 to secure the win and Thayne Decker increased MR/USC’s lead with a pin of Mason Degrood at 285, making the final score 42-22.

MR/USC now advances as a team to the State Meet which is set to be held on Thursday, March 3, at the Xcel Energy Center.

MR/USC 37, BEA 28

Blue Earth Area gave MR/USC a bit of a scare and even led several times in the match, but in the end MR/USC dominated in the heavier weights to secure the win.

MR/USC got off to a 6-0 lead when Wyatt Walters pinned the Buccaneers’ Timmy Nagel at 106 pounds.

However, the Bucs came back with three straight wins to take a 13-6 lead.

BEA’s Cooper Peterson won an 11-5 decision over Kolt Bullerman at 113 pounds, Carson Sturtz pinned Brayden Mithun at 120 and Caleb Langager took a 15-1 major decision over Braxton Simon at 126.

MR/USC won the next four matches to go up 25-13 over BEA.

At 132 pounds, MR/USC’s Ethan Elvebak pinned BEA’s Kyren Sunken, Boden Simon pinned Ben Anderson at 138, Byron Getchell took a 15-2 major decision over Blair Lunz at 145, and at 152, Ethan Evenson won 8-2 over Kade Gaydon.

A 4-2 win by the Bucs’ Parker Meyers at 160 pounds over Konner Harpestad made the score 25-16 and a pin by BEA’s Kean Hicks over Noah Zigler at 170 tightened the score to within three at 25-22.

MR/USC’s Cooper Ochsendorf’s 6-3 decision at 182 pounds over BEA’s Cory Kitchel made the score 28-22, and a pin by Laken Ivie at 195 over the Bucs’ Elijah Sanchez made it 34-22 and guaranteed at least a tie for MR/USC.

BEA’s Adam Schavey pinned MR/USC’s Collin Van Cleave at 195 pounds, making the score 34-28 and bringing the match decision down to the last match.

MR/USC’s Thayne Decker won a close 4-2 decision at 285 pounds over BEA’s Kale Frank to seal the deal and send Maple River/United South Central to the Section 2A championship match.