February 24, 2016 at 1:49 p.m.
Four Chisago Lakes wrestlers punch their ticket to the state meet
Four Chisago Lakes wrestlers punch their ticket to the state meet
Schoenecker will be making his sixth straight appearance in the state tournament, tying a state record with many other who also qualified for their first state tournament in seventh grade. Schoenecker has gone 0-for-5 in first round matches at state and has never placed and he is motivated to place this year. Pierce will be going to state for the third straight year and the second year in a row as section champion. Sistrunk will be going to state for the second time, having gone in 2014 but not making it last year. And Klick will be heading to state for the first time.
Schoenecker won by first period pins over Cody Segelstrom of North Branch and Justin Zahner of Princeton to get to the championship match against Neil Hanson of Milaca-Faith Christian. Schoenecker controlled the entire match against Hanson with a combination of strength and skill and major decisioned Hanson 13-5 to win the section.
Pierce pinned his opening opponent, Mason Sanborn of Mora, in just 27 seconds. Pierce decisioned Joe Palik of Grand Rapids 7-2 in the semifinals and decisioned Tim Bialka of Princeton 6-3 to become section champ.
Sistrunk dominated his first two matches, pinning Cole Vericheck of Hibbing in 36 seconds and pinning Logan Majerus of Milaca-Faith Christian in the third period. Sistrunk faced top-ranked and undefeated Morgan Fuenffinger of Hibbing. Fuenffinger showed why he is undefeated and so highly ranked, major decision and excellent wrestler like Sistrunk 11-2. Sistrunk then had to wrestle against Ethan Prachar of Mora in a true second match to see who would go to the state tournament. Sistrunk pinned Prachar halfway through the match to earn the second place finish and a trip to state.
Klick opened the tournament by pinning Cole Walters of Grand Rapids in the first period. He decisioned Dakotah Neid of Pine City-Hinckley-Finlayson 7-4 to earn a spot in the championship match against Brent Chambers of Princeton. Klick wrestled well, but was pinned halfway through the third period. When he wrestled Josh Bohnen of Mora for true second, Klick seemed to be a man on a mission. As the match started, a reporter looked down at the match schedule and when he looked up a few seconds later, Klick was finishing his pin. It took him just 22 seconds to dismantle Bohnen and earn a trip to the Xcel Center.
In all, 12 Wildcat wrestlers participated in the section tournament and nine of them placed. In addition to the four wrestlers going to state, Ryan Stenson (152) came in third; Derrick Kluge (126) and Zach Carlson (285) finished fourth; and Dustin Kluge (160) and Nathan Graeve (182) each came in fifth.
The Vikings, meanwhile, struggled through most of their lineup. Of their 12 entrants, only two wrestlers placed besides Jack Anderson: Austin Sonnek (106) and Ryan Senne (120) both came in fifth. Senior Bailey Adams was expected to contend for a state tournament berth early in the season and was hoping for a good section tournament, but he was knocked out of sections by freshman Zach Carlson of Chisago Lakes in a 2-1 decision. Carlson was awarded both of his points in the match when penalties were assessed against a clearly frustrated Adams. Anderson had a very nice tournament. In the third place match, he beat Griffin Fjeld of Cloquet Esko Carlton 9-3 to earn a spot in the True Second match against Kellen Schauer of Grand Rapids, with a state tournament berth on the line. Schauer pinned Anderson early in the second period, and Anderson had to settle for third this year. But we will be hearing more from him in the future.
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