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Spectrum Quadrangular

The Viking wrestling team went 2-1 in a quadrangular hosted by Spectrum High School at Spectrum Middle School in Elk River last Thursday, January 25.  The Vikings lost to Ogilvie 44-24, beat Spectrum 48-30, and crushed an undermanned Columbia Heights team 69-6.  Evan Pommier (152/160) and Karson Gariepy (215) both went 3-0 for the day.  The Vikings filled every spot in their lineup for all three duals, with the exception of the 285 (heavyweight) spot.

Against Ogilvie, the Vikings’ Joseph Graupman (107) pinned Tanner Heald of Ogilvie at 2:17 for the Vikings only win on the mat in the dual meet.  The rest of the Viking points – by Lucas Hunter (152), Pommier (160) and Gariepy (215) – came from forfeits.

Seven Vikings pinned their opponents against Spectrum – Graupman (107), Jack Baker (114), Mason Henry (121), Ethan Kester (139), Parker Larson (145), Pommier (152), Emmit Hansen (172) and Gariepy (215).  Parker Deniger (189) won by forfeit.

Columbia Heights had wrestlers at just four weights.  Three Vikings won their matches by pin by pin – Kester (139), Aydan Loren (160), and Gariepy (215).  And Parker Larson (145) won by a 6-5 decision over Elvis Placencia Pesantez.

North Branch Invitational

Jack Baker won the championship at 114 at the North Branch Invitational on Friday, January 26 at North Branch High School.  Evan Pommier finished second at 152, losing in the championship match.  It was Pommier’s first loss of the season.  Two other Vikings finished third in their respective weight classes – Ethan Kester (139) and Emmit Hansen (160).  As a team, the Vikings finished fifth in the eight-team event.

Baker (24-9 overall) needed just 34 seconds to pin Ni Ler Ah Gay of St. Paul Washington Technology Magnet School in the quarterfinals.  In the semifinals, Baker took a 5-0 lead over Ryan Vogt of Little Falls in the first period.  An exciting second period saw a total of five reversals between the two wrestlers.  Baker added a three-point near fall and led 14-4 after two periods.  Baker started on top in the third period, got a three-point near fall at 4:28 and rode out Vogt for the rest of the period and a 17-4 major decision.

Baker trailed until late in his championship match against Christian Kellum of Rush City-Braham.  Kellum got a takedown at 1:31 of the first period and led 2-0.  Neither wrestler scored in the second period, so Kellum maintained his 2-0 lead.  But in the third period, Baker executed a takedown at 4:24 and was awarded a two-point hear fall four seconds later to take a 4-2 lead.  He pinned Kellum at 5:36 to claim the championship.

Pommier led 5-0 in his quarterfinal match when he pinned Laken Triplett of Delano at 1:30.  In the semifinals, Pommier got a takedown and three-point near fall in the fist 40 seconds of the match with Caden Peacock of Little Falls and led 5-0.  After letting Peacock escape, Pommier took him down again ten seconds later and pinned Peacock at 1:40 to move on to the championship match against Isaak Coolidge of Rush City-Braham.   Coolidge got a takedown at 1:06 and was awarded a three-point near fall just four seconds later.  Pommier escaped at the end of the period and trailed 5-1 after one.  Pommier chose bottom in the second period.  Coolidge pinned him at 3:14 and Pommier had to settle for second place. 

  

Wrestling Whangdoodles

In the Vikings’ final action of the regular season, they will host Pine City and Proctor in a triangular next Tuesday, February 6 at North Branch High School starting at 5 p.m.  The Section 7AA team tournament will take place on Saturday, February 17 at Mora High School.  And the Section 7AA individual tournament will be at Grand Rapids High School on Saturday, February 24.

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