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No. 6 Blue Earth Area grapplers win double dual

BLUE EARTH — A major decision at 195 pounds clinched Class A No. 6-ranked Blue Earth Area’s sweep during triangular wrestling action Thursday night in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth Area earned a 43-21 non-league win over the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers during the Bucs’ second dual of the night, after taking down the St. James Area Saints, 65-10.

The Bucs led NRHEG 33-21 going into the final three weight classes before BEA’s Luke Mertens sealed the victory.

Mertens forced a first-period takedown before the Panthers’ Max Seltun escaped near the end of the period. Seltun escaped from the down position at the start of the second period to tie, but Mertens racked up two takedowns, three three-point near falls and an escape to take a 16-2 major decision and put BEA’s lead out of the Panthers’ reach.

BEA head coach Randy Wirtjes said his lineup’s bigger wrestlers did a good job finishing off the win.

“Our guys wrestled hard, no doubt, but some of those last few matches were toss-ups,” Wirtjes said. “Fortunately we got some wins, Nick Frank went out and got a big win for us, got bonus points. Luke Mertens went out and had a nice closing, that was a big win for us. Nick Lawrence, that was a big win, heavyweight, big win. Those are all big, if you don’t win those, things can go the other way. I thought our big guys really closed well for us tonight.”

Lawrence added a 9-6 decision over Makota Misgen at 220 pounds. Misgen started the match with a takedown before Lawrence forced a reversal to tie at two as the first period ended.

Lawrence escaped to start the second period, then the pair combined for three consecutive reversals, leaving Lawrence ahead 7-6 at the end of the second period.

Lawrence and Misgen started the third period neutral and Lawrence forced a takedown with 19 seconds remaining to earn his decision.

Ian Cornelio earned the Bucs their final three points when he took a 1-0 decision over seventh-grader Ben Hagen at heavyweight.

“I thought they (NRHEG) came ready to wrestle a little more than we did,” Wirtjes said. “We had to scramble a little at the end there. We had two matches where we were winning handily and got pinned. That’s the stuff you don’t want to see happen, but it does happen sometimes. We’ve got to fix a few things. We’ve got to come in, work hard tomorrow and clean up a few things.”

The Bucs and Panthers traded pins through the first four weights.

Annabelle Petsinger put the Panthers ahead 6-0 when she pinned the Bucs’ Caleb Langager in 5:19 at 106 pounds. Langager built a 6-0 lead going into the final period, but after starting in the neutral position, Petsinger took Langager to the mat and forced him to his back.

Ty Peterson tied the dual with a pin of Parker Bunn in 58 seconds at 113 pounds.

Nikolas Petsinger then turned a late first-period takedown into a pin just before time expired at 1:59 against BEA 120-pounder Angel Martinez, before the Bucs’ No. 6-ranked 126-pounder Davis Sunken forced Ethan Thompson’s shoulders to the mat in 1:23 to tie the dual at 12.

Jacob Beeler earned the Bucs their first lead over NRHEG when he took a 5-0 decision over Clay Stenzel at 132.

Beeler took Stenzel to the mat with seven seconds left in the first period, then escaped from the down position in the second to build a 3-0 lead. After starting the third period neutral, Beeler forced another takedown to create his final lead.

Caleb Beeler then followed with a 7-2 decision over Andrew Reich at 138 pounds.

Beeler escaped from the down starting position in the second period, then forced a takedown and two-point near fall to go ahead 5-0. Reich reversed control with one second left in the middle segment to go into the final period down 5-2.

Reich started the third period in the down position and nearly forced a reversal, but Beeler recovered to create a two-point near fall and take the 7-2 decision.

NRHEG tied the dual once again when Agro Gushwa pinned the Bucs’ No. 5-ranked 145-pounder Jaxen Klinkner in 3:09.

Adam Schavey then gave the Bucs the lead they would not give up with a pin of Cameron Cantu in 1:46 at 152 pounds.

No. 5-ranked 160-pounder Max Ehrich then earned the Bucs five points with a 21-6 technical fall over Thor Routh halfway through the third period.

Ehrich used a catch-and-release strategy to total seven takedowns, while forcing a reversal out of the down starting position and turning it into a three-point near fall, putting the Bucs lead at 29-18 with five weights to go.

Ralph Roesler kept the Panthers within reach with a 4-2 sudden-victory overtime decision over Kean Hicks at 170.

Hicks started the second period in the down position, then was given a stalling point before escaping at the end of the period to go ahead 2-0.

Roesler escaped the down position in the third, then Hicks was called for stalling with seconds left before the final buzzer.

Roesler forced a takedown 24 seconds into the one minute overtime period to earn sudden victory, leaving the Panthers behind only 29-21 with four weights left.

Nick Frank extended the Bucs’ lead with a 10-2 major decision over Conner Okland at 182.

Frank forced three takedowns and a three-point near fall, while escaping from the down starting position to build his lead.

BEA collected seven forfeits, including six consecutive, to build its 65-10 lead over St. James Area during the Bucs’ first dual of the day.

Troy Parulski put the Saints ahead early when he took a 14-2 major decision over Langager at 106.

Parulski totaled three takedowns, two three-point near falls and two escapes to build his advantage.

Carson Sturtz then took BEA’s first forfeit at 113.

Peterson earned the Bucs three points with a 5-0 decision over Gadiel Velasco at 120 pounds.

Sunken claimed a 13-4 major decision over Wyatt Westcott at 126 pounds before Jacob Beeler earned a 5-0 decision over Josh Olivares at 132.

Caleb Beeler earned a 9-0 major decision over Austin Knickrehm at 138, then BEA’s run of forfeit wins began.

Klinkner (145), Schavey (152), Ehrich (160), Hicks (170), Frank (182) and Mertens (195) all claimed forfeit wins to put the Bucs ahead 59-4 with two weights left.

Peyton Engelking earned the Saints six points at 220 with a pin of Lawrence in 4:21, then Cornelio pinned Colten Johnson in 5:37 at heavyweight to close out the Buc win.

Blue Earth Area (10-1) competes in the Kasson-Mantorville Invite Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.

Varsity Meet Results

Blue Earth Area 65,

St. James Area 10

106: Troy Parulski (SJA) major dec. Caleb Langager, 14-2.

113: Carson Sturtz (BEA) won by forfeit.

120: Ty Peterson (BEA) pinned Gadiel Velasco, 3:00.

126: Davis Sunken (BEA) major dec. Wyatt Westcott, 13-4.

132: Jacob Beeler (BEA) dec. Josh Olivares, 5-0.

138: Caleb Beeler (BEA) major dec. Austin Knickrehm, 9-0.

145: Jaxen Klinkner (BEA) won by forfeit.

152: Adam Schavey (BEA) won by forfeit.

160: Max Ehrich (BEA) won by forfeit.

170: Kean Hicks (BEA) won by forfeit.

182: Nick Frank (BEA) won by forfeit.

195: Luke Mertens (BEA) won by forfeit.

220: Peyton Engelking (SJA) pinned Nick Lawrence, 4:21.

285: Ian Cornelio (BEA) pinned Colten Johnson, 5:37.

Blue Earth Area 43, NRHEG 21

106: Annabelle Petsinger (NRHEG) pinned Caleb Langager, 5:19.

113: Ty Peterson (BEA) pinned Parker Bunn, 0:58.

120: Nikolas Petsinger (NRHEG) pinned Angel Martinez, 1:59.

126: Davis Sunken (BEA) pinned Ethan Thompson, 1:23.

132: Jacob Beeler (BEA) dec. Clay Stenzel, 5-0.

138: Caleb Beeler (BEA) dec. Andrew Reich, 7-2.

145: Agro Gushwa (NRHEG) pinned Jaxen Klinkner, 3:09.

152: Adam Schavey (BEA) pinned Cameron Cantu, 1:46.

160: Max Ehrich (BEA) tech. fall Thor Routh, 21-6.

170: Ralph Roesler (NRHEG) dec. Kean Hicks, 4-2.

182: Nick Frank (BEA) major dec. Conner Okland, 10-2.

195: Luke Mertens (BEA) major dec. Max Sletun, 16-2.

220: Nick Lawrence (BEA) dec. Makota Misgen, 9-6.

285: Ian Cornelio (BEA) dec. Ben Hagen, 1-0.

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