STEADY APPROACH — Fairmont/Martin County West wrestler Kain Sanders (right) studies his approach to tie up with Pierz opponent Trevor Radunz during their Class AA individual state 145-pound third-place match on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Sanders went on to earn a fourth-place state medal to close out his outstanding prep wrestling career. (Photo by Travis Rosenau/New Ulm Journal)

ST. PAUL — Fairmont/Martin County West’s Kain Sanders, Jesse Potts and Max Olson all exited the wrestling mats at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as Minnesota Class AA individual state medalists on Saturday.

Not only did the Red Bulls’ talented trio reach the state medals podium, but all three etched their names into the program’s record books for single-season victories.

Potts and Sanders — both seniors — each moved into the No. 2 all-time single-season spot in Red Bulls’ history by producing 51 wins this wrestling campaign. Potts finished with a 51-2 overall mark, while Sanders closed out the 2021-22 season at 51-7.

Only current Augustana University grappler Jaxson Rohman compiled more wrestling wins — via a 52-1 mark — during the 2019-20 campaign.

Olson, who’s a junior, moved into the No. 4 all-time single-season wins position by netting a 47-5 record this winter. Current Augustana wrestler Connor Simmonds holds the No. 3 spot all-time via a 48-4 record in 2019-20.

“Kain, Jesse and Max achieved what they set out to do at the beginning of the season — qualify for state both team-wise and individually, win a high percentage of their matches and place at state,” said Red Bulls head coach Adam Williamson. “Mission accomplished.”

Sanders posted back-to-back winning decisions during the 145-pound wrestlebacks in the final round of the two-day tournament on Saturday to earn a spot in the bronze-medal match.

Sanders posted a 6-2 decision over Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Kaleb Lochner in his first wrestleback clash during Day 2 before edging Simley’s Kaiden Schrandt by a 4-2 decision. Unfortunately for Sanders, Pierz’s Trevor Radunz generated a 10-0 major decision over Sanders in the third-place match. Ironically, Radunz defeated Sanders in their championship quarterfinal clash on Friday.

Potts, who entered Day 2 with a perfect 50-0 record, experienced his first loss of the season — a 10-0 major decision to Big Lake’s Christian Noble — in the 126-pound championship semifinals.

Scott West’s Zach Tracy compiled a 9-3 wrestleback win over Potts during his second match on Saturday to send the Red Bull senior to the fifth-place match.

Potts, however, caught his second wind and bounced back to post a 5-2 winning decision over Albert Lea Area’s Nick Korman to exit the Xcel Energy Center with a fifth-place medal.

Olson opened Saturday’s 220-pound action with an 8-3 loss to Pine City/Hinckley-Finlayson’s Justin Matson before getting pinned by Mahtomedi’s JP Johnson in a wrestleback match in 3:22.

Olson regrouped during the afternoon break and rallied to earn the slap of the canvas over Rocori’s Grady Minnerath in 1:51 during the fifth-place showdown.

“What a phenomenal performance from our entire team and all five of our guys on Friday and Saturday,” Williamson said in reference to additional individual qualifiers Rylan Cutler and Carver Rohman. “Our kids were feeling the grind of wrestling the maximum number of matches over the three-day event, but I think we came out of the state meet with a lot of positives.

“We’ve still got some work to do, but I know our guys are willing to put in the time to keep our program at this level of success.”