No. 8 Red Bulls trample way to TCU team title
LE CENTER — The Class AA No. 8-ranked Martin County Red Bulls crowned six individual champions to trample their way to the Tri-City United regular-season wrestling invitational’s championship on Saturday.
The Red Bulls generated a first-place total of 172.5 points, host TCU netted runner-up accolades with 110.5, Mankato East placed third at 72, Le Sueur-Henderson finished fourth at 62.5, while Sibley East was fifth with 57.5.
Carver Rohman, Max Olson and Rylan Cutler — all three of the Red Bulls’ ranked grapplers — along with teammates Pierce Rohman, Aden Welcome and Taylor Austin merited gold medals in their respective weight divisions.
No. 3-ranked 160-pounder Carver Rohman coasted to three consecutive decisions to garner the 160-pound crown.
Rohman opened with a fall in 1:39 over fellow Red Bull wrestler Ty Kolbe before amassing a 22-6 technical fall over LSH’s Wyatt Genelin during Round 2.
The Bulls’ senior standout then earned the slap of the canvas over Sibley East’s Jathan Mendoza in 3:53 during the third and final round.
Ironically, Max Olson spent only a miniscule total of 21 seconds on the mat to record back-to-back pins during 220-pound action.
The No. 3-ranked 220-pound Red Bull senior flattened teammate David Miller in 5 seconds in the opening round before downing LSH’s George Doherty in second-round action in 16 seconds. Olson struck gold in the light heavyweight division by outpointing TCU’s Marco Reyes in the finals, 6-2.
No. 8-ranked 120-pounder Rylan Cutler reeled off four consecutive wins to pocket the 126-pound championship.
Cutler disposed of TCU’s Nathan Blaschko in 1:59 in opening-round action before pressing TCU opponent Riley Skluzacek’s shoulders to the mat in 1:06.
Cutler recorded his third consecutive fall by downing Sibley East’s Christian Sotelo in 2:15 before posting a 17-2 technical fall over LSH’s Waylon Thieke to earn the gold medal.
Taylor Austin and Cooper Steuber packed a 1-2 scoring punch, respectively, for the Red Bulls during 152-pound action.
Austin pinned Sibley East’s Owen Utendorfer in 1:25 to open action, while Steuber netted a 3-0 decision over Mankato East’s Elliott Betz.
Steuber generated a 7-2 second-round win over Utendorfer, while Austin rolled to a 13-4 major decision over Betz.
Austin and Steuber battled down the wire for the 152-pound crown, with Austin exiting the canvas with a 3-1 victory in hand.
Pierce Rohman ran the gauntlet during 106-pound action, winning four consecutive matches to earn a title for Martin County.
Rohman posted a 12-4 major decision over Mankato East’s Jackson Buboltz in first-round action before earning a 4-1 second-round victory over TCU’s Tucker Skluzacek.
Rohman kept his winning streak going by earning a 19-4 technical fall over Mankato East’s Jackson Stensrud in Round 3 before pinning Sibley East’s Tanner Johnson in 2:59 for the championship.
Aden Welcome added the 145-pound crown for the Red Bulls by winning both of his matches.
Welcome needed just 55 seconds to pin TCU’s Brant Lemieux before outlasting Mankato East’s Ben Glogowski by a 3-2 decision in the three-man bracket.
Gage Cyphers posted a pair of wins to claim second place in the four-wrestler 170-pound bracket for the Red Bulls.
Cyphers opened with a fall over TCU’s Kaden Malecha in 1:15 before flattening LSH’s Andy Genelin in 1:15 during the second match.
Mankato East’s Max Morgan then edged Cyphers by a 12-8 decision during the battle of undefeateds at 170 pounds.
The Red Bulls (7-0) play host to New Ulm and Redwood Valley in a triangular starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont.
Host Martin County will compete in the second and third dual meets of the tripleheader.
COMMENTS