File Photo by Jake Olson: Martin County Red Bull wrestler Pierce Rohman grapples with St. Peter's Manuel Gomez during a home triangular on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Fairmont High School gymnasium.

FAIRMONT – Head coach Adam Williamson and his Martin County Red Bull wrestling program are gearing up to have five individuals compete in this week’s 2026 Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Individual State Tournament in St. Paul.

Kate Kolbe (142 lbs) was the first to earn her spot in the postseason after notching four consecutive victories, including a pin over Tinah Borney from Eagan, to secure a first-place finish in the Girls Section 3 tournament held on Feb. 7.

In the boys’ Individual Section 3AA tournament this past weekend, the Red Bulls punched four more tickets to the festivities. Pierce Rohman and Torrey Paplow each took home first-place finishes in their 133 and 152-pound weight classes, while Aaron Becker (215 lbs) and DJ Miller (285 lbs) got second.

Thursday’s session #2 will include the opening round of the individual brackets beginning at 9 a.m. Further rounds and wrestlebacks will take place over the next two days until a podium can be filled out in each weight class.

“It’s been fun seeing the maturation of our kids, putting all that hard work into the end-of-season wrestling the way we want to,” Williamson said. “For the individuals who are moving on to the state tournament, it’s been paying off huge for them. All the off-season workouts, the work they put in this season, and the competition level we go after, it’s really paid off.”

Third time’s the charm

The glitz and glamour of the state tournament can be a lot to process during one’s first trip of their wrestling career. Fans being right on top of you, elite competition all around and the overall pageantry is intimidating.

“The first year is a little weird,” Paplow said. It’s a different setup and a different tournament. Normally, you are there all day. But at the state tournament, you get there, wrestle, then go back to the hotel.”

But for Rohman and Paplow, this isn’t their first rodeo.

The duo is preparing for its third consecutive appearence to the state tournament at the individual stage. Last season was the most successful trip either has had in their careers. Rohman earned a third-place podium finish while Paplow won two matches before falling in the wrestlebacks.

Rohman and Paplow hope this experience will help them go even further in the bracket this time around.

“Coming into the season, I had one goal, and that one goal was state champs,” Rohman said.

In the opening round, Rohman will face Luke Schultz (29-15) from Scott West, while Paplow will face Landon Bizal (29-15) from Totino-Grace.

“As coaches, we love having those guys in our room, leading by example and using them to show us some things,” Williamson said. “For them, they’ve been there before. It’s big, but it’s not so big to them anymore. It’s just another match.”

Climbing with confidence

Kolbe will be the first to tell you her junior season hasn’t been a straight line of success, but rather, a roller coaster filled with peaks and valleys.

“I lost some confidence throughout this year,” Kolbe said. “I lost a few matches at the beginning of the season, but slowly I have been getting my belief back.”

However, the belief in her own abilities skyrocketed after Kolbe’s stellar performance in the Girls Section 3 tournament. The championship fall victory over Borney capped off four consecutive wins for the 142-pound wrestler, giving her a boost of confidence that hasn’t been matched all season long.

“As the season went on, she challenged and pushed herself,” Williamson said. “She had a great end of the season, and to rattle off those four wins at the section tournament was huge. …You can tell the emotion in her voice is still there. She is amazed by herself and surprised that she could do that. As coaches, we have just been waiting for that to come out because we know the skill and ability are there. And she finally did [it].”

Now the confidence is at its peak. Kolbe has evidence that she can compete with some of the top wrestlers in the class. She will take on Brainerd’s Arianna Halbert (32-16) for her first match of the tournament.

“I’ve had a good mentality and been able to get a good practice in every day,” Kolbe said. “We haven’t done a lot of live [wrestling], just been drilling and sparring.”

The wait is over

The lifelong goal of making the state tournament has been put on pause throughout Miller’s career up to this point. His dream fell short of reality after losing a true-second match – the final wrestle-off for a state berth – the year prior.

But this season was different.

A semifinal victory over Garret Leenstra from New London-Spicer gave him a slight advantage in securing the state bid. Despite losing to Mason Adams from Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial in the championship bout, the true-second match wasn’t needed this time around, and allowed Miller to punch his ticket.

“I was excited,” Miller said. “I called my mom, and she was excited for me. My dad was there and I just celebrated with the team and the coaches. I thanked them for everything they have done for me.”

The state tournament is now an added bonus for Miller’s hard work over the past handful of seasons for the Red Bulls. He begins his road to success with a matchup against Xander Plath (27-5) from Glencoe-Lester Prairie.

“To be so close last year, motivated him to push a little further, a little harder this year. And he made it through,” Williamson said. “Being a section runner-up after winning a big semifinal match was great for him in not having to wrestle a true-second. The state tournament is kind of the cherry on top for DJ, and he’s earned it.”

Growing through the season

Growth is expected from any underclassman by season’s end, but Becker’s progression has accelerated quickly as he has adjusted to varsity competition.

Becker has shown that growth faster than most during his first full season at 215 pounds. While each match has been a different lesson, Williamson says watching his freshman’s progression through the season has been fun.

“Just to see the growth and improvement he has achieved this year, being a full-time varsity guy is huge,” Williamson said. “You can really see how much he has grown, strength gained, and skills developed with wrestling. Just maturing as a person, too, and seeing what it takes to be a varsity athlete.”

Becker’s state clinching victory in sections showed just how much he has developed on and off the mat. His championship match against Hutchinson’s Michael Markgraf was one he wished he could have back, saying a simple mistake proved to be the difference.

“I really just had to get out of my own head,” Becker said. “When I wrestled that kid from Hutchinson, I ended up getting caught in a move I shouldn’t have gotten caught in.”

Becker’s response was a testament to Williamson’s praises of maturity. He matched up with New Ulm’s Dirk Haynes in the true-second bout, using poise and precision to earn the fall victory at 3:11.

The state tournament will be an eye-opening experience for an underclassman who will use each and every moment as a foundation for future success. His first taste of action starts against Tyler Thilges (39-7) from Mankato East.