The Hutchinson/BLHS wrestling team capped off their season by placing three grapplers at the Class AA State Wrestling Individual Tournament.
Grant Peirce, Cale Luthens, and Alex Nelson all took part in the fifth place matches with Luthens and Nelson taking the crowns. Peirce fought tough, but lost to Dylan Louwagie of Marshall by a 7-5 decision. Obviously he would have wanted to win the match, but this was the first state appearance for Peirce in now his senior season. Still a great way to cap off a career.
“If feels great,” Peirce said of capping his career off with a medal. “I've been working really hard to get here and this year is finally the year. Like last year when I lost to last year's state champ. It just feels great to finally get here and get a medal.”
Both Luthens and Nelson took the same path to get to their fifth-place matches. They both won in the opening round, but lost in the quarterfinal. They then won their next two and lost in the consolation semifinals to make it to the fifth place match. Even their fifth place matches were very similar as they both won by one-point decisions. Luthens is still a junior, so he will have another year to try to improve his placement. But for Nelson, he has just wrestled in his final match as a Hutchinson Tiger, and he looked back on his time fruitfully.
“It's been a good ride,” he said.
Although Luthens still has another year, he is still pleased with his results. He got to medal and all wrestlers who finished in the top-six are all named All-State. Luthens has been piling up the accolades, but there is still one more that he really wants.
“(I've got to) keep working,” Luthens said. “I'm hoping to move up in the ranks hopefully. Just working hard.”
Cody Kurth was the other wrestler for Hutchinson to make it individually to state. He had the most heartbreaking day of all the wrestlers. Kurth was following same path as his teammates Luthens and Nelson, but lost by sudden victory to Nick McKenzie of New London-Spicer 7-5 in overtime. A win would have sent Kurth to the consolation semifinals with a chance to either go to the third place match or the fifth place match.
The Tigers wrestled hard all season, and a great end to the seniors who have wrestled in their final matches of their high school careers.
During the state team tournament, Tristan Lang was also named to the All-Tournament team following his three pin day at the tournament where the Tigers also took fifth.
Class AA State Wrestling Individual Tournament (Feb. 28-29)
Individual Results:
113: Grant Peirce (H) lost 15-1 maj dec. to Christian Noble (BL)... won 9-4 dec. over Blaze Nelson (Al)... won 3-2 dec. over Jacob Maas (MW)... pinned by Reid Nelson (S) 0:46... lost 7-5 dec. to Dylan Louwagie (MR)... 6th place... 152: Cale Luthens (H) 10-6 dec. over Joe Jeans (BK)... lost 3-1 SV to Jack Fudge (PE)... 1-0 dec. over Noah Jensen (MR)... 4-1 dec. over Isaiah Fitch (F)... lost 11-5 dec. to Joe Stucky (PEM)... 6-5 dec. over Reid Lawrence (MA)... 5th place... 182: Alex Nelson (H) pinned Reid Kraus (B) 3:32... lost 10-5 dec. to Tanner Young (PI)... pinned Johnny Harstad (O) 1:45... pinned Riley O'Malley (TCU) 3:55... lost 2-1 dec. to Dalton Rose (MAHACA)... 3-2 dec. over Spencer Wambeke (MR)... 5th place.... 220: Cody Kurth (H) pinned JP Johnson (MA) 3:50... pinned by Bennett Tabor (S)... 5-0 dec. over Jordan Skadsem (DL)... lost 7-5 SV to Nick McKenzie (NLS)
