Jason Wilcox - Sentinel Sports Writer February 15, 2009 ST. PETER — Blue Earth Area may possess the higher wrestling ranking, but on Saturday it was Waseca who got the better of all their South Central Conference opponents. The Bluejays finished with 217.5 points, while the Class A No. 9-ranked Bucs finished second with 204.5 points during the SCC Tournament in St. Peter. The Bluejays led all squads with six individual champions, while St. James boasted four and Blue Earth Area tallied three. The host Saints had one champion. St. James placed third with 195.5 points, while St. Peter had 158.5 points and Fairmont finished with 102. New Ulm was not allowed to compete in the championship round after an issue with the team’s weigh-in procedure. The Bucs saved their best for last, winning championships at 215 and 285 pounds with their two ranked wrestlers, who now sport a combined 66-1 record. First, No. 4-ranked Mat Willner (33-0) felled St. James’ Dylan Wright in 2:43, while holding a 13-1 lead after the first period. The Bucs’ No. 3-ranked heavyweight, Jake Lee, had a bit of a tougher time with his championship round opponent in what proved to be the final match of the day. Lee came up with a takedown 13 seconds into overtime for a 4-2 win over St. Peter’s Class AA No. 6-ranked Brandon Zabel. “It was a good way to end (the tournament) for us, but we got worn out by Waseca and St. James the rest of the day,” said Buc head coach Randy Wirtjes. The Bucs’ other title came at 152 pounds as Daniel Eckhardt scored a 3-1 decision over St. Peter’s Jim Wilkins. The Bucs did place five other wrestlers in championship matches as Joe Franta (125), Carter Hanson (130), Bryce Werner (135), Cody Eckhardt (160) and Taylor Andrews (189) each pocketed second-place medals. Travis Hagedorn (103), Jake Wirtjes (112), DJ Gronewald (119), Collin Nienhaus (140) and Sinjin Bell (145) each took third place medals for the Bucs. The Fairmont Cardinals ended up with two wrestlers claiming third place in their brackets. “We did about as well as we thought we would. ... Our older kids came in and wrestled well from 171 (pounds) and up,” said Cardinal head coach Bob Bonin. Indeed as the Cardinals proved as potent in the upperweights as their Buc brethren with both Fairmont medals coming at 215 and 285. Jose Velasquez ended up placing third at 215 pounds. Due to the elimination of New Ulm’s Class AA No. 2-ranked Pat Brinkman from the championship match, St. James’ Dylan Wright was moved into the title clash against Willner and Velasquez was awarded the third-place medal. Velasquez went 1-1 during his two seeding-round matches. Heavyweight Scott Hines closed out the Cardinals’ day by finishing third at heavyweight as he pinned St. James’ Andre Brandts in 2:15 in the third-place tilt. Fairmont faces Fulda/Murray County Central at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Section 3AA Team Meet in Worthington. Blue Earth Area competes in the Section 2A Team Meet on Saturday in Janesville. SCC Meet At St. Peter Team results: 1. Waseca 217.5; 2. Blue Earth Area 204.5; 3. St. James 195.5; 4. St. Peter 158.5; 5. Fairmont 102. 103: Championship: Tanner Pehrson (W) dec. Jesse Anderberg (SP), 10-5. 3rd place: Travis Hagedorn (BEA) def. Isaac Carreon (SJ) by injury default. 5th place: None. 112: Championship: Nick Rydell (SP) dec. Hunter Pehrson (W), 10-6. 3rd place: Jake Wirtjes (BEA) pinned Joe Weber (F), 3:15. 5th place: Ryan Westman (SJ). 119: Championship: Zach Gehloff (W) dec. Matt Tucholke (SJ), 3-1. 3rd place: DJ Gronewald (BEA). 4th place: Dakota Haslip (SP) maj. dec. Spenser Meadows (F), 15-5. 125: Championship: Ethan Hildebrandt (SJ) dec. Joe Franta (BEA), 3-2. 3rd place: Jacob Gleason (W) dec. Andy Bushell (SP), 7-4. 5th place: Tyler Krenz (F). 130: Championship: Brady Stauffer (SJ) maj. dec. Carter Hanson (BEA), 11-0. 3rd place: Ashton Bartlett (SP). 4th place: Nic Remund (W) pinned Korey Brown (F), 0:22. 135: Championship: Bruce Harguth (W) pinned Bryce Werner (BEA), 5:34. 3rd place: Giovanni Alvorado (SJ) dec. Brian Zabel (SP), 3-0. 5th place: Devon Ford (F). 140: Championship: Ethan Pierson (SJ) pinned David Knutson (W), 0:40. 3rd place: Collin Nienhaus (BEA) tech. falled Andrew Doherty (SP). 5th place: None. 145: Championship: Caleb Korb (W) dec. Chris Whitehead (SJ), 8-3. 3rd place: Sinjin Bell (BEA) pinned Arturo Hildago (SP), 0:56. 5th place: Derrick Zellar (F). 152: Championship: Daniel Eckhardt (BEA) dec. Jim Wilkins (SP), 3-1. 3rd place: Aaron Ingrim (W). 4th place: Matt Westman (SJ) dec. Carson Ricard (F), 12-6. 160: Championship: Sam Milbrett (W) dec. Cody Eckhardt (BEA), 5-2. 3rd place: Tyler Chounard (SP) pinned Sam Koch (SJ), 2:17. 5th place: Andy Sanden (F). 171: Championship: Matt Dahl (SJ) pinned Jamaal McDaniel (W), 2:40. 3rd place: Ricky Felty (SP) pinned Briar Bonin (F), 1:29. 5th place: Cody Klinksiek (BEA). 189: Championship: Brandon Pederson (W) pinned Taylor Andrews (BEA), 4:15. 3rd place: Rhys Tiedeken (SJ) dec. Cody Vanasse (F), 9-6. 5th place: Jared Shandy (SP). 215: Championship: Mat Willner (BEA) pinned Dylan Wright (SJ), 2:43. 3rd place: Jose Velasquez (F). 4th place: Michael Hayes (W) pinned Paul Bense (SP), 1:10. 285: Championship: Jake Lee (BEA) dec. Brandon Zabel (SP), 4-2, OT, 6:13. 3rd place: Scott Hines (F) pinned Andre Brandts (SJ), 2:15. 5th place: Justin Deling (W). Valley Conference Tournament The Class A No. 10-ranked Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Knights claimed the team title during the Valley Conference Tournament on Friday in Maple River. The Knights scored 247 points, holding off River Valley who ended up with 195. Martin County West placed third with 189 and Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther scored 157 to place fifth. The Mavericks boasted two individual champions, while the Jayhawks had three. MCW’s Class A No. 5-ranked Alex Anderson claimed the 125-pound title with a 5-2 win over Maple River’s top-ranked Paul Norgren. Heavyweight Blake Crosby also won his bracket with a 5-1 win over Nicollet’s Chris Forbrook. Caleb Krusemark (130) and Bryan Andrews (145) each placed second in their brackets. River Valley’s top-ranked Tony Vaske pinned Krusemark in 3:19 in their final, while Maple River’s Blair Oachs downed Andrews 7-0 in their final. Levi Ringnell (140) and Nich Dorschner (160) each placed third in their brackets. Ringnell pinned River Valley’s Mitch Johnson in 1:31 in the third-place match, while Dorschner scored a 7-4 decision over Nicollet’s Richard Michels. Alex Cooling (140), Bryce Andrews (152) and Tucker Freeman (160) all won individual titles for the Jayhawks. Cooling won a 14-4 major decision over St. Clair’s Ryan Sieberg in their title tilt, while No. 7-ranked Andrews edged Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial’s Cody Tibbetts 6-4 in the championship. The No. 2-ranked Freeman was a 12-2 winner over St. Clair’s No. 10-ranked David Rosen. Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther opens the Section 4A Team Meet on Thursday, while Martin County West competes in the Section 2A Team Meet on Saturday in Janesville. Valley Conference Tournament At Maple River Team scores: 1. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 247; 2. River Valley 195; 3. Martin County West 189; 4. Maple River 181; 5. Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther 157; 6. St. Clair/Mankato Loyola 116; 7. Nicollet 60; 8. Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop/McLeod West 10. 103: Championship: Tanner Trembley (LCWM) dec. Jesse Jager (MR), 12-6; 3rd place: Badger Flowers (SC) pinned Elliot Jurries (MCW), 1:33. 5th place: Isaac Pfeffer (MTML) dec. Jaydon Grommersch (N), 4-3. 112: Championship: Chase Levos (SC) maj. dec. Jacob Anderson (RV), 15-3. 3rd place: Brandon Schultz (LCWM) dec. Adam Cooling (MTML), 4-3. 5th place: Zach Kuhns (MR) pinned Tanner Elliott (N), 1:20. 119: Championship: Spencer Yokiel (LCWM) dec. Zach Streich (RV), 5-3. 3rd place: Reid Oftedahl (SC) dec. Dylan Dietz (MR), 9-3. 5th place: Jason McLaughlin (MTML) pinned Forrest Wright (GFW), 3:49. 125: Championship: Alex Anderson (MCW) dec. Paul Norgren (MR), 5-2. 3rd place: Dakota Yarger (LCWM) pinned Dan Christenson (RV), 0:38. 5th place: Lucas Brown (GFW) pinned Austin Janike (MTML), 2:56. 130: Championship: Tony Vaske (RV) pinned Caleb Krusemark (MCW), 3:19. 3rd place: Will Howieson (MR) dec. Devantay Corey (LCWM), 5-3. 5th place: Brett Jerimo (MTML). 135: Championship: Dylan Yarger (LCWM) dec. Dylan Woitas (MR), 9-3. 3rd place: Derik Kruse (SC) pinned Aaron Griese (MCW), 2:53. 5th place: Nick Mans (N) pinned Kolton DeBerg (RV), 4:05. 140: Championship: Alex Cooling (MTML) maj. dec. Ryan Sieberg (SC), 14-4. 3rd place: Levi Ringnell (MCW) pinned Mitch Johnson (RV), 1:31. 5th place: Aaron Hutchens (LCWM) dec. Derek Wilking (N), 6-2. 145: Championship: Blair Oachs (MR) dec. Bryan Andrews (MCW), 7-0. 3rd place: Eric Hood (LCWM) dec. Bill Krueger (RV), 7-4. 5th place: Jordan Thomas (MTML) pinned Rodulfo Gonzales (N), 0:41. 152: Championship: Bryce Andrews (MTML) dec. Cody Tibbetts (LCWM), 6-4. 3rd place: Lance Brolsma (MCW) dec. Caleb Hillesheim (RV), 7-5. 5th place: Scott Schoneck (MR) dec. Garrett Schmit (N), 9-6. 160: Championship: Tucker Freeman (MTML) maj. dec. David Rosen (SC), 12-2. 3rd place: Nich Dorschner (MCW) dec. Richard Michels (N), 7-4. 5th place: Tom Sandt (LCWM) pinned Josh Anderson (RV), 3:29. 171: Championship: Eli Oatman (MR) pinned Denver Colin (LCWM), 6:29, OT. 3rd place: Josh Clevenger (RV) pinned Nick Haynes (MTML), 1:57. 5th place: Cam Hanson (MCW) pinned Jon Ullvang (SC), 1:14. 189: Championship: Alex Bach (MR) pinned Nate Meixell (LCWM), 2:48. 3rd place: Jake Gatzaff (RV) pinned Sean Crayne (MCW), 2:52. 5th place: Mike Pace (MTML). 215: Championship: Tyler McMonagle (LCWM) pinned Eric McMonagle (MTML), 2:28. 3rd place: Colby Salonek (RV) maj. dec. Payten Crosby (MCW), 10-1. 5th place: Pete Guse (MR) pinned Adam Gartner (SC), 2:00. 285: Championship: Blake Crosby (MCW) dec. Chris Forbrook (N), 5-1. 3rd place: Matt Johnson (LCWM) dec. Chris Wersal (RV), 8-7. 5th place: Justin Henry (MTML).