Cael Swensen of Wayzata was named Outstanding Wrestler at the InterMat Classic (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)EDINA, Minn. -- The ninth edition of the InterMat Classic was held for the first time at Edina High School in suburban Minneapolis. As has been the case in the previous eight events, it had a very strong in-state flavor. This year saw 12 of 15 champions won by Minnesota wrestlers.
Two of the three out-of-state champions came from national power St. Paris Graham in Ohio. Sophomore Nick Moore and senior Jeffrey Thomas, both state finalists as freshmen, earned titles on Saturday afternoon at 138 and 145 pounds respectively.
Sophomore Nick Moore was one of two champs for St. Paris Graham (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Moore, the nation's No. 49 sophomore, upended 2017 state champion Blake Legred (United South Central, Minn.) by 4-2 decision in the finals after surviving a pair of 3-1 overtime victories earlier in the tournament, most notably in the semifinals against two-time state placewinner Tanner Kroells (Delano, Minn.).
Thomas, a two-time Ohio State placewinner, knocked off Illinois state qualifier Giovanni Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) 5-2 in the finals after beating two-time state placewinner, returning state runner-up Brady Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) 3-1 in the semifinals.
Nolan Craine cruised to a title with a 9-0 victory in the finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The other out-of-state title was earned by sophomore Nolan Craine (Goddard, Kansas), last year a state third-place finisher. He earned gold in the 160-pound weight class with a 9-0 major decision victory over Tayte Harazin (Redwood-River Valley, Minn.).
Two other high schools joined St. Paris Graham in producing multiple InterMat Classic champions, Owatonna and Northfield. The pair of winners from Owatonna were state placewinner Blake West and state champion Cade King at 106 and 182 pounds, while those from Northfield were state runner-up Drew Woodley and Antonio Carter at 132 and 285 pounds.
Drew West defeated Pierson Manville in overtime at 106 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)In his championship match, West upended seventh-grader Pierson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) 11-6 in overtime, while for King it was a 16-6 major decision over state qualifier Carl Leuer (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.).
For Woodley in his title bout it was a 5-3 decision over fellow state runner-up Drew Steidler (Bismarck St. Mary's, N.D.), while Carter won a five-person round robin at 285 pounds; most notably it was a 3-2 victory over Ryan Fitz (Mound Westonka, Minn.) in the last of five round-robin rounds.
There were four pins among the 15 championship bouts in the afternoon program, including the one earned by tournament Outstanding Wrestler Cael Swensen (Wayzata) at 113 pounds.
Swensen, a Fargo Greco-Roman All-American, ecked returning state runner-up Landon Parent (Princeton, Minn.) at the 3:32 mark. In the semifinals, he beat top-seeded Ryan Henningson (Winona, Minn.) 4-3, while in the quarterfinal it was a 3-2 decision over returning state champion Kelby Armstrong (Minot, N.D.).
Christian Noble pinned his way to a title at 100 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Earning pins in all four tournament bouts was 100-pound champion Christian Noble (Big Lake), a state qualifier last season. His finals match pin came at the 3:36 mark over Matt Hogue (East Ridge, Minn.). Other championship bout pins came from Chase DeBlaere (Simley) and Seth Brossard (Kenyon-Wanamingo) at 120 and 152 pounds.
Chase DeBlaere picked up a pin in the finals at 120 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)DeBlaere placed third at the North Dakota state tournament last year as an eighth grader, and pinned state medalist Brandon Psyk (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) at the 4:37 mark of his final bout, while 2017 state placewinner Brossard pinned Wisconsin state runner-up Jake Baldwin (Coleman) at the 3:03 mark in his bout.
Ezayah Oropeza topped 2017 state champion Cole Fibranz (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Additional weight class champions were state placewinner Nic Cantu (Albert Lea) at 126 pounds, state placewinner Wyatt Lidberg (St. Michael-Albertville) at 170, state qualifier Jagger Greenwood (Hibbing) in a four-person round-robin at 195, and state runner-up Ezayah Oropeza (Rosemount) at 220. Of most note was the 5-3 finals win for Oropeza over 2017 state champion Cole Fibranz (Sartell-St. Stephen).
Placewinners
100:
1st: Christian Noble (Big Lake) pinned Matt Hogue (East Ridge), 3:36
3rd: Parker Kratochvill (LAW) pinned Jore Volk (Lakeville North), 4:21
5th: Brendan Howes (Anoka) pinned Shane Corrigan (De Pere), 1:28
106:
1st: Blake West (Owatonna) dec. Pierson Manville (Shakopee), 11-6 SV
3rd: Teagan Block (Prior Lake) dec. Joey Novak (New Prague), 2-1
5th: Dylan Enriquez (Sartell) pinned Thomas Matteson (Hazelton), 3:16
113:
1st: Cael Swensen (Wayzata) pinned Landen Parent (Princeton), 3:32
3rd: Ryan Henningson (Winona) maj. dec. Kelby Armstrong (Minot), 9-0
5th: Cody Minor (Ashwaubenon) dec. Jaden Verhagen (Kaukauna), 4-0
120:
1st: Chase DeBlaere (Simley) pinned Brandon Psyk (St. Michael-Albertville), 4:37
3rd: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Arrowhead) pinned Kanin Hable (Owatonna), 0:59
5th: Nick Novak (New Prague) won by forfeit over Javon Taschuk (Stillwater)
126:
1st: Nic Cantu (Albert Lea) dec. Jake FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi), 5-3
3rd: Jordan Driscoll (Blaine) dec. Ryan Scherber (Buffalo), 7-5
5th: Bryce Dagel (Eden Prairie) pinned Brady Kasprick (Thief River Falls), 7:30
132:
1st: Drew Woodley (Northfield) dec. Drew Steidler (St Marys), 5-3
3rd: Ryder Rogotzke (East Ridge) pinned Samuel Kulseth (St. James), 1:47
5th: Cole Becker (St. Michael-Albertville) maj. dec. Gabe Bellefeuille (Perham), 14-6
138:
1st: Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham) dec. Blake Legred (United South Central), 4-2
3rd: Tanner Kroells (Delano) dec. Kieler Carlson (Forest Lake), 9-2
5th: Cade Lundeen (Thief River Falls) dec. Jack Ganos (Arrowhead), 6-2
145:
1st: Jeffrey Thomas (St. Paris Graham) dec. Giovanni Cassioppi (Hononegah), 5-2
3rd: Sebas Swiggum (Apple Valley) dec. Brady Gross (Apple Valley), 7-2
5th: Ben Durocher (Wrightstown) dec. Bryce FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi), 10-8
152:
1st: Seth Brossard (Kenyon-Wanamingo) pinned Jake Baldwin (Baldwin), 3:03
3rd: Gavin Nelson (Simley) pinned Adam Sylvester (Totino Grace), 2:33
5th: Roman Rogotzke (East Ridge) won by injury default over Matthew Pettis (Kasota)
160:
1st: Nolan Craine (Goddard) maj. dec. Tayte Harazin (Redwood Falls), 9-0
3rd: TJ Turinske (White Bear Lake) dec. Dylan Fudge (Perham), 5-1
5th: Moses Madimba (Coon Rapids) by forfeit over Hayden LeMonds (St. Michael-Albertville)
170:
1st: Wyatt Lidberg (St. Michael-Albertville) dec. Ian Frenzel (Blackduck), 6-4
3rd: Marques Fritsche (Tomah) dec. Mitchell Nowlan (Andover), 10-7
5th: Logan Collins (Forest Lake) dec. Eric Thomas (St. Paris Graham), 10-8
182:
1st: Cade King (Owatonna) maj. dec. Carl Leuer (St. Michael-Albertville), 16-6
3rd: Ben Schmalz (Mound Westonka) tech. fall over Danny Reynolds (Andover), 19-4
5th: Isaiah Thompson (Eden Prairie) dec. Rowan Jungling (Anoka), 10-4)
195:
1st: Jagger Greenwood (Hibbing) dec. Mason Smid (Blackduck), 12-10
3rd: Bram Fitzsimonds (Waconia) dec. Muktar Ali (Hastings), 4-3
220:
1st: Ezayah Oropeza (Rosemount) dec. Cole Fibranz (Sartell), 5-3
3rd: Chase McCleish (Newman Catholic) pinned Brennan Rutt (New Prague), 3:22
5th: Tanner Schultz (Linn Mar) pinned Vincent Johnson (Andover), 2:19
285:
1st: Antonio Carter (Northfield) dec. Ryan Fitz (Mound Westonka), 3-2
3rd: Denis Tokin (Woodbury) pinned Nick Lopez (Northfield), 4:45
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