Kimball wrestlers are State Champions for first time ever!
By Pat Garry, Staff Writer
After besting Royalton-Upsala, 45-26, in the semifinals of the Class 1A state tournament, the Cubs finished the deal by defeating Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie, 49-21, in the championship match Saturday, March 27, at St. Michael-Albertville High School. The Cubs fell behind 15-0 in the first three matches of the finals, before rolling to victory and the very first team State Wrestling Championship for Kimball.
The Kimball wrestling team didn’t enter the 2020-21 season with any complicated goals; no fancy mission statements. Just one word … Believe. Introduced by assistant coach Doug Joseph at the beginning of the season, “believe” was adopted as the Cubs’ motto.
“We like to personify the word ‘believe’. We told the boys, yesterday and today; Belief doesn’t know what the score is. It just keeps going,” explained Kimball Coach David Joseph. Kimball proved that Saturday. After the first three matches, the Cubs trailed 15-0. Then, sophomore Gavin Winter pinned Aiden Larson at 126. Kimball accelerated to 49 consecutive points from there, not losing another match until the heavyweight slot (Star Tribune). “He was struggling there a little bit to get a pin, and we really needed him to get it – for momentum purposes; and he got it there at the end,” Joseph said of Larson. “So that kind of started the train rolling.” One of the more swift and impressive victories came from Zack Holtz at 160. The senior captain registered a takedown and three near falls before he won by fall with 1:40 left in the opening period. Kimball freshman Haden Rosenow found himself down 8-4 heading into the third period of his match at 182. Then he pinned Tyler Eggert with 1:35 left, clinching the team title (Star Tribune). “He believed,” Holtz said, “and he got ’er done.”
Championship semifinals – Kimball 45 Royalton-Upsala 26
106 – Lane Olson (R-U) over Mark Schiefelbein (Kimball) Fall 3:29;
113 – Jack Bollman (Kimball) over Brady Yourczek (R-U) TF 16-1;
120 – Michael Zimmerman (R-U) over Chase Anderson (Kimball) Dec. 6-3;
126 – Gavin Winter (Kimball) over Will Gorecki (R-U) Fall 3:06;
132 – Lucas Jurek (Kimball) over Brock Costanzo (R-U) Fall 1:48;
138 – Alex Nelson (Kimball) over Sawyer Simmons (R-U) Dec. 5-4;
145 – Brett Schiefelbein (Kimball) over Nicholas Leibold (R-U) Fall 4:51;
152 – Jacob Leibold (R-U) over Cody Leither (Kimball) TF 16-0;
160 – Zack Holtz (Kimball) over Gabe Gorecki (R-U) Dec. 8-1;
170 – Ashton Hanan (Kimball) over Sam Tschida (R-U) Fall 0:16;
182 – Aidan Olson (R-U) over Haden Rosenow (Kimball) Fall 1:10;
195 – Carter Holtz (Kimball) over Austin Wensmann (R-U) Fall 1:47;
220 – Brandon Guggisberg (Kimball) over Bryce Holm (R-U) Maj 15-1;
285 – Mason Novitzki (R-U) over Ace Meyer (Kimball) Fall 3:25.
Championship finals – Kimball 49 Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale-Parkers Prairie 21
106 – Bennet Arceneau (BHVPP) over Mark Schiefelbein (Kimball) Fall 0:18;
113 – David Revering (BHVPP) over Jack Bollman (Kimball) Dec. 7-2;
120 – Deagen Captain (BHVPP) over Chase Anderson (Kimball) Fall 1:19;
126 – Gavin Winter (Kimball) over Aiden Larson (BHVPP) Fall 5:24;
132 – Lucas Jurek (Kimball) over Reese Thompson (BHVPP) Dec. 7-3;
138 – Alex Nelson (Kimball) over Blake Sumstad (BHVPP) Fall 1:48;
145 – Brett Schiefelbein (Kimball) over Justin Koehn (BHVPP) Fall 3:18;
152 – Logan Kuseske (Kimball) over Brock Peterson (BHVPP) Fall 5:05;
160 – Zack Holtz (Kimball) over Mason Schroeder (BHVPP) Fall 1:40;
170 – Ashton Hanan (Kimball) over Hunter Dean (BHVPP) Dec. 9-8;
182 – Haden Rosenow (Kimball) over Tyler Eggert (BHVPP) Fall 4:25;
195 – Carter Holtz (Kimball) over Gideon Ervasti (BHVPP) Dec. 11-5;
220 – Brandon Guggisberg (Kimball) over James Grant (BHVPP) Maj 15-7;
285 – Hayden Captain (BHVPP) over Ace Meyer (Kimball) Fall 4:00.
Individual State Championships
106A – 1st place – Nolan Ambrose of Jackson County Central; 2nd place – Zach Remer of Mille Lacs Raiders;
113A – 1st place – Hudson Burnett of Pipestone Area; 2nd place – Jevon Williams of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City;
120A – 1st place – Brandon Ross of Caledonia-Houston; 2nd place – Ryan Jensen of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa;
126A – 1st place – Derek Steele of Sibley East; 2nd place – Walker Bents of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa; 5th place – Gavin Winter of Kimball Area;
132A – 1st place – Drayden Morton of Sibley East; 2nd place – Ethan Hendrickson of United North Central Warriors;
138A – 1st place – Kade Sammons of Windom-Mountain Lake; 2nd place – John Paul Fitzpatrick of Crosby-Ironton;
145A – 1st place – Blaine Fischer of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa; 2nd place – Jacob Leibold of Royalton-Upsala;
152A – 1st place – Payton Handevidt of Jackson County Central; 2nd place – Landon Gode of LPGE-Browerville Wolves; 160A – 1st place – Mason Gode of LPGE-Browerville Wolves; 2nd place – Zack Holtz of Kimball Area;
170A – 1st place – Seth Goetzinger of Chatfield; 2nd place – Carter Sorenson of Fosston-Bagley; 3rd place – Ashton Hanan of Kimball Area;
182A – 1st place – Tyson Meyer of Minnewaska Area; 2nd place – Grady Schott of Chatfield;
195A – 1st place – Thomas Dineen of Benson; 2nd place – Ethan Kovars of Zumbrota-Mazeppa; 3rd place – Carter Holtz of Kimball Area;
220A – 1st place – Dominik Vacura of Badger-GB-MR; 2nd place – Daniel Erlandson of Breckenridge;
285A – 1st place – Shane Noyes of Canby; 2nd place – Jakob Swalla of Minnewaska Area.