Photo by Sam Thiel Marshall’s Dylan Louwagie tries to pin his Minneota opponent during their meet on Thursday. Marshall defeated MAHACA 37-36 and fell to Minneota 41-31.

MINNEOTA – The Marshall wrestling team continued its road trip to start the season, competing in a triangular meet against Minneota and Morris Area/Hancock/Chokio-Alberta on Thursday. Marshall was able to earn a come-from-behind 37-36 win over MAHACA before falling to Minneota 41-31.

Marshall faced MAHACA to start its evening, with both sides earning a pair of bouts early on. Drew Chandler got Marshall on the board at the 113 weight class with a pin before Brett Regnier earned a pin of his own to give MHS a 12-9 lead. MAHACA battled back, though, getting a pin at 126 pounds and a tight decision victory in the next weight class to reclaim the lead at 18-12.

After Marshall tied things up with a forfeit victory, the two sides split the next four weight classes, with Kaidin Otto getting a pin at 182 pounds to cut the deficit to three at 30-27. In need of a spark, Marshall got some momentum when Spencer Wambeke earned a hard-fought 3-1 decision victory at 195 pounds to tie things up at 30-30 going into the final two bouts.

Grant Louwagie then picked up a key pin to give Marshall the lead at 36-30, but MAHACA responded with a pin of its own in the final bout to force the tiebreaker.

Marshall would end up earning the one-point victory at 37-36 due to the criteria of winning more matches that involved a forfeit.

Marshall then faced Minneota, who had defeated MAHACA earlier in the meet. Marshall jumped out to a quick start with a pin from Landon Marthaler, but Minneota answered by winning the next three bouts, including getting back-to-back pins by Peyton Gillund and Eric Carrasco to take a 15-6 lead. 

Marshall would earn pins from Dylan Louwagie at 132 pounds and Tate Condezo at 145 pounds, respectively, to draw to within three, but Minneota responded with a tech fall win, a pin and a decision victory to extend its lead to 35-18. Marshall got back on the board with a major decision victory by Mitchell Bouwman, but Minneota’s Hudson Scholten got a pin in the ensuing bout to keep Marshall out of reach.

Minneota 42,

MAHACA 29

Minneota started the triangular meet with a matchup against MAHACA. It was tight to start, with both sides splitting the first four weight classes. The Vikings got on the board with a pin at 113 before Carrasco (126 weight class) earned a pin to give Minneota the lead at 12-9. MAHACA had an answer, though, getting a pin and a major decision victory in the next two bouts to retake the lead at 19-12.

Then Minneota gained some momentum in the middle weight classes. Kade Lozinski got a pin at 145 pounds before Zack Fier won by a decision to put the Vikings back in front at 21-19. Jonah Gruenes won by a pin before Alex Depestel won by a 10-6 decision at 170 pounds to push Minneota’s lead to 30-19.

MAHACA would get back on the board at the 182 weight class thanks to a major decision victory and drew to within one at 30-29 with a last-second pin. But the Vikings had a timely response, earning back-to-back pins to seal the 42-29 victory.

Up next

Marshall will compete next on Tuesday against JCC at 5 p.m. while Minneota will compete today at BBE at 5 p.m.