Marshall and Canby headlined the Independent’s All-Area Wrestling Team for the 2024-25 season, with the Tigers earning five first-team selections and the Lancers earning four. The wrestling talent in the area was so deep that every first-team selection was a state individual medalist, and every second-team selection was at least a state participant.

Marshall was represented by state champion Lincoln Christenson, as well as fourth-place finishers Landon Marthaler and Hannah Ratajczak, and sixth-place finishers Brayden Chandler and Keynan Coequyt. Canby, meanwhile, had a pair of state runners-up in Sam Drietz and Eli Greenman, as well as a pair of fifth-place finisher in Issac Guzman and a sixth-place state medalist in Blake Giese.

Minneota’s Adam Devlaeminck was a runner-up both in Section 5A and in the Class A state meet, while Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s David Schuh and Dawson-Boyd United’s Ben Gunlogson rounded out the All-Area first team with a sixth-place state medal for Schuh and a fourth-place finish for Gunlogson.

United, the Section 3AA runner-up, also had a pair of second-team selections in Eli Olson and Kameron Sather, who both finished as individual runners-up in the section as well.

United’s section counterparts, the Marshall Tigers, won the section team meet to earn their second-ever appearance in the team state tournament. Gavin Schaeferwas a state tournament participant as an individual and was a member of the All-Tournament team as Marshall finished sixth in AA. His teammates Aidan Mattison and Braedyn VanMeveren were each also second-team selections, while Josh Kraft and Esther Say each earned honorable mention selections.

Fulda/Murray County Central earned four second-team selections with a pair of Section 3A champions in Quintin Lewis and Carson Klein, and a pair of section runners-up in Isaiah Wolske and Colby Kesteloot. All four were state participants.

Canby’s Tallen Merritt made the second team as a section champion while his teammate, Ty Rangaard, made it as a runner-up.

Minneota’s Cael and Brock Fier and Wabasso’s Kaysen Harms rounded out the All-Area second-team.

The Independent’s Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year will be announced in the Independent’s Weekender, released on June 14.

BY THE NUMBERS

in alphabetical order

Brayden Chandler, Marshall

44-11, 3AA champion, Class AA 6th place

Lincoln Christenson, Marshall

48-12, Section 3AA champion, Class AA champion

Keynan Coequyt, Marshall

37-12, 3AA champion, Class AA 6th place

Adam Devlaeminck, Minneota

38-3, 5A runner-up, Class A runner-up

Sam Drietz, Canby

31-7, 5A champion, Class A runner-up

Blake Giese, Canby

41-12, 5A runner-up, Class A 6th place

Eli Greenman, Canby

44-11, 5A champion, Class A runner-up

Eli Gruenes, Minneota

44-4, 5A runner-up, Class A 5th place

Ben Gunlogson, Dawson-Boyd United

42-6, 3AA champion, Class AA 4th place

Issac Guzman, Canby

31-7, 5A champion, Class A 5th place

Landon Marthaler, Marshall

44-8, 3AA champion, Class AA 4th place

Hannah Ratajczak, Marshall

16-5, 3AA champion, Class AA 4th place

David Schuh, TMB/WWG

41-6, 3A champion, Class A 6th place

SECOND TEAM

Brock Fier, Minneota, Jr., 172

31-15, 5A runner-up, Class A participant

Cael Fier, Minneota, So., 215

26-13, 5A runner-up, Class A participant

Kaysen Harms, Wabasso, Sr., 139

41-9, 3A champion, Class A participant

Colby Kesteloot, F/MCC, Jr., 285

32-14, 3A runner-up, Class A participant

Carson Klein, F/MCC, Sr., 189

39-13, 3A champion, Class A participant

Quintin Lewis, F/MCC, Jr., 160

31-11, 3A champion, Class A participant

Aidan Mattison, Marshall, Sr., 189

32-15, 3AA runner-up, Class AA participant

Tallen Merritt, Canby, So., 145

12-18, 5A champion, Class A participant

Gavin Schaefer, Marshall, S., 215

44-8, 3AA champion, Class AA participant

Eli Olson, DB United, Jr., 107

43-4, 3AA runner-up, Class AA participant

Ty Rangaard, Canby, Fr., 127

19-15, 5A runner-up, Class A participant

Kameron Sather, DB United, Jr., 152

39-11, 3AA runner-up, Class AA participant

Braedyn VanMeveren, Fr., 285

32-15, 13-4, 3AA runner-up, Class AA participant

Isaiah Wolske, F/MCC, Sr., 172

31-11, 3A runner-up, Class A participant

HONORABLE MENTION

Cassie Bliss, Wabasso, 8th, 142; Mason Javers, Minneota, Fr., 160; Josh Kraft, Marshall, Sr., 172; Weston Martin, TMB/WWG, So. 121; Blake Mead, Minneota, So., 127; Grayson Olson, DB United, Sr.; Macy Rohlik, Wabasso, Jr., G130; Jacob Savig, YME; Esther Say, Marshall, So., G170; Zach Skoblik, Wabasso, Jr., 215; Taylor Squires, TMB/WWG, So., 114; Keagan Steen, RRC, Sr., 107