Photo courtesy of Marshall Area Wrestling Association: Marshall's Keynan Coequyt competes in a 127-pound match at the Section 3AA individual wrestling tournament, Friday in Hutchinson.

HUTCHINSON — The Marshall boys wrestling team showed a strong presence in the first day of the Section 3AA individual tournament. The Tigers had nine wrestlers advance to the semifinals in hopes of a section title and ticket to next week’s state tournament. Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle Valley/Montevideo United also had a successful showing on day one, having five wrestlers move onto the semifinals.

The top two finishers in each weight class will qualify for the state tournament. Those who win the championship bracket, along with the wrestler who works to the section runner-up.

Of the nine Tigers moving to the semifinals in the winners bracket, six wrestlers won their matches by fall, as did three for United.

Marshall’s Andrew Yang and United’s Eli Olson have both earned a spot in the 114-class semifinals with a 15-0 technical fall and pin, respectively. Yang defeated New London Spicer’s Jack Tuschen with a fall 36 seconds into the first period.

Starting his postseason run strong, looking to defend his state individual title, Marshall senior Lincoln Christenson is also advancing to the semifinals after pinning Keyan Roloff out of Saint James/Madelia at 1:24.

Keynan Coequyt for the Tigers and United’s Gavin Mortenson have also moved on in the 127-class, as is Levi Kraft in the 133 after winning by fall. Coequyt and Mortenson won their matches by a 12-7 decision and pin, respectively.

Additionally for Marshall, Dawson DeCamp, Brayden Chandler, Tyson Louwagie, Tyler Kraft and Felix Kelsey all won their Friday matchups to remain in the championship bracket and onto the semifinals as well.

Chandler, Tyler Kraft and Louwagie also each won by fall.

Kelsey in particular prevailed for a 4-1 sudden victory in an overtime period over New Ulm Area’s Emerson Johnson.

Ben Gunlogson, Kameron Sather and Bryan Rhode all move onto today’s semifinals as well to represent United. Rhode and Gunlogson both won by pin, while Sather came away with an 18-1 technical fall.

The first day of the tournament went up to the semifinals, and wrestlers will finish competing today for the championships.

Both Marshall and United are looking to send individual wrestlers back to the state tournament this season, after having a combined 10 individual wrestlers make the trip last year up to the cities to represent their schools.

Notably, Christenson, who was second-ranked in the state in the Class AA 121 class in the final polls of the regular season, is on a hunt to not only return to the individual state tournament, but to defend his title after he won the Class 2A 114 championship last season.

Along with Christenson, the Tigers had a strong group of six other wrestlers compete in the tournament last season in Coequyt, Chandler, Braedyn VanMeveren, and since-graduated Landon Marthaler, Gavin Schaefer and Aidan Mattison.

United has returned its entire trio of individual state wrestlers from last season, also looking to make back-to-back appearances and are off to a strong start, making it to the semifinals once again — Gunlogson, Olson and Sather.

Marshall and United will wrap up the section individual tournament today for a final battle to make it to state, beginning at 11 a.m. back at Hutchinson High School.

The state wrestling tournament will take place next Wednesday through Saturday, with the individual competitions beginning Thursday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

DAY 1 RESULTS

107: McCoy Marthaler, Marshall, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Dominic Larson (WOR) def. McCoy Marthaler (MAR) Dec. 9-6.

107: Griffin Johnson, United, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Javean Centeno (HUTCH) def. Griffin Johnson (DBLQ), TF 20-3 2:33.

121: Kayden Enevoldsen, United, consolation bracket

First round: Matthew Voehl (WML) def. Kayden Enevoldsen (DBLQ) Fall 1:43.

139: Holland Schacherer, United, consolation bracket

First round: Holland Schacherer (DBLQ) def. Keanin Linscheid (WML) Fall 0:44. Quarterfinals: Brody Herbst (LCWM) def. Schacherer (DBLQ) Dec. 11-7.

139: Colton Chandler, Marshall, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Beck Johnson (SJM) def. Colton Chandler (MAR) Fall 1:04.

145: Noah Frazee, Marshall, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Holton Hanson (NLS) def. Noah Frazee (MAR) Fall 1:47.

172: Bentleig Bothun, United, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Kaedin Lange (MCRB) def. Bentleig Bothun (DBLQ) Dec. 10-4.

215: Gabe Lowry, United, consolation bracket

First round: Kruz Runninghawk (MAHACA) def. Gabe Lowry (DBLQ) ID 3:23.

215: Kael Frana, Marshall, consolation bracket

Quarterfinals: Michael Markgraf (HUTCH) def. Kael Frana (MAR) Fall 4:37.

114: Eli Olson, United, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Eli Olson (DBLQ) def. Brock Jagodzinske (MCRB) TF 15-0 1:23

114: Andrew Yang, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Andrew Yang (MAR) def. Jack Tuschen (NLS) Fall 0:36.

121: Lincoln Christenson, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Lincoln Christenson (MAR) def. Keyan Roloff (SJM) Fall 1:24.

127: Gavin Mortenson, United, championship bracket

First round: Gavin Mortenson (DBLQ) def. Jackson Buss (LCWM) TF 17-2 3:39. Quarterfinals: Mortenson (DBLQ) def. Jacob Lopez (WML) Fall 2:00.

127: Keynan Coequyt, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Keynan Coequyt (MAR) def. Beau Haugen (MAHACA) Dec. 12-7.

133: Levi Kraft, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Levi Kraft (MAR) def. Judson Brekke (SJM) Fall 1:49.

145: Ben Gunlogson, United, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Ben Gunlogson (DBLQ) def. Casey Raths (MAHACA) Fall 1:04.

145: Dawson DeCamp, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Dawson DeCamp (MAR) def. Tegan Kral (NUA) TF 15-0 1:34.

160: Brayden Chandler, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Brayden Chandler (MAR) def. Spencer Drill (NUA) Fall 0:49.

160: Kameron Sather, United, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Kamerson Sather (DBLQ) def. Zion Redlin (SJM) TF 18-1 2:51.

172: Tyson Louwagie, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Tyson Louwagie (MAR) def. Lane Moser (SJM) Fall 1:13.

189: Bryan Rhode, United, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Bryan Rhode (DBLQ) def. (LCWM) Fall 2:44.

189: Tyler Kraft, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Tyler Kraft (MAR) def. Braxton Anderson (SJM) Fall 5:28.

285: Felix Kelsey, Marshall, championship bracket

Quarterfinals: Felix Kelsey (MAR) def. Emerson Johnson (NUA) SV 4-1.