The Independent will announce its Wrestler of the Year and Wrestling Coach of the Year in Thursday’s edition of the Independent.

Minneota first-teamers Adam DeVlaeminck and Randy Sorensen each earned third-place finishes at the Class A state tournament, as did fellow first-teamers Brayden Chandler and Lincoln Christenson of Marshall and Ben Gunlogson of Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle Valley/Montevideo United.

DeVlaeminck was also one of three Vikings to earn All-State Tournament honors, alongside Brock and Cael Fier.

United earned three first-team honorees, including Gunlogson, Eli Olson and Kameron Sather. Olson was the Independent area’s top finisher at the state tournament, placing as the 114-pound runner up in the Class AA individual tournament, while Sather set the United career wins record this season with 212.

Jacob Savig, Quad County, senior

Christianson and Chandler each returned as all-area first team honorees after putting together strong campaigns last season, culminating in a 2024-25 Wrestler of the Year selection for Christianson. Chandler also broke Marshall’s single-season pins record with 34 in a 48-3 campaign this season, leading all area wrestlers. Christianson has been a first-team selection each of the three years since the Independent’s inaugural All-Area Wrestling team in 2023-24.

Heydan Danielson earned All-Area second team honors for Minneota after he also broke his school’s single-season pins record with 30 on the year. The Vikings also had Brock and Cael Fier and Mason Javers selected to the first team, Quinton Anderson selected to the second team and Carson Javers as an honorable mention.

Each of the Independent All-Area first team selections earned a medal in the individual state tournament, and 12 of the 13 first teamers were section champions. The second team also featured 11 state qualifiers out of 13 slots.

Fulda/Murray County Central’s Kaston Clarke, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s David Schuh and Canby’s Jordan DePestel were each selected to the first team.

Colby Kesteloot and Quintin Lewis were each second-team honorees for F/MCC, along with Brayden Gilb and Lucas Kuball as honorable mentions, while TMB/WWG had Weston Marten and Taylor Squires as second-team selections and Logan Petersen, Nolan Verlinde and Evelyn Rentschler as honorable mentions.

Tyson Louwagie, Marshall, junior

Marshall had section runners up Tyson Louwagie, Tyler Kraft and Keynan Coequyt selected to the second team, along with section third-place finisher Dawson DeCamp, while Levi Kraft and Esther Say — the lone area wrestler to qualify for the girls state tournament — were named honorable mentions.

In addition to Say and Rentschler, the area girls were also represented by Wabasso’s Camryn Irlbeck and Macy Rohlik as honorable mentions.

The Independent’s All-Area wrestling team is determined primarily by individual performances and accolades, though team factors such as contributing to section tournament success or earning All-State tournament honors were taken into account.

BY THE NUMBERS

Keynan Coqueyt, Marshall, junior

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Brayden Chandler

48-3, 13 pins

Section 3AA champion, State Class AA third place

Lincoln Christenson

49-3, 18 pins, Section 3AA champion, State Class AA third place

Kaston Clarke

40-12, Section 3A champion, State Class A sixth place

Jordan DePestel

41-20, Section 5A champion, State Class A sixth place

Adam DeVlaeminck

43-4, 10 pins, Section 5A champion

Class A state third place, Class A All-State Tournament

Brock Fier

31-4, 16 pins, Section 5A champion

Class A state sixth place, Class A All-State Tournament

Cael Fier

48-4, 27 pins, Section 5A champion

Class A state fifth place, Class A All-State Tournament

Ben Gunlogson

42-8, 28 pins, Section 3AA champion, State Class AA third place

Mason Javers

47-5, 14 pins, Section 5A champion, State Class A fourth place

Kameron Sather

45-10, 23 pins, Section 3AA runner up, State Class AA fourth place

David Schuh

43-6, 21 pins, Section 3A champion, State Class A fifth place

Randy Sorensen

25-4, 13 pins, Section 5A champion, Class A state third place

Eli Olson

45-5, 20 pins, Section 3AA champion, Class AA state runner up

SECOND TEAM

Quinton Anderson, Minneota

Junior, 127

23-18, 13 pins, Section 5A runner up, state qualifier

Keynan Coequyt, Marshall

Junior, 127

41-13, 19 pins, Section 3AA runner up, state qualifier

Heydan Danielson, Minneota

Junior, 107

42-11, 30 pins, Section 5A runner up, state qualifier

Dawson DeCamp, Marshall

Senior, 145

30-16, 15 pins, Section 3AA third place

Mason Kampsen, Wabasso

Senior, 215

28-11, 18 pins, Section 3A runner up, state qualifier

Colby Kesteloot, F/MCC

Senior, 285

35-12, Section 3A champion, state qualifier

Tyler Kraft, Marshall

Junior, 189

30-14, 13 pins, Section 3AA runner up, state qualifier

Quintin Lewis, F/MCC

Senior, 160

41-11, Section 3A runner up, state qualifier

Weston Marten, TMB/WWG

Junior, 133

36-9, 19 pins, Section 3A third place

Tyson Louwagie, Marshall

Senior, 172

40-13, 16 pins, Section 3AA runner up, state qualifier

Blake Mead, Minneota

Junior, 133

45-6, 26 pins, Section 5A champion, state qualifier

Jacob Savig, Quad County

senior, 215

41-6, Section 5A runner up, state qualifier

Taylor Squires, TMB/WWG

Junior, 139

42-7, 26 pins, Section 3A champion, state qualifier

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cash Antony, Canby, Sr., 114

Ben Drietz, Canby, So., 127

Brayden Gilb, F/MCC, Jr., 139

Camryn Irlbeck, Wabasso, Sr., G142

Carson Javers, Minneota, Sr., 285

Levi Kraft, Marshall, So., 133

Lucas Kuball, F/MCC, Sr., 152

Logan Petersen, TMB/WWG, Sr., 127

Landon Pohlen, Minneota, So., 121

Evelyn Rentschler, TMB/WWG, Jr., G142

Bryan Rhode, DB United, Sr., 189

Macy Rohlik, Wabasso, Sr., G130

Esther Say, Marshall, Jr., G170

Daven VanEngen, Canby, So., 145

Nolan Verlinde, TMB/WWG, Jr., 145

Andrew Yang, Marshall, So., 114