Inexperienced Huskies struggle at state
While Owatonna’s three girls wrestlers enjoyed a perfect 6-0 start at the state individual tournament, the Huskies’ boys competitors had a nightmare 0-8 run to quickly wash out of their brackets.
According to Owatonna head coach Derek Johnson, there was a mixture of inexperience and tough matchups that played into the results.
“Three of them, it was their first time at state. Almost all of them had a crazy draw in the first round. Two of them had nationally ranked guys in the first round… I know there’s the jitters of the first time, but I think everyone handled it really well,” said Johnson.
The Owatonna boys jumped straight into the action from the opening match of the tournament with 107-pounder Miles Aase (34-17) leading the way.
The sophomore began his first day with a loss by fall in 1:02 to Stillwater’s Chase Lawrence (39-3).
Aase’s loss sent him to the consolation bracket the following day where he lost a 4-0 decision Bemidji’s Oscar Hanks (44-8) to end his tournament.
Section 1AAA 114-pound champion and eighth-grade athlete Mason Sorensen took the mat next for the Huskies, but also fell quickly after being pinned in 1:41 by Sartell-Saint Stephen’s Jayce Gruber.
Sorensen’s run came to an end in his next match when he was pinned by Cambridge-Isanti’s Wyatt Wald in 24 seconds.
Owatonna junior Jacob Wilson was the team’s next man up and returned to the Grand Casino Arena as the Huskies’ only previous state participant.
However, whatever advantage Wilson may have had in experience, he unfortunately could not capitalize on due to his health.
“Wilson was propped up on cold medication and everything. He could barely stand about two days ago,” said Johnson. “He still weighed in and still put his foot on the mat, so to still go out there was pretty huge.”
The junior’s first match ended in an 18-2 technical fall loss to St. Michael-Albertville’s Grant Bergeron (39-3) before another loss to Eagan’s Evan St. Germain (34-6) officially ended his season.
The Huskies’ final hopes rested on the shoulders of first-time state competitor Carter Flatland at 189 pounds.
Unfortunately for him, his first-round matchup may have been the most difficult of the tournament for any Steele County wrestler.
Flatland was tasked with stopping Moorehead’s William Ward, who entered the matchup with a 41-0 record and ranked No. 6 in the nation at 190 pounds by Sports Illustrated.
Ward beat Flatland by a 21-6 technical fall in the first period and would go on to win the state title at 189 pounds.
Flatland battled hard in his consolation match against Minneapolis Washburn’s Andrew Pryce, but the latter won a 14-10 decision.
Owatonna’s 0-8 mark left the Huskies’ boys completely winless at state and officially ended the team’s season.
