By Brenda Erdahl, Sports Editor. Lightning wrestlers kicked off another busy week on Thursday, Jan. 25, at home against the Milaca Wolves in a rare dual meet that included new singlets, youth night, and senior night for the Lightning.
ANML wrestlers rose to the occasion to defeat the Wolves 47-19.
Before the match ANML honored its seniors, Fernando Andrews, Mitch Bergstrom, Reed Rasset, Hunter Manka, Cuyler Helwig, Walker Weege, and Quinn Youngs who have a winning percentage this year of 85 percent, and are quickly coming to the end of their careers.
Breaking out new singlets, which are to be special “championship singlets” used at section team final four and individuals in the finals at sections, they started out strong with Carson Cooper earning a tech fall at 106 pounds.
“Carson really got his offense going to earn the tech fall,” coach Ben Youngs said.
Zach Pribyl bumped up a weight from 106 to 113 where he lost a close match in what was, in coach Youngs opinion, “his best match of the year. He got down 6-2 and battled back and got aggressive and almost won,” Youngs said.
After dropping the next two matches, Quinn Youngs picked up a pin at 132 pounds which was followed quickly by a pin by Jack Klug at 138 and another by Hunter Manka at 145. Manka’s opponent was ranked No. 5 in the state.
The wins kept coming for the Lightning thanks to a tech fall by Adam Neuman, a major by Walker Weege, and a pin by Mitch Bergstrom.
The Lightning split the last four weights, with wins by Cuyler Helwig and Reed Rasset, and close losses by Daniel Luna and Josh Langtot, both first-year wrestlers.
To read the entire piece, subscribe to The Maple Lake Messenger today!
Be the first to comment