Owatonna Wrestlers Rally to Win State Consolation Championship

After a quarterfinal loss to Hastings, the Owatonna High School wrestlers beat Minnetonka and Willmar to win the consolation championship Thursday.

Owatonna dropped their AAA quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center to Hastings 36-29. The Raiders built a 27-3 lead and withstood an Owatonna comeback. The Raiders have been on the rise since losing to Owatonna at the Bloomington Kennedy tournament and qualified nine individuals for this weekend's tournament. After OHS got a match-opening victory from Kaden Nelson, Hastings reeled off six straight wins, which included three pins, for a 27-3 lead.

Peyton Robb ended the Raiders' streak with a tech fall as Owatonna won three out of four matches to pull within 30-21. No. 2 ranked Trey Rogers of Hastings clinched the match with a tech fall and Hastings went on to win 36-29.

In the consolation semifinals, Minnetonka won three of the first four matches for a 12-4 lead, but didn't win another match as Owatonna won 52-12. Robb, Cade King, Brandon Moen, Isaiah Noeldner and Griffin Thorn all won by pin. Nick Staska earned an overtime win.

Owatonna beat Willmar 30-29 in the consolation final. The Huskies got back-to-back wins from Nelson and Landen Johnson to open the dual. The Cardinals won the next four bouts for a 20-6 advantage. Again it was Robb who snapped the streak, this time with a pin. Parker Westphal and King followed with wins to put the Huskies up 21-20 after 160 pounds. State-ranked Lincoln Shinn earned a decision to put Willmar back ahead 23-21. Moen and Parker Holton won the next two for a 30-23 OHS lead.

Andrew Reigstad scored an upset win to trim the Huskies' lead to 30-26. That left the fate of the match to heavyweight. Owatonna's Got Tut, who is No. 10 ranked, nearly got pinned in the first period by No. 2 Brady Reigstad. Tut fought off the pin but trailed 5-0 after one period. He only allowed an escape in the second to trail 6-0. Tut stayed on his feet in the third to only lose by a decision and preserve an Owatonna 30-29 victory. Another take down by Reigstad would have forged a tie for the consolation crown.

Owatonna ended the dual meet season with a 27-6 record. Apple Valley won their 12th consecutive state title. Kasson-Mantorville repeated as AA champs. Zumbrota-Mazeppa won the A title. Overall, Section 1 teams went 8-1 during the team tournament.