Owatonna Wrestlers Roar Past Rochester Mayo

Owatonna's wrestlers opened their Big Nine dual meet season with a 54-13 victory at Mayo on Thursday night. The fourth-ranked Huskies go to Chanhassen on Saturday.

After losing the first match, OHS won the next eight on their way to a convincing win. Seventh-grader Landon Johnson started the streak with a win by pin at 113 pounds. Hayden Fox pulled out a 4-2 overtime win after surrendering the tying points in the closing seconds of regulation.

Joe Fox won by decision at 126 pounds. Trevor Schroeder and Cory Ulrich won by major decision. Two-time defending state champ Peyton Robb worked a pin at 1:02 at 145 pounds. Cade King and Parker Westphal followed with two more pins. Westphal made a great throw that led to a pin early in the second period and was named the Kottke Jewelers' Wrestler of the Meet. The Huskies had built a 38-3 lead at that point.

Mayo won two of the next three matches with a Nick Staska win by pin at 182 sandwiched in between. Griffin Thorn got a forfeit win at 220. Goy Tut closed the night with a dominating 13-0 victory over a wrestler significantly larger than him, but who showed no interest in engaging Tut and was warned for stalling three times.

Owatonna (1-0) will compete in an individual tournament at Chanhassen on Saturday. They return to Big Nine action Thursday, December 15, at Northfield against the Raiders and Mankato West. OHS coach Adam Woitalla is a Northfield grad and was on their coaching staff last season.