I thought the team came back today and really wrestled well.”

Park head coach Jim Labrosse

Park senior Gunnar Mullen was the Wolfpack’s only champion in the Section 3AAA individual wrestling meet Saturday, but three other Park wrestlers will be joining him at state.

Fourth-ranked Mullen, now 40-4 on the season steamrolled his way through the 172-pound bracket, finishing with a 18-0 technical fall victory of Woodbury’s Nic Lunemann in the finals. Mullen scored identical 17-2 technical falls in his first two matches.

Park senior captain Kyler Jubinal at 133 pounds, senior captain Joey Chilton at 139 pounds and junior Zach Carr at 152 each finished second and qualified for the state meet.

The Park quartet will compete Friday and Saturday in the Minnesota wrestling state tournament in the Xcel Energy Center at St. Paul. The Class AAA individual first round starts at 9 a.m. Friday. The quarterfinals are at 4 p.m. Friday. On Saturday the individual consolation quarterfinals and semifinals will begin at 9 a.m. with the third, fifth and championships starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.

There were highlights and lowlights for the Park wrestlers. Park was competing without several of its best wrestlers, including fifth-ranked junior Dylan Richardson at 189, freshmen Landen Brooks at 127 and freshman Nolan Bloch, all out with various injuries. Brooks and Richardson (38-3 this season) both qualified for state last season.

“I think we wrestled the best we could have today, with what we have,” said Park head coach Jim Labrosse. “It was a tough week. The last couple of weeks have been very difficult with all the injuries and concussion issues and knee issues. But with what we put out there today I thought we did a really good job.

“I thought the team came back today and really wrestled well,” Labrosse continued.

Mullen almost effortless sweep to the top was a definite highlight for the Wolfpack.

“It went good, I had three matches, got all techs, first round, so that was pretty cool,” said Mullen. “I just wanted to get it done with. I wanted to really dominate this tournament and I felt I did that.”

Mullen’s goal for the state meet remains unchanged. “Goal now – to be on top of that podium. I want to be a state champ."

Fifth-ranked at 133 pounds, Jubinal (36-9) scored a 58 second pin in his first match, then a fall in 3:06 in his second. He lost by technical fall to top-ranked Trey Beissel of Hastings in the championship but rallied with a 17-2 technical fall win in true second over Eagan’s Ryder Besse.

Chilton’s second-place finish was perhaps Park’s biggest surprise of the tournament. He scored falls in 38 and 4:30 in his first two matches, then lost by a 19-3 technical fall in the first-place match to Taylon Little Solider of Hastings.

“I feel so great right now,” said Chilton (24-16). “I’ve had a long career and I’m just a little filled with emotion right now. Honestly, 14 years of my wrestling career and it feels like everything is paying off and I feel great right now. My expectations were just to come in and do my best. I know I’m capable of going out and beating everybody so why not just give it my all.”

Carr (42-3) had two technical falls victories in his first two matches, winning 19-4 and 17-2. Carr, ranked fifth at 152, then ran into top-ranked Brad Little of Woodbury in the 152-pound final and dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision. Both wrestlers went at it strategically, but Little eventually score a 3-point takedown that proved to be difference in the match.

Eighth grader Jaxon Jubinal at 127 pounds and junior Jesse Wright at 215 each just missed a trip to the state tournament, each finishing third by narrow margins. Wright’s was possibly the toughest loss of the night as he was leading Elijah Christopher of Hastings 9-7 until the final seconds when Christopher pulled off a controversial three-point takedown.

Park senior Christian Massaquoi finished fifth at 160, senior Gabe Rainwater was sixth at 189 and junior Jairus Boston was fifth at 285.

Section 3AAA results

127 pounds

1st Place - Luke Gardner of Eagan

2nd Place - Nathan Chapeau of St. Thomas Academy

3rd Place - Jaxon Jubinal of Park

4th Place - Brock Lundstrom of Hastings

5th Place - Jackson Fuller of East Ridge

6th Place - Pierce Osburn of Woodbury

1st Place Match

Luke Gardner (Eagan) 25-10, Jr. over Nathan Chapeau (St. Thomas Academy) 13-16, 7th. (TF-1.5 3:27 (17-0))

2nd Place Match

Nathan Chapeau (St. Thomas Academy) 13-16, 7th. over Jaxon Jubinal (Park) 18-20, 8th. (Dec 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Jaxon Jubinal (Park) 18-20, 8th. over Brock Lundstrom (Hastings) 10-30, 8th. (TF-1.5 4:59 (17-2))

5th Place Match

Jackson Fuller (East Ridge) 8-17, So. over Pierce Osburn (Woodbury) 14-29, Jr. (Fall 0:28)

133 pounds

1st Place - Trey Beissel of Hastings

2nd Place - Kyler Jubinal of Park

3rd Place - Ryder Besse of Eagan

4th Place - Julian Rychlicki of Two Rivers

5th Place - Crew Roach of East Ridge

6th Place - Carter Stewart of Woodbury

1st Place Match

Trey Beissel (Hastings) 45-2, Jr. over Kyler Jubinal (Park) 36-9, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:04 (17-2))

2nd Place Match

Kyler Jubinal (Park) 36-9, Sr. over Ryder Besse (Eagan) 13-20, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:00 (17-2))

3rd Place Match

Ryder Besse (Eagan) 13-20, Jr. over Julian Rychlicki (Two Rivers) 10-13, So. (Fall 2:21)

5th Place Match

Crew Roach (East Ridge) 12-26, So. over Carter Stewart (Woodbury) 0-5, Jr. (MD 9-0)

139 pounds

1st Place - Taylon Little Soldier of Hastings

2nd Place - Joey Chilton of Park

3rd Place - Dino Tokin of Woodbury

4th Place - Abdi Ali of Eagan

5th Place - Payton Kinsella of East Ridge

6th Place - Jaxon Kraft of St. Thomas Academy

1st Place Match

Taylon Little Soldier (Hastings) 19-15, So. over Joey Chilton (Park) 24-16, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:22 (19-3))

2nd Place Match

Joey Chilton (Park) 24-16, Sr. over Dino Tokin (Woodbury) 24-10, Sr. (NC)

3rd Place Match

Dino Tokin (Woodbury) 24-10, Sr. over Abdi Ali (Eagan) 13-21, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:48 (19-3))

5th Place Match

Payton Kinsella (East Ridge) 6-28, Sr. over Jaxon Kraft (St. Thomas Academy) 16-16, Fr. (Fall 0:34)

152 pounds

1st Place - Brad Little of Woodbury

2nd Place - Zach Carr of Park

3rd Place - Josiah Solliday of St. Thomas Academy

4th Place - Bennett Brockman of Hastings

5th Place - Alexis Chavez Romero of Two Rivers

6th Place - Amir Maklad of East Ridge

1st Place Match

Brad Little (Woodbury) 34-1, Sr. over Zach Carr (Park) 42-3, Jr. (Dec 4-2)

2nd Place Match

Zach Carr (Park) 42-3, Jr. over Josiah Solliday (St. Thomas Academy) 25-11, Sr. (NC)

3rd Place Match

Josiah Solliday (St. Thomas Academy) 25-11, Sr. over Bennett Brockman (Hastings) 3-12, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:08 (20-4))

5th Place Match

Alexis Chavez Romero (Two Rivers) 7-10, Sr. over Amir Maklad (East Ridge) 5-18, Jr. (M. For.)

160 pounds

1st Place - Gabriel Cohn of St. Thomas Academy

2nd Place - Mark Svoboda of Hastings

3rd Place - Drew Altavilla of Two Rivers

4th Place - Reggie Wedan of Woodbury

5th Place - Christian Massequoi of Park

6th Place - Ilias Sikorski of St. Paul Central

1st Place Match

Gabriel Cohn (St. Thomas Academy) 30-5, Jr. over Mark Svoboda (Hastings) 36-12, Jr. (Dec 11-8)

2nd Place Match

Mark Svoboda (Hastings) 36-12, Jr. over Drew Altavilla (Two Rivers) 20-15, Jr. (NC)

3rd Place Match

Drew Altavilla (Two Rivers) 20-15, Jr. over Reggie Wedan (Woodbury) 9-9, Fr. (Dec 10-8)

5th Place Match

Christian Massequoi (Park) 6-13, Sr. over Ilias Sikorski (St. Paul Central) 5-8, Sr. (Fall 0:25)

172 pounds

1st Place - Gunnar Mullen of Park

2nd Place - Nic Lunemann of Woodbury

3rd Place - Kasen Esterby of Hastings

4th Place - Jonah Jensen of Eagan

5th Place - Ayden Ciceron of Two Rivers

6th Place - Andrew Phillips of East Ridge

1st Place Match

Gunnar Mullen (Park) 40-4, Sr. over Nic Lunemann (Woodbury) 34-12, Jr. (TF-1.5 1:20 (18-0))

2nd Place Match

Nic Lunemann (Woodbury) 34-12, Jr. over Kasen Esterby (Hastings) 18-16, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:16 (16-1))

3rd Place Match

Kasen Esterby (Hastings) 18-16, Jr. over Jonah Jensen (Eagan) 25-17, So. (Fall 0:57)

5th Place Match

Ayden Ciceron (Two Rivers) 14-17, Jr. over Andrew Phillips (East Ridge) 7-15, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:30 (18-1))

189 pounds

1st Place - Brooks Borman of St. Thomas Academy

2nd Place - Jayden Kinsel-Arredondo of Two Rivers

3rd Place - Adrian Fuchs of Hastings

4th Place - Alex Loes of Eagan

5th Place - Parker Taveirne of Woodbury

6th Place - Gabe Rainwater of Park

1st Place Match

Brooks Borman (St. Thomas Academy) 30-9, Jr. over Jayden Kinsel-Arredondo (Two Rivers) 24-9, Jr. (Fall 3:43)

2nd Place Match

Jayden Kinsel-Arredondo (Two Rivers) 24-9, Jr. over Adrian Fuchs (Hastings) 11-13, Fr. (NC)

3rd Place Match

Adrian Fuchs (Hastings) 11-13, Fr. over Alex Loes (Eagan) 14-19, Sr. (MD 14-3)

5th Place Match

Parker Taveirne (Woodbury) 22-20, Jr. over Gabe Rainwater (Park) 5-8, Sr. (Fall 2:47)

215 pounds

1st Place - Jake Merchlewitz of East Ridge

2nd Place - Elijah Christopher of Hastings

3rd Place - Jesse Wright of Park

4th Place - Luke Puglisi of Woodbury

5th Place - Chris Garcia of Eagan

6th Place - Tywon Carpenter of St. Paul Central

1st Place Match

Jake Merchlewitz (East Ridge) 19-6, Sr. over Elijah Christopher (Hastings) 23-15, So. (Fall 5:48)

2nd Place Match

Elijah Christopher (Hastings) 23-15, So. over Jesse Wright (Park) 26-21, Jr. (Dec 10-9)

3rd Place Match

Jesse Wright (Park) 26-21, Jr. over Luke Puglisi (Woodbury) 26-20, Jr. (Fall 2:38)

5th Place Match

Chris Garcia (Eagan) 13-16, So. over Tywon Carpenter (St. Paul Central) 5-5, Sr. (Fall 0:59)

285 pounds

1st Place - Cole Will of Eagan

2nd Place - Mitch Folks of Woodbury

3rd Place - Vincent Perri of St. Thomas Academy

4th Place - Nicholas Perez of East Ridge

5th Place - Jairus Boston of Park

6th Place - Gabe Dorham of Hastings

1st Place Match

Cole Will (Eagan) 8-1, Sr. over Mitch Folks (Woodbury) 26-20, Jr. (Fall 0:23)

2nd Place Match

Mitch Folks (Woodbury) 26-20, Jr. over Vincent Perri (St. Thomas Academy) 20-15, Jr. (NC)

3rd Place Match

Vincent Perri (St. Thomas Academy) 20-15, Jr. over Nicholas Perez (East Ridge) 15-19, Sr. (Fall 1:24)

5th Place Match

Jairus Boston (Park) 8-14, Jr. over Gabe Dorham (Hastings) 0-3, Jr. (M. For.)