Park sophomore Landen Brooks and senior captain Zack Carr wrestled their way to section titles, while sophomore Nolan Bloch and senior captain Jesse Wright both finished second in the Section 3AAA Individual meet at St. Thomas Academy Saturday.

All four Park wrestlers now move on to this week’s state wrestling tournament, held Wednesday through Saturday at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Class AAA individual wrestling begins Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first round of individual quarterfinals and wrestlebacks are Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with round two and individual semifinals from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The state tournament wraps up with wrestlebacks Saturday morning and then the third, fifth and first place finals on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

“Nolan missed out last year with a concussion so it’s good to get him in the tournament, he needs that tournament experience to get better, so we’re happy he got in at 14,” said Park head coach Jim LaBrosse. “Landen has had an injury-riddled year, but we got him in at 145 so, eighth seed, which I think he can do well. He has a tough run in the second round, obviously the No. 1 gut but we think we can come through the back door and get him on the podium.

“Zack Carr, he’s ranked two but seeded third, William Dirks of Brainard is ahead of him but we kind of figured we were going to see him in the semis if we win our first two, and I think we got a pretty good draw there, so that worked out well,” LaBrosse continued. “And a 215 Jesse Wright also missed last year on that last second and it was really good to see him bump up and beat (Elijah) Christopher in our dual and kind of avenge that loss from last year and then he has a really good semifinal match against the Hastings kid and ended up winning 20 to 16, I think.

“We’re excited to have all four of them go. It’s been a tough year up and down, but these guys came through in the end, and we were hoping to get one or two more, but things just didn’t work out in the favor, and we’re young, so it’s a very young team and I think the future is very bright.”

It will be a new tournament for three of Park’s four wrestlers. Carr competed in last year’s state meet but lost his first and only match.

 

The goals of the four Wolfpack wrestlers vary wildly, from Bloch's goal to win a match at state to Carr's desire to stand at the top of the podium.

 

"The goal is state championship," said Carr, who will be wrestling in his fifth state tournament. "I'm ready."

 

The key for state success, Carr said, is "just not overthinking it and not playing in anybody's part and just wrestling how I wrestle. Not really worrying about anybody else."

 

Unlike Carr, this will be the first state tournament for Wright.

 

"Hopefully go out there and show some people what I can do," said Wright, who didn't draw a high seed going in. "Things aren't obviously looking the best on paper but got nothing to lose. Just going to go out there and give my all and see what happens."

 

In the section finals Saturday, Park’s eighth-ranked Brooks scored a 17-2 technical fall over Eagan’s Luke Gardner in 2:05 in the 145-pound finals.

Second-ranked Carr followed closely with a 19-4 technical fall over Presley McCrae of Hastings in 1:48 at 152 pounds.

Bloch dropped a technical fall decision to Connor Bischof of St. Thomas Academy in the 114-pound finals, then finished second with a win over Ben Tokin of Woodbury.

Wright lost by a fall in the 215-pound finals, then took second with a 20-16 win over Adrian Fuchs of Hastings.

Park’s TJ Richardson took third at 127 pounds, Jaxon Jubinal was fourth at 133, Alex Wright got fourth at 160, Corbin Cortinas fourth at 189 and Aiden Winsor fourth at 285. Nolan Gelhar was fifth at 107, Jackson Van Horn was sixth at 121 and Jon Wagner sixth at 172. All eight of those Park wrestlers are eligible to return next season.

Section 3AAA Individual

107 --1st: Connor Bischof (St. Thomas Academy) 2nd: Nolan Bloch (Park)
145 -- 1st: Landen Brooks (Park) 2nd: Luke Gardner (Eagan)
152 -- 1st: Zack Carr (Park) 2nd: Presley McCrae (Hastings)
215 -- 1st: Brooks Borman (St. Thomas Academy) 2nd: Jesse Wright (Park)

Medal Match Results
107 -- 5th – Nolan Gelhar (Park) F. Julian Beaubien (St. Paul Central), 2:35
114 -- 1st – Connor Bischof (St. Thomas Academy) T.F. Nolan Bloch (Park), 20-4 (3:42)
2nd – Nolan Bloch (Park) Rule Ben Tokin (Woodbury),
121 -- 5th – Pierce Osburn (Woodbury) F. Jackson Van Horn (Park), 3:04
127 -- 2nd – Emiliano Carrillo (Two Rivers) F. TJ Richardson (Park), 4:28
3rd – TJ Richardson (Park) Dec. Colton Kraft (St. Thomas Academy), 10-6
133 -- 3rd – Clark Bryant (Woodbury) F. Jaxon Jubinal (Park), 0:27
145 -- 1st – Landen Brooks (Park) T.F. Luke Gardner (Eagan), 17-2 (2:05)
152 -- 1st – Zack Carr (Park) T.F. Presley McCrae (Hastings), 19-4 (1:48)
160 -- 3rd – Drew Altavilla (Two Rivers) Dec. Alex Wright (Park), 12-9
172 -- 5th – Ty Outhavong (Woodbury) F. Jon Wagner (Park), 3:22
189 -- 3rd – Nathaniel Li (Eagan) Dec. Corbin Cortinas (Park), 12-6
215 -- 1st – Brooks Borman (St. Thomas Academy) F. Jesse Wright (Park), 3:27
2nd – Jesse Wright (Park) Rule Adrian Fuchs (Hastings),
285 -- 3rd – Elijah Christopher (Hastings) F. Aiden Winsor (Park), 1:49