Elgin buckles down, advances to semifinal round
A individual
MINNEAPOLIS -- Jake Elgin appears to be all business this year at the state wrestling tournament.
The Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale senior dominated two opponents Thursday as he battled his way into the Class A semifinals in the 189-pound weight class at Target Center.
Elgin, who hasn't placed in his two previous trips to state, pinned Travis Desing of Barnesville at 1:40 in the first round and then disposed of Darren Lieser of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in 1:23 in the quarterfinals.
"Last year I stayed up too late every night," said Elgin, who also won his match in the team portion of the tournament during the evening session. "I screwed up. The experience helps but everybody I face is going to be different."
Elgin is now 33-3 on the year and will face Johnny Frank of Wabasso (35-1) in the semifinals tonight. Elgin had to wrestle three times Thursday and will go at least twice the next two days as well.
"Winning quickly doesn't wear you out as much," Elgin said. "You have twice as much energy."
In the quarterfinal match, Elgin caught Lieser in an arm bar and forced his shoulders to the mat.
"It was a surprise (to beat him that quickly)," Elgin said. "I got him with an around-the-world. I tried a few moves that didn't work and waited for the right moment."
Elgin is not the only Raider to advance to the semifinals today. Reggie Rach, at 135 pounds, took out Mark Andres of Pierz in the preliminaries 17-3 and beat Cody Geiser of New York Mills 6-3 in the next round.
Rach, who next faces Mitch Kuhlman of Medford in the semifinals, has beaten Geiser five times in their careers. New York Mills and B-H/V both compete in the Park Region Conference.
"They've wrestled for several years because they're in our conference," Raiders coach Steve Techam said. "They always have close matches. It could have gone either way.
"(Rach) controls himself on his feet. He made sure he was in control."
The Raiders qualified seven in the individual portion of the event. Jared Oyster, Joeb Oyster, Cullen Captain and Jake Richter will all compete in the wrestlebacks today.
Pierz had four wrestlers competing individually with two -- senior Chris Young at 160 pounds and sophomore Aaron Kloss at 119 -- winning both of their matches.
Young, the No. 1 rated wrestler at 160, recorded two pins, including Glen Haburn of Osakis in the quarterfinals in 1:40.
"I was up for this match," said Young, a senior who is 35-0 this season. "I felt I wrestled the best match I could have wrestled. This is my year; my last chance."
Young has been at the state meet five years in a row, four individually, and said he's a lot more confident this year than in years past. He was third last year and second two years ago.
Kloss (23-2) is only a 10th-grader, but wrestles like a seasoned veteran. He placed fifth as an eighth-grader and was third last year.
"I was going to go out there and do what I had to do," said Kloss, who pinned Brian Miller of Montgomery-Lonsdale in 3:13 in the quarterfinals. "I was less nervous. It gets easier every year."
Class A area results
103 -- Craig Luberts (Pierz) def. Tim Brockway (LeCenter) 8-1; Jared Oyster (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) def. Jason Cazett (Meadow Creek) 4-3; Eric Sanders (Wabasha-Kellogg) def. Luberts 4-0; Chris Werth (St. James) def. Jared Oyster 16-3
112 -- Aaron Solberg (MC) def. Joeb Oyster (B-H/V) 4-1
119 -- Cullen Captain (B-H/V) pinned Adam Hunt (LeCenter) 2:57; Aaron Kloss (P) def. Craig Zamzow (Dover-Eyota) 13-1; Jake Anderson (Pelican Rapids) pinned Captain 5:29; Kloss pinned Brian Miller 3:13
125 -- Jake Richter (B-H/V) tech. fall Brandon Irlbeck (Wabasso) 4:59; Derrick Klocke (Hayfield) def. Richter 14-3
130 -- Chase Thielen (BDRSH) def. Jake Oyster (B-H/V) 6-3
135 -- Reggie Rach (B-H/V) def. Mark Andres (P) 17-3; Rach def. Cody Geiser (New York Mills) 6-3
160 -- Chris Young (P) pinned Luke Rudie (Fertile-Beltrami) 3:09; Young pinned Glen Haburn (Osakis) 1:40
189 -- Jake Elgin (B-H/V) pinned Travis Desing (Barnesville) 1:40; Elgin pinned Darren Lieser (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) 1:23