BY HERMAN LENSING
Staff Writer
Six of the seven Huskers that went to the mat on Friday finished in the medal round of the Big Lake Invite.
James Welle (145) and Alex Lange (152) both earned third place medals. Blake Sigler (160) also wrestled for third, but finished in fourth place.
Welle, now 6-2 on the year, started his day with a 44 second pin, but was edged 7-6 by eventual 145 champion Tanner Blommer of Apollo in the semi-finals. Welle then recorded a 1:47 pin in the second round of wrestlebacks and took third place with a pin at 2:43.
Lange (3-3) rallied from being pinned at 1:16 in the first round to earn third. He reached the second round of wrestlebacks with a bye, then pinned his opponent at 2:59 of the second round of wrestlebacks. He ended the third place match 1:50 with a pin.
Sigler (3-4) also fought his way through the wrestlebacks after falling 11-0 in the first round. He squeaked through the first round of wrestlebacks 8-7, then pinned his next opponent at 5:48 to qualify for the third place match. He was pinned at 2:33 and earned fourth place.
Trent Sand, 170 (3-5) opened his day pinning his opponent at 3:21 in the first round, but then found it a bit tougher. He fell by technical fall (16-0) at 3:16 of the semi-finals, was pinned at 4:38 of the wrestleback second round, and took sixth after being pinned at 4:45 of the fifth place match.
Also taking fifth were Tate Lange (126, 1-5) and Caleb Loomis (138, 1-3). Tate Lange posted a technical fall win (16-0) at 3:43 of the first round of wrestlebacks after being pinned at :25 of the first round. A 12-0 loss in the second round of wrestlebacks sent him into the fifth place match where he fell 6-4.
Loomis pinned his first wrestleback opponent at 1:54, after being pinned at 1:38 in the first round. He was sent to the fifth place match when he was pinned at 1:47 in the second round of wrestlebacks. He took sixth place falling 10-4 in his final match.
Brian Skroch (106, 0-4) fell 11-2 in the first round, and was pinned at 2:51 of the first wrestlebacks ending his day.
Holdingford finished ninth as a team on the day. The Huskers are in action Friday at the Redwood Valley Tournament.
Big Lake team scores: 1-Big Lake 196.0, 2-Albany 168.5, 3-Sartell 149.0, 4-Rush City/Braham 138.5, 5-North Branch 121.0, 6-St. Cloud Apollo 97.0, 7-Monticello 95.5, 8-Zimmerman 81.5, 9-Holdingford 64.5, 10-Pine City/Hinckley Finlayson 46.0.