Bluejay Wrestling
Pierce High Boys Wrestling Competed at Mid-State Meet
By Peyton Brunckhorst
The Pierce High boy wrestlers battled at Mid-State Conference in Albion on Saturday, January 26. The team ended the day with a fourth place finish and 145.5 points.
The 150 pound conference champion, Brenden Bolling, scored 24.5 team points. In his first round he received a bye. In the quarterfinals, Bolling won by tech fall, 24-8 over Jesse Battles from O’Neill. Advancing to the semifinal round, Bolling won by tech fall over Carter Lueken from Boone Central, 21-6. To give Bolling his first place finish, he won by tech fall, 19-4 over Hunter Kruse of Battle Creek. Bolling also got his 100th career win at the conference tournament and said, “The team had a great conference tournament, and we all wrestled our best but we just have to get people away from injuries and being sick. It’s also exciting to reach 100 wins, it’s something everyone wants to have, but it’s more exciting because of the time and memories made than the matches won.”
Wrestling at 106, Tyler Oliveira lost by fall to Ashton Nelson of Crofton/Bloomfield in the quarter final round 9-2. In Oliveira’s consolation round, he was pinned by Tyi Miller of O’Neill.
Kolten Wragge, 113, placed second and scored 20 team points. In round one Wragge received a bye. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Owen Laska of Boone Central. In the semifinals, Wragge won by fall, over James Wells from Battle Creek. To place Wragge second, he fell to Ayden Wintz of Battle Creek.
A senior, Corbin Pfeil (120), scored six team points. In round one, Pfeil won by decision over John Kann from Norfolk Catholic. In Pfeil’s quarterfinal match, he won by medical forfeit over Gavin Hanson of Crofton/Bloomfield. In the semifinal and consolation semifinal, Pfeil medically forfeited to Tyan Thompson of Battle Creek and Ethan Gregory of Wayne.
Wrestling at 126, Draydin Gossman placed third and scored 12 team points. In the quarterfinal round, he received a bye. In the semifinals, Gossman lost by major decision to Maverick Heine of Cedar Catholic, 14-5. In the consolation semifinals, Gossman pinned Blue Zoucha from Boone Central. Advancing Gossman to his final match of the day, he won by fall over Will Leseberg of Wayne.
Elijah Streff (132), a senior, placed fourth and scored 11 team points. In round one, Streff won by decision, 5-2, over Cash Culliton of Crofton/Bloomfield. In the quarterfinals, Streff pinned Ryder Anderson-Ray from Guardian Angels Central Catholic. Advancing to the semifinal round, Streff lost by fall to Braeden Kleinschmit from Cedar Catholic. In the consolation semifinal round, Streff won by decision, 6-0 over Cash Culliton of Crofton/Bloomfield. To conclude Streff’s day, he lost by tech fall, 17-1 to Ashton Kuchar of Battle Creek.
Also wrestling 132, Brody Kesting received a bye in round one. In the quarterfinals, he lost by tech fall, 19-1 to Gavin Mauch from Boone Central. In consolation round two, Kesting lost by major decision, 15-4 to Cash Culliton of Crofton/Bloomfield.
At 138, Baiden Neuhalfen, scored one team point. In his first round of the day he received a bye. In the quarterfinals, Neuhalfen lost to Colton Juzenas of Boone Central by fall. In consolation round two, Neuhalfen won by decision, 9-7 over Noah Dorie from Boone Central.
To conclude Neuhalfen’s day, he was pinned by Gabriele Arrigoni of O’Neill.
Cooper Collins (144) scored three team points after receiving a bye in round one. In the quarterfinal round, Collins was pinned by Braeden Guenther of Crofton/Bloomfield. In consolation round two, Collins pinned Daevin Casarrubia from Wayne. In Collin’s last match of the day, he lost by fall to Devin Hassler of Battle Creek.
Wrestling at 157, Kaiden Ronnfeldt scored 16 team points and placed third. To start Ronnfeldt’s day, he received a bye in his first match. In the quarterfinal match, he won by decision over Alex Ramponi from Crofton/Bloomfield, 11-7. In the semifinals, Ronnfeldt lost by fall to Max Bruce of Crofton/Bloomfield. In the consolation semifinals, Ronnfeldt pinned Brody Kleinschmit from Cedar Catholic. To conclude Ronnfeldt’s day, he pinned Ian Yates of O’Neill.
Another senior, Peyton Kruntorad (165), scored four team points. To begin his day, he received a bye. In his second match, Kruntorad won by decision over Trey Tramp from Crofton/Bloomfield, 6-5. In Kruntorad’s third match, he lost by major decision to Pryor Mathews of O’Neill, 19-11. To conclude Kruntorad’s day, he lost by decision, 11-5, to Dusek of Norfolk Catholic.
Also wrestling at 165, Ethan Claussen lost his first match by major decision, 20-9, to Dusek. In consolation round one, Claussen received a bye. In consolation round 2 he lost by injury default to Kolton Vornhagen from Crofton/Bloomfield.
At 175, Jackson Fischer scored six team points. In round one, he pinned his teammate, Charlie Ottis. In Fischer’s second round, he got pinned by Cole Bostwick of Ponca. In consolation round two, Fischer received a bye. In consolation round three, he won by decision, 6-2, over Rilee Sellin of Battle Creek. In the consolation semifinals, Fischer was pinned by Casey Schnebel of Battle Creek.
Along with Fischer at 175 was Ottis. In Ottis’s first round he was pinned by Fischer. In Ottis’s first round of consolations, he received a bye. To conclude his day, he lost by fall, 12-1, to Miles Ramaker of Norfolk Catholic.
At 190, Kyle Kuehler placed third and scored 18 team points. Kuehler received a bye in his first round. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Luke Hagedorn of Guardian Angels Central Catholic. In the semifinals, Kuehler lost by tech fall, 16-0, to Brock Jeannoutot of Crofton/Bloomfield. In Kuehler’s consolation semi match, he pinned Charlie Watkins of Ponca. To finish Kuehler third, he pinned Maddox Hammerlun from O’Neill.
Finishing in fourth for Pierce was Christian Nordby (215) who won by fall over teammate Quintin Flesner in the first round. Nordby continued by pinning Nicholas Coleman from Cedar Catholic, but fell to Thomas Roberts of Boone Central in the semifinals. Nordby won by fall over Keaton Gregory of Wayne in the consolation semifinals, but lost in a 7-1 decision to Tyson Sanger of Crofton/Bloomfield in the third place match.
Logan Gubbels, also at 215, wrestled Sanger his first match, and got pinned. In his second match, he received a bye. In Gubbels final match, he fell to Coleman.
To add to the 215 pound group was Xavier Miller, who received a bye his first match. In his quarterfinal match, he got pinned by Sanger. In Miller’s third match he pinned his teammate, Flesner. In consolation round three, Miller wrestled Gregory and got pinned, which ended his day.
Q. Flesner (215), wrestled his teammate Nordby, and got pinned. In Flesner’s second match, he received a bye. To conclude Flesner’s day, he wrestled another teammate, Miller, and was pinned.
At 285, Boston Krueger placed fourth and scored nine team points. In his first match, he pinned Maddox Ziska of Wayne. In the semifinal round, Krueger lost by decision to Connor Heiderman of Battle Creek, 4-1. In Krueger’s third match he won by decision over Owen Kuchar from Crofton/Bloomfield, 4-1. To give Krueger his fourth place finish, he lost to Mason Planer of Battle Creek, 3-1.
The warbirds will take the mats on Saturday, February 1, at Boone Central.
