Trojan wrestlers ready for season finale at Prior Lake

New Prague’s wrestling team split a pair of matches last week, losing to conference rival Hutchinson and then defeating New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva. The Trojans are 2-2 in the Missota Conference and 16-16 overall going into their regular season finale Thursday at Prior Lake.

Thursday’s varsity match will be at approximately 6:15 p.m., and will be followed by a match between Ridgewater Community College and Augsburg College JV. Justin Turek, a state champion last year for New Prague, is a member of the Ridgewater team.

Tigers 33, Trojans 22

Hutchinson won six of the first seven matches to build a 24-4 lead, with Alex Minette getting the Trojans on the board with a major decision at 125 pounds.

But the tables turned as New Prague won five of the next six matches. Travis Rutt (145) won by major decision, Eric Olson (152) won by decision, Kevin Olson (171) won by pinfall, Matt Arens (189) won by decision and Jake Schoenecker (215) won by decision. That made the score 27-23 going into the final match. Hutchinson’s Mike May, rated eighth in Class AA at 275 pounds, pinned his opponent to clinch the win for the Tigers.

Hutchinson 33; New Prague 23

103: Hansen (H) dec. Redding 8-6;

112: Madson (H) pinned Cole 1:38;

119: Miller (H) dec. E. Pendergast 6-2;

125: Minette (NP) m. dec. Manderscheid 10-2;

130: Bomstad (H) pinned D. Doran :35;

135: Meuleners (H) dec. Nelson 5-3;

140: Sorensen (H) dec. Becker 5-2;

145: Rutt (NP) m. dec. Michel 16-2;

152: E. Olson (NP) dec. Wendland 7-2;

160: Ellis (H) dec. Lines 5-4;

171: K. Olson (NP) pinned J. Schluetter 3:03;

189: Arens (NP) dec. T. Schlueter 14-9;

215: Schoenecker (NP) dec. Kurth 7-4;

275: May (H) pinned Shambour 1:34.

Trojans 37, Panthers 32

New Prague opened with wins by Aaron Redding (103) by pinfall and Erick Pendergast (112) by major decision. But the Panthers won the next five matches and led 23-10.

The Trojans won three straight, with Rutt (145) winning by forfeit, Eric Olson (152) by major decision and Kevin Olson (160) by pinfall. That made it 26-23 New Prague.

A decision by the Panthers at 171 tied it at 26-26. New Prague forfeited at 189, giving NRHEG a 32-26 lead, but then Arens (215) won by pinfall to tie it at 32-32 and then Schoenecker dominated his opponent at 275 and won by technical fall, making it 37-32.

New Prague 37,

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 32

103: Redding (NP) pinned Perkins 4:38;

112: E. Pendergast (NP) m. dec. Moen 9-0;

119: B. Schlaak (NR) m. dec. Minette 10-2;

125: Bartness (NR) pinned D. Doran 1:36;

130: C. Schlaak (NR) tech fall Murchison 15-0;

135: Cory (NR) m. dec. Becker 17-4;

140: Petranek (NR) m. dec. C. Pendergast 19-8;

145: Rutt (NP) won by forfeit;

152: E. Olson (NP) m. dec. Rysavy 10-1;

160: K. Olson (NP) pinned Bartness 3:51;

171: Brekke (NR) dec. Lines 4-1;

189: Hollland (NR) won by forfeit;

215: Arens (NP) pinned Theuer (time na);

275: Schoenecker (NP) tech fall Root 21-6.