Members of the Adrian High School wrestling team gather around the trophy it earned by placing second at the Minnesota State Class AA Team Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul over the weekend. Team members include (front, left to right) Andrea Henning, Katie Bertrand, Jenni McCann, Dawn Bullerman, Jodi Bullerman, (row two) Jordan Reker, Dillon Minor, Tony Thier, Joey Bullerman, Pete Jensen, Michal Barrie, Dusty Bullerman, Brandon Croat, coach Randy Schettler, (row three) coach Pat Dorn, Nate Engelkes, Brandon Bullerman, Tony Sauer, Trent Bullerman, Tyler Wolf, Levi Bullerman, Tyler Wolf, coach Gregg Nelson, (back row) coach Bruce Loosbrock, Cody Lutmer, Josh Winselman, Tom Slater and Cody Reverts.By John RittenhouseAdrian’s sixth appearance at the Minnesota State Wrestling Championships as a team turned into its most successful performance at the state level last weekend in St. Paul.The Dragon boys won their first two matches before falling to a mighty St. Michael-Albertville team in the Class AA Championship match, leaving AHS with state runner-up status.Adrian teams from 1981 and 1985 placed third in Class A competition, but those efforts were passed by the 2003-04 Dragons.Adrian met three state-ranked teams and defeated two of them at the Xcel Energy Center.The Dragons, who were ranked fourth in Class AA entering the event, defeated No. 3 Milaca-Faith Christian 30-27 in Thursday’s quarterfinals before besting No. 5 Stewartville 30-24 in the semifinals Friday. SM-A, the state’s top-ranked team, defended its status by upending the Dragons 32-22 in Saturday’s championship match.Adrian ends the season with a 36-6 record.SM-A 32, Adrian 22The No. 1-ranked Knights raced to an early lead and never looked back while posting a 10-point win over the Dragons in Saturday’s championship match.SM-A won the first three matches and six of the first eight to build a commanding 26-7 lead that it would never relinquish.The Knights led 13-0 when Andy Hackenmueller topped Tony Thier 9-5 at 103, Mike Thorn handed Joey Bullerman a 15-4 major decision setback at 112 and Brandon Dick pinned Brandon Croat in 17 seconds at 119.Adrian’s Michal Barrie ended SM-A’s three-match winning streak by topping Joe Grygelko 7-4 at 125, but Knight Chat Little countered with an 11-2 major decision over Pete Jensen at 130 to make it a 17-3 match.After Adrian’s Brandon Bullerman secured a 12-2 major decision against Steve Hegland at 140, SM-A received a 3-2 win from Mickey Kirk (over Dusty Bullerman) and a pin from Jake Grygelko (3:11 over Nate Engelkes) at 140 and 145 to open a 21-point lead at 26-7.Dragon Tony Sauer nipped Josh Becker 3-2 at 152, but the Knights iced the match when Chas Betts topped Cody Reverts 12-9 at 160 and Luke Vetsch bested Trent Bullerman 5-2 at 171 to make it a 32-10 difference.Adrian won the next three matches with Levi Bullerman upending John Grygelko 6-2 at 189, Cody Lutmer pinning Mark Kasper in 2:31 at 215 and Josh Winselman nipping Caleb McEachern 2-1 at heavyweight to make it a 10-point difference in the end.Match wrap-up103 (S) Hackenmueller dec. Thier.112 (S) Thorn m.d. J.Bullerman.119 (S) Dick pins Croat.125 (A) Barrie dec. Grygelko.130 (S) Little m.d. Jensen.135 (A) B.Bullerman m.d. Hegland.140 (S) Kirk dec. D.Bullerman.145 (S) Grygelko pins Engelkes.152 (A) Sauer dec. Becker.160 (S) Betts dec. Reverts.171 (S) Vetsch dec, T.Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman dec. Grygelko.215 (A) Lutmer pins Kasper.275 (A) Winselman dec. McEachern.Adrian 30,Stewartville 24The Dragons used a three-match winning streak at the end of the battle to best the Tigers by six points during Friday’s semifinals.Stewartville sported a 24-18 lead after Tony Gehling nipped Trent Bullerman 3-2 at 171, but Adrian scored 12 points in the final three matches to advance to the finals.Levi Bullerman knotted the score at 24 when he pinned Ryan Ament in 1:11 at 189, and the Dragons led 27-24 when Lutmer topped Greg Reeves 6-1 at 189.The Dragons still needed a win from heavyweight Winselman to clinch the victory and the AHS senior delivered by recording an escape point with 22 seconds remaining in third period of his match against Richard Waugh.Adrian received a pin from Joey Bullerman at 112 pounds (2:27 over Zach Struckman), but the Dragons faced a 9-6 deficit after the first four matches of the event. Stewartville’s Derek Stolarzk (5-1 over Thier at 103), Cody Roeder (4-0 over Croat at 119) and Nate Chihak (4-1 over Jensen at 125) gave the Tigers a three-point lead early in the match.Barrie gave the Dragons a 12-9 lead when he pinned Nate Feltis in 1:40 at 130, but Stewartville tied the match at 12 with Cole Roeder’s 5-2 decision win over Brandon Bullerman at 135.Adrian led 15-12 when Dusty Bullerman bested Matt Lawson 6-3 at 140, but the Tigers moved in front by six points (21-15) when Mike Schmitz pinned Engelkes in 3:35 at 145 and Cody Schmitz edged Sauer 6-4 at 152.Reverts posted a 6-3 decision win over Andrew Beyer at 160 to make it a 21-18 tally before Gehling won by decision over Trent Bullerman at 171.Match wrap-up103 (S) Stolarzk dec. Thier.112 (A) J.Bullermanpins Struckman.119 (S) Roeder dec. Croat.125 (S) Chihak dec. Jensen.130 (A) Barrie pins Feltis.135 (S) Roeder dec. B.Bullerman.140 (A) D.Bullerman dec. Lawson.145 (S) Schmit pins Engelkes.152 (S) Schmitz pins Sauer.160 (A) Reverts dec. Beyer.171 (S) Gehling dec. Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Ament.215 (A) Lutmer dec. Reeves.275 (A) Winselman dec. Waugh.Adrian 30, M-FC 27Another late-match rally by the Dragons ended with a three-point win over the Wolves during Thursday’s quarterfinal-round match.The Dragons trailed 27-18 when M-FC’s Andy Kotsmith posted a 3:55 pin over Cody Reverts at 160 and Mitch Vedders won a 9-3 decision over Trent Bullerman at 171, but AHS scored 12 team points in the final three matches to steal the victory.Levi Bullerman ignited the rally by pinning Steven Jacobson in 1:53 at 189 before Lutmer tied the score at 27 with a 7-0 win over Andy Peterson at 215.Winselman came up big for the Dragons in the final match when he used an escape with seven seconds left in the second overtime period to edge Chris Peterson 2-1 at heavyweight.The teams exchanged wins to start the match. M-FC received a decision win from David Jacobson (10-6 over Dillon Miner at 103) and a major decision victory from Josh DeHart (13-3 over Croat at 119). Adrian countered with a pin from Joey Bullerman (2:49 over Chuck LeMee at 112) and a major decision win from Barrie (13-3 over Cody Kragt) at 125 to take a 10-6 advantage.The Wolves answered the challenge by winning the next three matches to open an 18-10 advantage. John Fradette beat Jensen by technical fall at 130, Steven Vedders beat Brandon Bullerman 13-10 at 135 and Clay Hoeck edged Dusty Bullerman 6-4 at 140 during M-FC’s surge.The Dragons bounced back to tie the match at 18 when Engelkes topped Ben Johnson 4-2 at 145 and Sauer secured a technical fall win over Axel Totzke at 152.Match wrap-up103 (M) Jacobson dec. Miner.112 (A) J.Bullerman pins LaMee.119 (M) DeHart m.d. Croat.125 (A) Barrie m.d. Kragt.130 (M) Fradette t.f. Jensen.135 (M) Vedders dec. B.Bullerman.140 (M) Hoeck dec. D.Bullerman.145 (A) Engelkes dec. Johnson.152 (A) Sauer t.f. Totzke.160 (M) Kotsmith pins Reverts.171 (M) Vedders dec. T.Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Jacobson.215 (A) Lutmer dec, Peterson.275 (A) Winselman dec. Peterson.
