Adrian sophomore Joey Bullerman (top) makes a bid to pin Windom-Mountain-Lake-Butterfield-Odin’s Colt Bergendahl during Thursday’s wrestling match in Adrian. Bullerman beat Bergendahl by technical fall to give the Dragons a 5-0 lead in a match AHS lost by a 36-26 tally.
By John Rittenhouse
A pair of state-ranked wrestling teams met Thursday in Adrian for a Red Rock Conference dual meet.
Class AA-ranked Windom-Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin and defending RRC champion Adrian, which is ranked in Class A, locked horns in a packed Adrian High School gym.
The visiting Cobras took advantage of the absence of Adrian’s three injured standouts (Levi Bullerman, 189; Trent Bullerman, 160, and Cody Reverts, 135) to upend the Dragons 36-26.
A six-match winning streak for W-ML-B-O late in the match sealed Adrian’s fate.
The Dragons led 20-15 after Dusty Bullerman pinned Travis Winters in 4:42 at 135 and Adam Voss edged Jason Kruger 9-8 at 140, but the Cobras outscored AHS 21-6 over the final seven matches to win by 10.
A 21-0 run for W-ML-B-O between 145 and 215 pounds proved to be the difference in the match.
The run consisted of Anthony Elg’s win by technical fall over Clint Metz at 145, and decision wins from Ryan Fast (8-2 over Tony Sauer at 152), Scott Winters (9-7 over Tom Slater at 160), Derek Hall (8-7 over Tyler Wolf at 171), Cody Anderson 5-4 over Brandon Schettler at 189) and Brady Janzen (9-1 major decision over Cody Lutmer at 215).
Adrian’s Josh Winselman pinned Jason Bolte in 4:33 during the heavyweight match to end W-ML-B-O’s winning streak.
The teams exchanged leads during the first five matches.
Adrian led 5-0 when Joey Bullerman posted a win by technical fall over Colt Bergendahl at 103, but the Cobras moved in front 6-5 with Travis Elg’s pin of Brandon Croat (1:52) at 112.
Brandon Bullerman regained the lead for AHS (11-6) by pinning Cody Bergendahl in 2:57 at 112 before W-ML-B-O used a pin from Nick Kulseth (1:41 over Josh Croat at 125) and a decision win from Jeff Stuckenbroker (7-2 over Pete Jensen at 130) to gain a 15-11 advantage.
Adrian, a team that opened the season with five straight wins, stands at 5-2 after the setback. The Dragons wrestle at a triangular meet in Jackson Jan. 7.
Match wrap-ups
103 (A) J.Bullerman t.f. Bergendahl.
112 (W) Elg pins B.Croat.
119 (A) B.Bullerman pins
Bergendahl.
125 (W) Kulseth pins Croat.
130 (W) Stuckenbroker pins
Jensen.
135 (A) D.Bullerman pins Winters.
140 (A) Voss dec. Kruger.
145 (W) Elg t.f. Metz.
152 (W) Fast dec. Sauer.
160 (W) Winters dec. Slater.
171 (W) Hall dec. Wolf.
189 (W) Anderson dec. Schettler.
215 (W) Janzen m.d. Lutmer.
275 (A) Winselman pins Bolte.