The Cardinal wrestlers suffered four team losses but were able to secure three individual medals in competition over the past week.
On Thursday, Jan. 27, the Cardinals traveled to Tracy for four team matchups, and on Saturday they went to Wabasso for an invitational.
Luverne wrestlers will compete in _____ and _____ in the coming week.
Wabasso Invitational
A few individuals found success at the Wabasso Invitational, and for the second time this season, three Cardinal wrestlers returned home with medals.
Wrestling at 126, seventh-grader Hudson Hough received a first-round bye before suffering a loss to William Flowers of Wabasso.
In consolation, Hough first defeated Nolan Hanson from Wabasso before pinning Norwood Young-America’s Jack Kloempkin.
Hough then dropped a 11-4 decision to Mason Hansen from Paynesville Area and received sixth place.
Luverne’s Noah Mehlhaff won his first-round match at 132 by defeating Quad County’s Gage Corner, but he suffered a second round 10-2 defeat to Paynesville Area’s Brandon Hess.
In consolation, Mehlhaff strung together three consecutive wins in order to achieve fifth place.
He first pinned LeSeur-Henderson’s Wyatt Genelin before besting Redwood Valley’s Jordan Matson 16-10. In the fifth-place match, Mehlhaff pinned LeSueur-Henderson’s Mark Boisjolie at the end of the first period.
The Cardinals’ Braydon Ripka, wrestling at 145, received a first-round bye before defeating Benson’s Jaiden Zimmerman in a 22-7 technical fall. Ripka then won his semi-final match 14-7 over Dylan Novak from LeSueur-Henderson.
In the finals, Ripka met Javier Jackson from Quad County and battled him for three straight periods but eventually suffered a 1-0 decision.
“The tournament went well, but I lost a tough match in the championship, and I wish I had that one back,” Ripka said. “Losing 1-0 is always difficult,” Ripka said.
Head coach Jordan Kopp agreed. “I just wish he could wrestle that kid again, because I know the outcome would be different,” Kopp said.
“I’m proud of the individual performances over the past week with the quad and tournament, but we need to begin to prepare for the section tournaments.”
Tracy Quadrangular
On Thursday, Jan. 27, the team traveled to Tracy for four team matchups.
Fulda/MCC beat the Cardinals 56-16, Red Rock Central beat Luverne 42-30, Springfield downed the Cardinals 45-36, and Tracy came out on top of Luverne 72-10.
Despite the four team losses, three wrestlers came home with a winning record.
Wrestling at 132, Luverne senior Noah Mehlhaff posted three wins with only a single loss. He beat Fulda’s Aiden Lorenzen in a 12-11 decision and pinned both Springfield’s Paytin Johnson as well as Tracy’s Zachary Swanson.
Zach Bradley at 138 secured three wins for the Cardinals also. Bradley pinned Fulda’s Owen Olsem, Springfield’s Joe Jensen, and Red Rock Central’s Andrew Pankonin en route to a 3-1 night.
Ripka earns 100th win to join “elite seven” at LHS
Luverne senior Braydon Ripka earned four victories in Tracy and achieved a milestone in his career as a Cardinal wrestler.
Wrestling at 145, Ripka pinned Red Rock Central’s Jacob Amsden, received a forfeit against Springfield, beat Tracy’s Gage Struchen in a 9-0 major decision, and posted a 15-6 major decision against Fulda’s Carter Benda to round out his 4-0 night.
With his victory over Fulda’s Carter Benda, Ripka reached the milestone 100th win of his career.
“It feels great to be in the top seven total wins in LHS history,” added Ripka. “I hope to make it in the top five before my career ends.”