Champions!!

Waseca County schools sent nine wrestlers to the Minnesota State High School League tournament last weekend. Two of them found gold: Keegan Kuball of WEM-JWP and Annabelle Petsinger of NRHEG returned home state champions.

Kuball, a sophomore wrestling at 285 pounds, defeated Cameron Scholten of Jackson County Central to become  the 4th Grizzly individual state champion. The two schools, WEM-JWP, co-opted in 2008. Will Storch was the last Grizzly to win gold at state at 220 pounds in 2018.

Petsinger, a junior wrestling 120 pounds in the girls’ division, defeated Stillwater’s Audrey Rogotzke to become NRHEG’s first female state champion, and the school’s 7th individual champion; the first since Krey Cory in 2007. 

Going home with a bronze medal at 285 pounds was Makota Misgen of NRHEG. Misgen was a runner-up in the Class A state tournament in 2022 and lost to Kuball in this year’s semifinals match.

Grizzly freshman Brady Murphy lost in heartbreaking fashion, coming home in fourth with both of his losses coming to Elijah Greenwaldt of Stapes Motley. Senior Jack Cahill, also a Grizzly, went 1-2 and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket. 

Waseca sent seniors Payton Garza, Christian Rodriguez and freshman Matthew Veroeven to the dance. Garza, wrestling at 195 pounds, was the lone Bluejay to log a victory, defeating Section 7 champion Jack Hanson by an 8-1 decision. Garza was then pinned by eventual state champion Joey Novak of New Prague, who pinned his way to the title to finish with a 51-2 record.

Rodriguez was decisioned 11-2 in the opening round by Rock Ridge junior Damian Tapio, the Section 7 champion who dropped a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals before going on to take fourth place and finish 48-7.

Veroeven was pinned by Maxx Olson of FMCW, a senior who did not place and compiled a 38-8 record. Veroeven finished 29-10.