WILLMAR -- After six hours of wrestling not much more than a half-nelson separated Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg from Yellow Medicine East at the Willmar Invitational Friday.
With just one senior in the lineup, the Fighting Saints nudged the Sting 207.5 points to 206 for their second invitational win inside a week's time.
Willmar, the host team, took third with 177 points followed by Minnewaska Area, the champion in both 2003 and 2004, in fourth.
Both the Fighting Saints and the Sting placed seven in the championship round, but KMS came away with four champions to YME's two.
At 215 pounds, Brad Kneisl delivered vital points for KMS with his third pin of the day facing Chris Carruth of Benson. The broad-shoulder sophomore made his three sticks in a total time of 5:02.
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KMS heavyweight Cody Kinney, a junior, capped the KMS victory with a 6-4 decision over Josh Jordan of Sauk Centre.
YME's two wins came at the first two weights from Logan Johnson and Austen Cole, a repeat winner.
Willmar's champions were Brandt Haglund, who also won in 2005, Brandon Reickman, and Trent Molacek. Heavyweight Adam Kremer wrestled for the first time and was 3-1 with three falls and an overtime loss.
Sam Goracke of Minnewaska repeated his title here of a year ago.
Brad Plumhoff was Benson's only champion.
Kevin Steinhaus of KMS repeated as champion, pinning Landen Cole of YME in 4:25. Cole had handed Willmar's Drew Larson his first loss, 4-3, in the semifinals.
Jacob Engler of KMS beat Erik Borgos of Willmar 7-3 in the 119 final.
Eden Valley-Watkins, the 2005 champions, didn't return. A classroom chemical spill Wednesday canceled classes and athletic activities for the remainder of the week as a cautionary measure.
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Individual results
103 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Kurt Timmons, KMS, bye ... Gage Sachs, Min, pin Mason Pomerleau, Wi;l, 2:24 ... Logan Johnson, YME, bye ... Derek Helmer, RCW, bye
SEMIFINALS: Timmons dec Sachs 14-13 ... Johnson pin Helmer 2:41
CONSOLATION: Helmer dec Pomerleau 15-9 ... 5th place: Pomerleau ... 3rd place: Sachs pin Helmer 1:18
CHAMPIONSHIP: Johnson pin Timmons 2:30
112 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Austen Cole, YME, bye ... Tyler Fagen, RCW, bye ... Klinton Van Heuveln, KMS, bye ... Shane Trattles, SC, dec Adam Fagerstrom, Wil, 10-4 ...
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SEMIFINALS: Cole techfall Fagen 3:32 ... Trattles dec Van Heuveln 9-2
CONSOLATION: Fagerstrom dec Fagen 5-2 ... 5th place: Fagen ... 3rd place: Fagerstrom dec Van Heuveln 3-2
CHAMPIONSHIP: Cole dec Trattles 7-0
119 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Eric Borgas, Wil, dec Mitch Agre, RCw, 9-3 ... Lucian Grow, SC, bye ... Jacob Engler, KMS, bye ... Brett Hoffman, Ben, dec Jordan Hegna, YME, 7-3
SEMIFINALS: Borgas dec Grow 5-2 ... Engler dec Hoffman 4-2
CONSOLATION: Hoffman pin Agre 4:46 ... Grow de Hegna 9-8 ... 5th place: Hegna dec Agre 7-3 ... 3rd place: Hoffman dec Grow 7-2
CHAMPIONSHIP: Engler dec Borgas 7-3
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125 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Tanner Aus, YME, pin Chase Hubert, SC, 3:24 ... Cody McLagan, RCW, bye ... Ryan Thompson, Ben, pin Berto Cruz, Wil, 3:41 ... Justin Frederick, Min, pin Aaron Doraska, KMS, 1:25
SEMIFINALS: Aus pin McLagan 3:07 ... Frederick dec Thompson 10-7
CONSOLATION: Doraske pin Cruz 3:40 ... Thompson maj Hubert 12-0 ... Dorasks pin McLagan 1:21 ... 5th place: McLagan pin Hubert 2:31 ... 3rd place: Thompson pin Doraska 4:02
CHAMPIONSHIP: Frederick dec Aus 5-4
130 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Brad Plumhoff, Ben, dec Cam Schafer, Min, 12-6 ... Nick Braun, Wil, bye ... Zach Freiborg, RCw, pin Zach Salto, SC, 2:30 ... Justin Tongen, YME, pin Trevor Mahlum, KMS, :24
SEMIFINALS: Plumhoff dec Braun 10-4 ... Tongen pin Freiborg 4:51
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CONSOLATION: Mahlum dec Salto 7-0 ... Schafer dec Freiborg 7-1... Braun maj Mahlum 10-0 ... 5th place: Freiborg pin Mahlum 1:52 ... 3rd place: Braun dec Schafer 4-0
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plumhoff maj Tongen 12-4
135 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Casey Field, YME, pin William Netwal, Min, 2:13 ... Aaron Zimmer, KMS, pin Kyle Hartigan, SC, 3:54 ... Dakota Freiborg, RCW, bye ... Brandt Haglund, Wil, pin Brady Wersinger, Ben, 1:09
SEMIFINALS: Field dec Zimmer 6-0 ... Haglund pin Freiborg 2:51
CONSOLATION: Hartigan pin Netwal 4:44 ... Freiborg pin Hartigan 1:20 ... Zimmer maj Wersinger 9-1 ... 5th place: Hartigan dec Wersinger 9-8 ... 3rd place: Freiborg dec Zimmer 4-2
CHAMPIONSHIP: Haglund dec Field 5-2
140 pounds
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QUARTERFINALS: Jon Tatro, Min, pin Tent Novotny, RCW, 3:52 ... Wyatt Sand, RCW, pin Nick dahlke, Wil, 3:53 ... Spencer Almen, KMS, dec Miles Staton, Ben, 8-1 ... Adam Helgeson, SC, bye
SEMIFINALS: Tatro maj Sand 15-3 ... Helgeson dec Almen 6-1
CONSOLATION: Dahlke pin Novotny 2:41 ... Almen dec Dahlke 8-0 ... Sand techfall Staton 5:00 ... 5th place: Staton maj Dahlke 13-0 ... 3rd place: Almen dec Sand 6-4, OT
CHAMPIONSHIP: Tatro maj Helgeson 9-1
145 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Kevin Steinhaus, KMS, techfall Isaac Uphus, SC, 4:17 ... Dan Braaten, Min, pin Eric Mertens, RCW, 3:34 ... Drew Larson, Wil, pin Turner Carson, Ben, :49 ... Landen Cole, YME, bye
SEMIFINALS: Steinhaus techfall Braaten 5:50 ... Cole dec Larson 4-3
CONSOLATION: Uphus maj Mertens 14-5 ... Larson pin Uphus 4:10 ... Braaten pin Carson 4:04 ... 5th place: Uphus maj Carson 17-6 ... 3rd place: Larson maj Braaten 13-1
CHAMPIONSHIP: Steinhaus techfall Cole 4:25
152 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Sam Goracke, Min, maj Drew Hultquist, RC, 12-4 ... John Guisewelle, SC, dec Eric Dubbelde, YME, 9-3 ... Cody Stegeman, Wil, dec Matt Stassen, KMS, 6-0 ... Brandon Berens, Ben, bye ...
SEMIFINALS: Goracke dec Guisewelle 6-4 ... Berends dec Stegeman 6-2
CONSOLATION: Dubbelde dec Hultquist 7-2 ... Stegeman dec Dubbelde 1-0 ... Guisewelle maj Stassen 12-3 ... 5th place: Dubbelde dec Stassen 6-4 ... 3rd place: Guieswelle won by default over Stegeman
CHAMPIONSHIP: Goracke dec Berens 8-4
160 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Mitch Hagen, KMS, dec Joe Dambroten, RCW, 4-1 ... Tyson Molitor, SC, maj Phil Johnson, YME 12-3 ... David Bond, Min, pin Ryan Unke, Ben, 5:06 ... Brandon Rieckman, Wil, bye
SEMIFINALS: Hagen maj Molitor 19-5 ... Rieckman pin Bond 1:26
CONSOLATION: Johnson dec Dambroten 7-2 ... Johnson dec Bond 5-3 ... Molitor techfall Unke 4:00 ... 5th place: Bond won by forfeit ... 3rd place: Molitor dec Johnson 8-0
CHAMPIONSHIP: Rieckman dec Hagen 11-4
171 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Trent Molacek, Wil, bye ... Martin Hagen, YME, pin Cole Gigstad, RCW, 4:45 ... Bret Illies, Sc, dec Tim Lundebrek, Ben, 9-3 ... Alex Baker, KMS, dec David Cowen, Min, 6-3
SEMIFINALS: Molacek pin Hagen 4:37 ... Baker maj Illies 11-3
CONSOLATION: Lundebrek dec Cowen 13-10 ... Illies techfall Gigstad 5:00 ... Hagen dec Lundebrek 6-2 ... 5th place: Lundebrek dec Gigstad 8-4 ... 3rd place: Hagen maj Illies 10-0
CHAMPIONSHIP: Molacek pin Baker 1:06
189 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Brian Ruegemer, SC, bye ... Andrew Stoen, Min, pin Adam Wentzel, KMS, 2:27 ... Marshal Swoyer, Wil, pin Will Lerud, RCW, 1:59 ... Evan Stock, YME, bye
SEMIFINALS: Ruegemer pin Stoen 3:02 ... Stock dec Swoyer 9-4
CONSOLATION: Wentzel dec Swoyer 2-1 ... Stoen pin Lerud 1:43 ... 5th place: Lerud won by forfeit ... 3rd place: Wentzel dec Stoen 7-3
CHAMPIONSHIP: Rueggemer dec Stock 4-0
215 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Brad Kneisl, KMS, pin Aaron Adamski, RCW, 1:26 ... Mason Leedahl, Min, dec Jarrett Borgerding, SC, 3-2, OT ... Sam Isfeld, YME, maj Nick DeVries, Wil, 9-1 ... Chris Carruth, Ben, bye
SEMIFINALS: Kneisl pin Leedahl 2:15 ... Carruth pin Isfeld 2:
CONSOLATION: Borgerding pin Adamski 4:09 ... Isfeld pin Borgerding 2:01 ... Leedahl pin DeVries 1:18 ... 5th place: DeVries pin Borgerding 3:12 ... 3rd place: Isfeld pin Leedahl 3:25
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kneisl pin Carruth 1:19
275 pounds
QUARTERFINALS: Cody Kinney, KMS, pin Matt Mitchell, Min, 1:07 ... Jon Pierce, Ben, bye ... Adam Kremer, Wil, pin Justin Allen, YME, :43 ... Josh Jordan, SC, pin Colton Hanson, RCW, 1:08
SEMIFINALS: Kinney pin Pierce :35 ... Jordan dec Kremer 8-6
CONSOLATION: Allen pin Hanson 1:27 ... Kremer pin Mitchell :40 ... Pierce pin Allen :56 ... 5th place: Mitchell pin Allen :55 ... 3rd place: Kremer pin Pierce 1:38
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kinney dec Jordan 6-4
