Tigers move closer to a Big Nine title

Published 4:17 am Friday, January 30, 2015

Alex Bledsoe of Albert Lea wrestles Austin’s Caleb Tapp Thursday at Austin. Bledsoe won by fall in 2:22. Pam Nelson/For the Albert Lea Tribune

Alex Bledsoe of Albert Lea wrestles Austin’s Caleb Tapp Thursday at Austin. Bledsoe won by fall in 2:22. Pam Nelson/For the Albert Lea Tribune

One more conference win.

That’s all the Albert Lea wrestling team needs to finish the Big Nine Conference with a perfect record and seal a conference championship after beating Austin.

The No. 3 Class AA Tigers (25-1, 9-0 Big Nine) took down the Packers 58-14 Thursday at Austin.

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“We’re having fun right now,” said Albert Lea coach Larry Goodnature. “We’re wrestling well, and we need to keep improving.”

The only Big Nine team left on the schedule is Rochester Mayo (5-7, 3-5 Big Nine).

In the first bout against Austin, Zach Glazier rebounded from a loss against Owatonna’s Peyton Robb — ranked No. 1 in Class AAA at 106 pounds — by pinning Austin’s Danny Albarran in 3:04 to set the tone for the match. The Tigers won the first eight bouts with four falls to take a 40-0 lead.

Joe Peterson won a 6-1 decision at 113, Gavin Ignaszewski won by forfeit and Garrett Aldrich, Beau Johnsrud and Devin Nelson followed with falls.

Austin’s Brandon Cotter won the team’s first match at 160 pounds with a technical fall over Chris Nelson, and Kole Igou posted a 5-0 decision over Parker Mullenbach at 170.

The Tigers responded with a pin by Alex Bledsoe over Caleb Tapp at 182 in 2:22. Peterson and Bledsoe received experience at the varsity level after supporting the team from the sideline against Owatonna on Saturday.

“Alex Bledsoe had a good match for his first varsity match,” Goodnature said. “The whole team was aggressive.”

Tim Christianson added Albert Lea’s fifth fall over Corey Waller at 195 in 2:50. Triston Westerlund won by forfeit at 220, and Austin’s Elijah Kaercher — ranked No. 9 at heavyweight in Class AAA — won by forfeit at 285.

Albert Lea’s JV beat Austin 42-23.

Before finishing their Big Nine Conference schedule, the Tigers will host No. 5 Class A Adrian as part of Alumni Day at 3 p.m. Saturday. JV will start at 2 p.m. Goodnature said veterans will be honored, and alumni will be introduced between the JV and varsity matches with a social at Green Lea Golf Course’s clubhouse after the varsity.

Adrian has five ranked wrestlers: Skylar Hieronimus, No. 1 at 113; Tony Lynn, No. 6 at 138; Michael Preuss, No. 9 at 152; Matthew Slater, No. 8 at 160; and Jesse Slater, No. 5 at 170.

Albert Lea is loaded with six ranked wrestlers: Glazier, No. 3 at 106; Aldrich, No. 1 at 120; Devin Nelson, No. 7 at 145; Dereck Samudio, No. 8 at 152; Christianson, No. 8 at 182; and Westerlund, No. 2 at 220.

The Tigers’ last regular-season match is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Rochester Mayo.