ROCHESTER – The Albert Lea High School wrestling team will have to wait at least one more year for an elusive trip to state.

Monday, February 19, 2001

ROCHESTER – The Albert Lea High School wrestling team will have to wait at least one more year for an elusive trip to state.

The Tigers were again stopped by Owatonna in the Section 1AAA tournament, falling 31-23 to the perennially powerful Huskies in the finals Saturday night at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center.

It was a meet that could have gone either way, according to coach Larry Goodnature. And while that made it a little tough to take, the coach said it can’t overshadow an outstanding season in which the Tigers exceeded expectations.

&uot;The wrestlers and the coaching staff should be proud of the season,&uot; said Goodnature. &uot;We went 16-5 overall, 7-1 in the Big Nine and took second in the section. At the beginning of the year, if someone had told we’d accomplish that, we’d have taken it in a heartbeat. No one expected us to do that this year.&uot;

The Tigers defeated Lakeville 36-25 in Saturday’s semifinal round, avenging an early-season loss to the third-seeded Panthers.

Winning for the Tigers were Josh Hansen, 103 pounds; Brandon Klukow, 112; Adam Elseth, 125; Justin Krueger, 145; Eric Page, 160; Andy Davis, 171; and Adam Lares, heavyweight.

Klukow turned the tables on an opponent he lost to earlier while Elseth beat a wrestler with a record of 24-6. Another key win was by Davis, who fought off a fall much of the first period before winning by fall in the second.

&uot;Davis wrestled with pain all day,&uot; said Goodnature. &uot;He showed some guts out there for us.&uot;

The Tigers trailed 25-0 before getting on the scoreboard against Owatonna.

Alan Attig got the first win, 10-6 at 140. Krueger then scored a 13-1 major decision on an opponent who was 30-6.

Wyatt Reyerson, who took his first loss of the season against Lakeville, won 10-2 at 152.

Page then scored his second fall of the day at 160. Lares won by fall at heavyweight.

&uot;The guys wrestled tough all day Saturday,&uot; said Goodnature. &uot;They came out determined and left everything on the mat. They gave it everything they’ve got. We just came up a little short.&uot;

While the team portion of the Tigers’ season ended, there’s still a lot of wrestling left with the Section 1AAA individual tournament Friday and Saturday at Lakeville. The top two at each weight advance to state.