MANKATO &045;&160;The No. 1-ranked Albert Lea wrestling team moved one win away from accomplishing goal No. 1 of the season &045;&160;winning the Big Nine Conference title &045;&160;with a decisive 53-12 win over Mankato East, Thursday night.

Head coach Larry Goodnature was pleased with his team’s performance and believes his squad is peaking at just the right time.

&8220;We came to wrestle tonight and made sure that with one more conference match our goal was not out of reach,&8221; he said.

&8220;The kids are wrestling aggressively and wrestling as a team.

Mankato East has a solid, balanced team but we were able to really take it to them.&8221;

Cody Hansen got the Tigers rolling winning his match at 103 over Drew Schumacher 6-0.

Mankato’s Cody Adams, the defending Class AA state champion, downed Logan Kortan at 112 8-2before AL took the lead for good when Eric Johnson received a forfeit at 119.

Anthony Tippett took care of Logan Sheppard 7-1 and Beau Hansen pinned Dan Davis in 1:42 as the Tigers raced out to 18-3 lead.

Kyle Carriveau threw Adam Kermes in 3:50, but Albert Lea responded with five consecutive victories.

Zach McGinnis shutout Michael Davis 5-0 at 140, Matt Morris ended his match in 2:53 at 145, Nate Goodnature earned a major decision over Don Thomas 12-2, Taylor Ignaszewski threw Clay Uddley in 4:45 and Alex Paul completed the run with a 10-0 major decision over Jesse Faugstad.

Matt Vietze would fall to Jake Benzkofer 14-3 at 189, but both Mike Honeycutt and Ben Berhow

recorded pins for the Tigers to close out the dual.

The Tigers are back in action Friday when they host Rochester Mayo to conclude their regular season.

Albert Lea 53, Mankato East 12

103 &045;&160;Cody Hansen (AL) dec. Drew Schumacher 6-0, 112 &045; Cody Adams (ME) dec. Logan Kortan

8-2, 119 &045;&160;Eric Johnson (AL) won by forfeit, 125 &045; Anthony Tippett (AL) dec. Logan Sheppard

7-1, 130 &045;&160;Beau Hansen (AL) threw Dan Davis 1:42, 135 &045;&160;Kyle Carriveau (ME) threw Adam

Kermes 3:50, 140 &045;&160;Zach McGinnis (AL) dec. Michael Davis 5-0, 145 &045;&160;Matt Morris (AL) threw

Nick Ackerman 2:53, 152 &045; Nate Goodnature (AL) maj. dec. Don Thomas 12-2, 160 &045;&160;Taylor

Ignaszewski (AL) threw Clay Uddley 4:45, 171 &045;&160;Alex Paul (AL) maj. dec. Jesse Faugstad 10-0,

189 &045;&160;Jake Benzkofer (ME) dec. Matt Vietze 14-3, 215 &045; Mike Honeycutt (AL) threw David Nelson

1:36, 275 &045;&160;Ben Berhow (AL) threw Kevin Hughes 2:30&160;