MSHSL adds 3rd wrestling power to Section 1AAA: Hastings

The wrestling section dominated by Albert Lea and Owatonna for the last decade became a three-headed horse Monday with the addition of Hastings.

Hasting was No. 2 in the final state ranking this season but lost to eventual state champion and top-ranked Apple Valley in the Section 3AAA finals. Beginning in the 2011-12 season, Hastings will be in Section 1AAA for at least two seasons.

The change didn’t come without controversy, though, as Apple Valley and Hastings, arguably the top two wrestling teams over the last two years, have shared a section since the 2008-09 season.

The Minnesota High School League, which realigns sections for all sports every two years, claims that “strength of program or strength of other programs in section,” are not considered in realignment, according to their website.

Not everyone agrees.

“I think it’s political,” Albert Lea wrestling coach Larry Goodnature said. “They wanted to get Hastings away from Apple Valley. It doesn’t make any sense why Hastings is coming down here.”

According to MSHSL.org, the top two considerations when realigning schools are to “move as few schools as possible” and “geographic sections should not overlap.”

Geographically, Section 1AAA covers southeast Minnesota and Section 3AAA covers the southeast Twin Cities metro area. Hastings could loosely be considered part of both, though they are within 20 miles of five Section 3AAA schools, while the closest Section 1AAA school is Northfield, 26 miles away.

Goodnature said either Lakeville South or Farmington would have been better additions, geographically.

Still, Albert Lea will have to deal with it.

“It is what it is,” Goodnature said. “We’ve got a good team coming back and I think we can compete with Hastings.”

Goodnature said the realignment will make Section 1AAA more prestigious but it still won’t be the toughest in the state. That distinction goes to Section 7AAA which has five ranked teams in Saint Michael-Albertville, Cambridge-Isanti, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake and Elk River. Section 7AAA was left unchanged during the realignment.

Albert Lea did not wrestle Hastings as a team during the regular season but 103-pounder Garrett Wangsness and 145-pounder Dalton Westerlund both lost to Hastings wrestlers during the state individual tournament. Hastings qualified nine individual wrestlers for state this season, six who will return next year. Of the nine qualifiers, one was a state champion and three were runner-ups.

Section 1AAA

Albert Lea

Owatonna

Hastings*

Northfield*

Faribault

Rochester Century

Rochester Mayo

Rochester J.M.

Winona

*beginning 2011-12