Albert Lea's Glazier heads to championship match; Cantu to compete for third - Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea’s Glazier heads to championship match; Cantu to compete for third

Published 1:51 pm Saturday, March 2, 2019

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Albert Lea's Cole Glazier wrestles Apple Valley's Martin Stewart at 126 pounds Saturday morning in the consolation quarterfinals. Glazier lost the match, ending his state wrestling tournament run. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea's Nic Cantu wrestles Forest Lake's Dylan Schultz at 120 pounds Saturday morning in the semifinals. Cantu lost the match, sending him to the consolation semifinals, where he won, advancing to Saturday evening's third-place match. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea's Zach Glazier wrestles Mound Westonka's Ben Schmalz at 182 pounds Saturday morning in the championship semifinals. Glazier won the match, advancing to Saturday evening's Class AAA championship. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

ST. PAUL — Of the six Tigers who qualified for the state tournament, three were still working their way up the brackets Saturday morning — seniors Zach Glazier and Nic Cantu in the championship semifinals and Cole Glazier in the consolation quarterfinals.

Eighth-grader Cole Glazier, No. 4 at 126 pounds, was the first Tiger to take the mat, going up against No. 7 Martin Stewart of Apple Valley. After trailing 4-1 at the end of the first period, he battled back with an escape point in the second, but couldn’t find the points necessary to come out on top. The 4-2 decision loss ends Cole Glazier’s season with a record of 35-11.

In the 120-pound championship semifinals, No. 2 senior Nic Cantu took on No. 1 Derrick Cardinal of Forest Lake. Cantu went into a small hole in the first period, being taken down twice, but kept the score close with two escapes. Cantu started on top in the second, giving up an escape about a minute in. He avoided a takedown late in the period to keep the score at 5-2 entering the third.

Cantu spent a majority of the final period on the bottom, scoring a reversal with only 15 seconds left in the match. Needing to score, Cantu surrendered an escape, but couldn’t get the late takedown to tie the score, falling 6-4. The loss sent him to the consolation semifinals, where he met No. 9 Cole West of Woodbury.

In the consolations, Cantu got out to a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown early in the first. The score remained 2-0 into the second, when West was awarded one point for a dangerous hold applied by Cantu. Cantu earned another two points for a reversal in the third and would end the match by riding out West for the 4-1 decision victory.

Cantu will wrestle for third place in the consolation finals Saturday night, where he will meet Nick Novak of New Prague. Cantu beat Novak 3-0 earlier in the tournament.

Senior Zach Glazier, No. 1 at 182 pounds, dominated in his championship semifinal match over No. 3 Ben Schmalz. Recording three takedowns in the opening period, Zach Glazier ended the period on top 6-2. He started the second on the bottom and scored an escape and two more takedowns before ending the match with a fall at 2:55.

Zach Glazier will meet No. 2 Cade King of Owatonna in the championship final Saturday night. Zach Glazier has faced off with King four other times this season, coming out on top of narrow decisions each time.

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