Sun Current Editions Bloomington/Richfield | Page 16

Page 16 • Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 Bloomington • Richfield current.mnsun.com Kennedy’s Grams advances to state wrestling tourney By JASON OLSON [email protected] Kennedy wrestling coach Chuck Vavrosky didn’t think he would have 10 wrestlers on the podi- um after the Section 3-3A tournament concluded inside the Kennedy High School gym on Saturday. Looking back on the season, he’s glad to see double-digits fi ght through a tough section to earn some recognition for their hard work. Sophomore Isaac Grams is the only Kenne- dy wrestler to advance to state, fi nishing second at 160 pounds and entering state with a 38-8 record. He lost the championship match to Woodbury ju- nior Brock Rinehart, who improved to 47-3 with a 3-0 run to the section title and should be a favorite to win the state title. Grams received an opening-round bye before handing Hastings’ Isaac Fritz a pin 3:05 into the match. Grams advanced to the championship with a 5-2 decision against Cre- tin-Derham Hall sopho- more Corey Vanier Jr. Vavrosky said the semi- fi nal match was Grams’ best performance yet. “Full everything from the scramble to the whole works,” he said. Rinehart scored a 25-9 tech fall with the winning points awarded after the fi nal whistle of the match. Grams was his only op- ponent to last all three periods and not succumb to a pin. Going into the fi nal, his most challenging match of the season with a lot on the line, Grams said, “I knew he was good, so I just wanted to do what I could to stay confi dent and try your best. Noth- ing else you can do.“I’m not disappointed. It hum- bles you, there’s always something to work on and it reminds you that there is always someone better to work towards.” Grams broke through to state after losing a tough true second-place match to come up one match short of qualifying for state. “It was kind of redemption, I guess.” Grams attributed his good record to his train- ing partners and being surrounded by veterans of the sport. “We don’t have a lot of guys who are my exact size, so I’ve had to wrestle guys who are heavier than me and that’s really helped when I’m tired going against guys my size it’s easier to lift, so that helps.” Grams, for the most part worked, with 220-pound- er Jaxon Reichenberger or 182-pound senior Ri- ley O’Neil. “Most of the time it’s with the coaches like Robbie Fischer.” Grams feels honored to have a chance to wrestle at state. Last season he was a training partner with then-senior captain Jake Leicht, who went on to fi nish sixth at 170 pounds. “I got to warm him up last year and I was kinda like a manager and it showed me how close I was and how big of a deal it was and that set a goal for me for this year,” said Grams, who has an eye on placing in his 10th season wrestling. Junior Joe Jeans closed out his season with a 32- 12 record, fi nishing third at 152 pounds one season after advancing to state and fi nished with a 26-14. Jeans, seeded second com- ing into the tournament, opened with a bye then earned a fall to advance to the semifi nals before Hastings senior Mac Wil- son scored a tech fall at 4:14 of the match. Senior Allen Evenson went 26-14 to place third at 120 pounds earning a 17-4 major in the open- ing round and scoring a pin in his third-place bout against St. Paul Central’s Wai Wai Eh. (SUN CURRENT STAFF PHOTO BY JASON OLSON) Kennedy’s Isaac Grams will represent the team at the Class 3A state meet at 160 pounds which begins Thursday with the team competition and the individual tournament set for a 9 a.m. start on Friday in St. Paul. Reichenberger fi nished fourth at 220 pounds in his fi rst season compiling a 9-13 record and junior Valiant Taylor won his fi fth-place match to fi nish with a 10-10 record. Ju- nior Kaimana Lorick was fi fth at 195 pounds thanks to a late fi rst-period fall and completed his season with a 12-23 record. Junior Billy Reinec- cius fi nished fi fth at 145 pounds winning by a pin against Edmundo Villalva Lijo of Cretin-Derham Hall. Senior Jeff McDonald placed sixth at 138 pounds and fi nished with a 17-17 record. Freshman Mason Scott lost his 126-pound opener but rallied to win 2-of-3 and place fi fth with a pair of falls and go 21-22 on the season. (SUN CURRENT STAFF PHOTO BY JASON OLSON) Richfi eld advances Allen Everson lifts his arm after leaving the mat for the fi nal time in the Kennedy singlet as a champion. Richfi eld advanced He won his third-place match at 120 pounds. four wrestlers from the Section 5AA tournament Hughes needed 50 sec- Grace’s 50-0 senior Jake onds. He won a 1-0 de- to this week’s state meet onds to win his opening Svihel scored a fi rst-peri- cision against Totino- including junior Juan De match by a pin and then od fall against Elling who Grace’s Manny Thomas Dios-Molina (285), senior won in overtime 12-10 rebounded with a pin 39 to move into the fi nal Drake Elling (126), junior against Fridley’s Jacob seconds into his true sec- where Orono sophomore John Hughes (113) and Ngueyn to move on to the ond-place match to move Shea Albrecht pinned the senior Vishall Manikaran fi nal against Joey Thomp- to state. Spartans heavyweight in (106). son of Totino-Grace. De Dios-Molina made 3:11. Manikaran won a pair Elling went 2-1 on the quick work of his open- of decisions to advance to day at sections advanc- ing match against Edi- Follow Jason Olson on Twitter @SunSportsJason. the fi nals and comes into ing to the fi nal with a pin son’s Bennet Krenz, state with a 22-15 record. then major before Totino- earning a pin in 28 sec-