Submitted photo/information The 2025-2026 Wabasso sixth-grade wrestling team state champions. Front row (l-r): Carson Krueger, Paxten Cooreman, Dawson Welch, Khyler Beermann, Landen Cooreman, Beau Ourada, Liam Mathiowetz Konrad Beermann Middle row (l-r): Madden Peters, Brody Ourada, Drake Cooreman, Hayden Altermatt, Kolton Remiger, Leo Prokosch, Kayne Remiger Back row (l-r): Camden Welch, Bryce Altermatt, Brock Irlbeck, Cade Billmeier, Keegan Wagner, Weston Taylor, Ej Schmidt and Greysen Marotzke. Coaches: Cole Cooreman, Cole Altermatt, Dirk Taylor, Brandon Irlbeck.

WABASSO — The Northland Youth Wrestling Association State Tournament completed its 30th tournament last weekend and the Wabasso Rabbits sixth-grade team was able to celebrate the tournament with a state championship. An extra feather in their cap was the fact they were just the second Class A program to do so.

While youth wrestling doesn’t have classes and some of the smallest cities can match up with some of the state’s heaviest hitters, Wabasso High School is a Class A school that sees its varsity team routinely match up against Class A schools, apart from some special cases like tournaments throughout the year.

“The tournament’s been ran for 30 years, this is the 30th anniversary this year for the tournament, and in the last 30 years, there’s only been one other Class A team to ever win this tournament, Kenyon-Wanamingo did it in 2018,” Wabasso coach Cole Cooreman said. “Other than that it’s been all one class, Kasson-Mantorville has had a lot of success here, St. Michael’s has won it a number of times, so there are no classes in youth wrestling, it’s all one class in the state of Minnesota … Again, for a small town, to go into it and win this tournament was an even bigger accomplishment and the smallest by quite a bit. Wabasso could fit inside Kenyon or Wanamingo quite a few times.”

This year didn’t see Wabasso crown any individual champions, but the Rabbits weren’t focused on that to begin with. It was all about celebrating a team championship and that attitude helped several wrestlers finish the team tournament undefeated and with the ultimate prize.

“We talked about wanting to win a team title, wanting to win a team title,” coach Cooreman said. “Nobody talked all year about individual titles. It was just something that was on the side, but they all knew this goal and they went for this goal.

“The kids that suffered tough losses, I think we had four runner-ups, two thirds, a couple fourths, things like that, the kids that took tough losses on the individual side bounced back and took care of business on team side. Without the team-first mentality, I don’t know if this would have been possible.”

In Bracket A of the team state tourney, Wabasso dominated New London/Spicer 73-0, downed Buffalo 69-6 and earned a placement pool and semifinals spot with a 38-22 win over Kasson-Mantorville. Wabasso beat New York Mills 58-15 in the semifinals before winning the state championship with a 42-31 victory over Zumbrota/Mazeppa.

Wabasso has four unbeaten wrestlers during the team portion of the tournament as Drake Cooreman (65), Hayden Altermatt (75), Bryce Altermatt (93) and Brock Irlbeck (102) each went 5-0. Drake Cooreman earned three falls, a 1-0 ultimate tiebreaker win and a decision, while Hayden Altermatt had five falls and Bryce Altermatt had three falls,a tech fall and a major decision. Irlbeck had three falls and two decisions in his five team wins.

Kayne Remiger (80) and Weston Taylor (88) both went 4-1 in the team tourney for Wabasso, with Remiger earning a fall, a major decision, two decisions and a tech fall and Taylor earning two falls, a tech fall and two decisions. Keegan Wagner (115/130) was 5-1 for Wabasso with two pins, two forfeits, a major decision and a decision and EJ Schmidt (130) was 3-1 with three falls and a decision.

While the Rabbits varsity program has had some ups and downs over the last few years and has been itching to get back to the state tournament, the interest in wrestling is still very apparent in Wabasso and its surrounding communities. The last time the Rabbits varsity program made the state tournament as a team came 10 years ago in 2016 in a co-op with Red Rock Central.

For coach Cooreman, this year’s youth state title is a sign of things to come for Wabasso.

“I always told everybody that when this year’s sixth-grade class are freshmen, that’s when it’s going to start, and once it starts, we don’t plan on it stopping for a very long time,” coach Cooreman said.

Coach Cooreman, who recently stepped down as head coach of the Wabasso varsity wrestling program and will be moving to Iowa, has enjoyed his time coaching wrestling in Wabasso and said he’s had a lot of help along the way, especially on the youth side.

Wabasso’s other youth coaches include Cole Altermatt, Dirk Taylor and Brandon Irlbeck, but coach Cooreman said he could continuously name parents that have helped out along the way.

“We have a tremendous support group in our room from dads,” coach Cooreman said. “I can name drop tons of people. Matt Krueger has been amazing for us. He handled all the technology stuff behind the scenes. He did the live-streaming, he got himself a headset so he could color commentate when he live-streamed, he did a phenomenal job with that. He handles all the other tech stuff that I’m not good with.”

Coach Cooreman also said Damon Traxler, Kirk Beermann and Chad Altermatt were just a few other areas of support with the Wabasso youth program on the coaching side of things.