Journal Sports Writer

ST. PAUL — New Ulm Area’s Sean Howk earned a spot in the consolation quarterfinals on Saturday after a 2-1 finish on Day 1 of the 2019 State Wrestling Individual Tournament at Xcel Energy Center on Friday.

Howk breezed by Mahtomedi’s Ian Wilsey in first-round action by a 9-1 major decision on the way to a quarterfinals meeting with the unbeaten Kellen Schauer of Grand Rapids. Schauer defeated Howk at last year’s individuals by a 4-3 decision in wrestlebacks.

In Howk’s second match of the day on Friday, both he and Schauer managed an escape each after two periods for a 1-1 tie entering the third period. Howk carefully looked for his spots to attack in that final period, but he was called for stalling with less than 10 seconds to go, allowing Schauer to pick up a 2-1 decision.

That loss dropped Howk to a wrestlebacks match later that night with Jan Soto-Hernandez of Minneapolis Patrick Henry. Howk made short work of Soto-Hernandez with a quick takedown and pin in 58 seconds.

“I wanted to get it over quick because I knew he [Soto-Hernandez] got pinned by Schauer in the match before, so I knew I could do that in the first period,” Howk said.

This is the first year that Howk has made it to the second day of individuals, so there’s plenty for Howk to be excited about.

“It feels good to be there,” Howk said. “But I just [have to] keep on wrestling, New Ulm wrestling tough.”

NUA heavyweight Colby Wenninger had a tough matchup right out of the gate on Friday against Scott West’s Calvin Menke. The junior didn’t shy away from the No. 3-seeded Menke but still suffered a technical-fall loss (17-1).

Unfortunately for Wenninger, that was the only match he would get from the tournament after Menke dropped his quarterfinals match to Logan Wingert by a 4-1 decision. That loss sent Menke to a wrestleback match later that night instead of Wenninger, who finishes his junior year with a 35-8 record.

MORTON, STEELE GO 2-0 ON FRIDAY FOR SIBLEY EAST

Sibley East freshman Drayden Morton (106) didn’t waste much time getting things going on Friday, picking up a first-period fall (1:40) over Jake Nagel of Frazee in first-round action. Morton continued his dominance later on in the quarterfinals, picking up a 5-3 decision over Adrian Area’s Jesus Anaya. With the win, Morton will move on to Saturday’s Class A semifinals for a meeting with Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Walker Bents.

Derek Steele also picked up a solid 8-3 decision over Maple River’s Boden Simon at 113 pounds in the first round before rolling to a 7-2 decision win over Minneota’s Eric Carrasco in quarterfinals action. That win also moved Steele to the semifinals on Saturday, where he will take on Ayden Horner of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton.

“They both wrestled great, did what they had to do,” Sibley East head coach Chris Koob said of Morton and Steele. “They both wrestled very smart, very confidently, which is exactly what you need to do up here.”

Also for Sibley East on Friday, Lincoln Carpenter (138) dropped a first-round match to Trey Fairbanks of Deer River by a 15-0 tech fall.

Fairbanks fell in his next match, thus moving Fairbanks down to wrestlebacks and eliminating Carpenter from the tournament.

WERNER GOES 2-0 FOR WABASSO/RED ROCK CENTRAL

Wabasso/Red Rock Central’s Derek Werner (195) picked up a pair of second-period falls on Friday to move him on to Saturday’s semifinals round.

Werner first picked up a pin in 3:41 against Sawyer Klaut (Roseau) in a first-round match before picking up his second pin of the day in the quarterfinals, this time against Kimball Area’s Carter Holtz in 3:44.

Werner said that the two pins were big for his confidence heading into to Saturday, where he’ll meet Michael Nelson of Dover-Eyota.

“This is my first state tournament and I was just looking to win my first match,” Werner said. “Then you walk out with a pin and then you go do the same thing in the second match — it feels good. We came here and did what we wanted to do, and coming into tomorrow, I’ll have a lot of confidence.”

Werner also said that his goal this year was to win a medal at state, something he’ll already do even if he doesn’t pick up another win. With that kind of assurance, some weight has definitely been lifted off of Werner’s shoulders.

“I’m almost more relaxed about it because they can’t take that [medal] away from me,” Werner said. “So I think I’m just going to go out there more relaxed [Saturday] and give it hell.”

Also for W/RRC on Friday, Jared Schroepfer (152) fell to Spencer Miller (Staples Motley) in the the first round of Class A action by a 13-6 decision. Schroepfer got another shot in wrestlebacks later on against Kimball’s Zach Holtz but fell by a narrow 4-3 decision to be eliminated from the tournament.

HAASE LEADS REDWOOD/RIVER VALLEY WITH 2-0 FRIDAY

Redwood/River Valley juniors Kaleb Haase (220) and Chad Maddock (285) each picked up decision wins in first-round tournament action Friday, with Haase earning an 8-0 major decision over Milaca-Faith Christian’s

Bodee Zens and Maddock earning an 8-5 decision over Detroit Lakes’ Charles Barnett.

Haase then continued to roll for the Badgers, winning his quarterfinals match by a 5-1 decision over Nick McKenzie of New London-Spicer. That win moves Haase on to the semifinals on Saturday, where he’ll meet Mantorville’s Garsen Schorr.

Maddock dropped his next match to Brandon Swanson by fall (:28), which still allowed Maddock a wrestleback match with Tanner Grangruth of Mora later that night. Maddock defeated Grangruth by fall (1:43) to advance to Saturday’s consolation quarterfinals.

Maddock will wrestle Zach Carlson of Chisago Lakes on Saturday.

Senior Badgers Omar Arredondo (138), Tayte Harazin (152) and James Ploeger (182) each suffered a first-round loss on Friday, with Arredondo earning a wrestleback match later that night against Zimmerman’s Joe Gardas.

After Arredondo was pinned (4:41) in his first match by Carter Entinger of Watertown Mayer-Mayer Lutheran, he dropped an 8-5 decision to Gardas in wrestlebacks, eliminating him from the tournament.

Harazin dropped his only match of the tournament to Mora’s Jon Smith by a 5-2 decision, while Ploeger was pinned (2:32) by Kolin Baier of Mankato East and was also eliminated from the tournament after Baier dropped his following match.

LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL AREA’S NORTHQUEST MOVES ON

Nicollet’s Avery Northquest (182) picked up a pin (2:40) over Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City’s Logan Sherwood in the first round of Class A tournament action Friday, sending Northquest to a quarterfinals match with Jacob Bennett of Zumbrota-Mazeppa later on that day. In his second match of the day, Northquest was pinned by Bennett in 4:45, dropping

Northquest to a wrestleback match later that night against Roseau’s Dale Grindahl.

In wrestlebacks, Northquest was pinned in 2:32 to be eliminated from the tournament.

Also representing LCWMA on Friday was Nicollet 132-pounder Tucker Wills.

Wills dropped a first-round match to Mason Gode (LPGE-Browerville) by a 15-0 tech fall. Gode was the Class A No. 1 seed at 132 in the tournament.

Wills got another chance in wrestlebacks later on against Hayden Straumann of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, but Straumann was able to pick up a 9-0 major decision, eliminating Wills from the tournament.

TOURNAMENT CONTINUES

State wrestling action resumes at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, starting with the Class AAA consolation quarterfinals. All Individual third and fifth- place matches, along with all individual championship matches have a scheduled start time of 4 p.m. Saturday, with awards following the matches.