New Ulm Area’s Elijah Rieser and Ellie Dake and Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial’s Mason Adams all lost in the semifinals round but guaranteed a top-six finish and can finish as high as third with a pair of wins on Saturday. NUA’s Alex Portner and Lane Ruch, as well as Sibley East’s Julio Alejandro and LCWMA’s Ryder Antony all need a win to place in the top six but can also finish third with three wins.

In the first round of wrestlebacks, NUA’s Regan Johnson advanced with a 9-6 decision over Cannon Falls’ Owen Parish, while NUA’s Kane Johnson defeated Grand Rapids’ Jake Freed with a 16-4 major decision. NUA’s Candon Briggs earned a 9-1 major decision over Minneapolis Roosevelt’s Elliot Karol, while Ruch defeated Fridley’s Alexander Baumgardt by fall in 2:24. Antony defeated Braeden Geise in a 15-0 technical fall in 5:00, while Alejandro defeated Frazee’s Christian Peichel in a 7-1 decision.

Sibley East’s Tanner Johnson lost a 7-1 decision to Benson’s Max Nygaard, while Gianny Lopes lost a 10-4 decision to Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale-Parke’s Tanner Schulke. Wabasso’s Mason Kampsen lost a 4-1 decision to Osaki’s Conner Koep.

In the second round of wrestlebacks, Antony advanced by medical forfeit, while Portner defeated Brayden Fobbe in an 11-4 decision. Ruch earned a 12-5 decision over Perham’s Trystan Larson, while Briggs took a 9-1 major decision loss to Thief River Falls’ Landen Larson.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sibley East’s Julio Alejandro works against Frazee’s Christian Peichel during the State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Friday.

In the semifinals, Rieser lost by technical fall to Bennett Kujawa of Becker, while Dake, despite gaining a 7-0 lead in the first period, lost by fall to White Bear Lake’s Jinet Demanou in 2:47. Adams started his match with a 10-3 lead over Waseca’s Matthew Veroeven, but Veroeven came back to win 15-12 in overtime.

Portner will face Grand Rapids’ Dalton Hutchinson in the first round on Saturday, while Antony faces off against Marshall’s Lincoln Christenson. Alejandro will match up with Minneota’s Blake Mead, while Ruch will wrestle Marshall’s Tyler Kraft. Rieser, Dake and Adams await their matchups after the first round.

EARLIER IN THE DAY

New Ulm Area’s Elijah Rieser, NUA’s Ellie Dake and Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial’s Mason Adams all won their quarterfinals matches on Friday at Grand Casino Arena to advance to the semifinals later in the day.

Rieser, who was ranked seventh at 139 coming into the tournament, earned a 12-5 decision over Minneapolis Edison’s Vicente Lopez-Marsh, ranked fourth at 139, to advance from the quarterfinals.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Area’s Regan Johnson grapples with Cannon Falls’ Owen Parish during the State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Friday.

“It means the world,” Rieser said. “My first time at the state tournament, and two big wins the first two rounds. It just shows all the hard work that I’ve put in paying off finally.

Lopez-Marsh took the initial lead with a takedown in the first period, but Rieser turned that into a quick reversal just before the end of the period.

“That’s still first period,” Rieser said. “I don’t think I’m ever out of a match until the final whistle blows. Not letting that get to my head or anything and just continue wrestling. That’s a big part of it.”

Rieser evened the score with an escape to start the second period, then earned a takedown of his own for a 6-3 lead. Lopez-Marsh escaped, but another Rieser takedown made it a 9-4 match going into the third period. While Lopez-Marsh scored another escape, Rieser scored one final takedown and held on for the 12-5 decision.

Rieser moved on to face second-ranked Bennett Kujawa of Becker. Heading into semifinals, Rieser said he was looking to wrestle his match.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Area’s Alex Portner wrestles against Brayden Fobbe during the State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Friday.

“Just keeping my nose down, working, grinding every match,” Rieser said after his quarterfinals match. “Every match at the state tournament is hard, so he’s not going to do anything I haven’t seen all year. He just might be a little better at it. But don’t let that get to my head and wrestle my match, don’t wrestle his.”

Dake, meanwhile, secured a pin over Stewartville’s Morgyn Manion in 2:57 at 170.

“I’ve pinned her before with a half,” Dake said. “I didn’t want to pin her with the same move, so I ran my bar, and as soon I got it sinked in, I knew I was going to pin her.”

After her quarterfinals win, Dake, who finished fourth in the 2023 state individual tournament, said she was focused on winning her next two matchups.

“It’s a pretty good feeling, but I’m trying to suppress those emotions because I want to win it all,” she said. “It means a lot, but I’ve still got a job to do … It’s going to take a lot. It’s going to be a dogfight, but I know we can win it.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Area's Ellie Dake works to get a pin on Stewartville’s Morgyn Manion during the State Individual Girls Wrestling Tournament at 170 Friday at Grand Casino Arena.

Dake moved on to wrestle White Bear Lake Area’s Jinet Demanou in the semifinals later in the day. Demanou is ranked second in the state, while Dake is ranked third.

Adams advanced to the semifinals with a 10-2 decision over top-ranked Milaca-Faith Christian’s Sawyer Schendel at 285, earning three takedowns and an escape on his way to a strong victory. Adams, ranked third, moved on to face Waseca’s Matthew Veroeven, ranked second, in the next round.

Also from the area, NUA’s Alex Portner took a 16-1 technical fall to Simley’s Damir Safronov at 127 and faced Brayden Fobbe in wrestlebacks.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Area's Elijah Rieser looks to his coaches for advice during aClass AA State Individual Wrestling Tournament quarterfinals match against Minneapolis Edison’s Vicente Lopez-Marsh Friday at the Grand Casino Arena on Friday.