New Ulm Area’s Ellie Dake (170) and Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Area’s Mason Adams (285) both won their third-place matches to close out their seasons with wins. NUA’s Elijah Rieser finished fourth at 139, while NUA’s Alex Portner took fifth at 127. NUA’s Lane Ruch (189) and Sibley East’s Julio Alejandro (133) placed sixth.

Dake, a senior, wrestled against St. Michael-Albertville’s Hailey Goth in her third-place match, and while she suffered an early takedown, Dake was able to work back into the lead and pin Goth in 4:52.

“It’s a very bitter-sweet feeling,” Dake said. “I was down, and I knew in that moment that I was losing that I had to win. I was determined to win and I would have done anything to win. For me, to end my season and my high school career on a win means the entire world to me.”

Goth chose to start up in the second, but Dake was able to score a reversal just before the end of the period to cut the lead to 3-2. For the third, Dake chose to start in the neutral position.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial's Mason Adams works against Milaca-Faith Christian’s Sawyer Schendel in the State Individual Wrestling Tournament Saturday at Grand Casino Arena.

“I just have always felt that I’m strongest in the neutral position,” Dake said. “She was already very tired, so I was going to take advantage of it to wear her out even more so I could throw her in the third.”

That ended up being the correct choice, as Dake took Goth down and worked for the pin.

“I had doubts at first,” Dake said. “Every time a wrestler gets taken down, they always have doubts. I immediately had to switch mentalities. I was just like, ‘OK, she got the first takedown, we’ll give it to her, but it’s not going to win this match.’ I was determined.”

Adams matched up against Milaca-Faith Christian’s Sawyer Schendel in the third-place match. After a scoreless first and an escape by Schendel to open the second, Adams gained the advantage with an escape and a takedown in the third. Adams secured the victory by punishing a late shot from Schendel for another takedown and a 7-1 decision.

“It means a lot,” Adams said. “I’ve always had a goal of eventually being the state champ. Me being a junior, it’s a great stepping stone and a big thing to work on. I’m not perfect, obviously, I got third, took a tough loss in the semis, but after that, my mind was made up that next-best thing — I’m not going to come here, feel sorry for myself after a loss just to get fifth or sixth. I’ve practiced the whole season for this.”

Adams had previously defeated Schendel in the tournament, but he knew he needed to go to something different for the win this time.

“No one is going to take me down,” Adams said. “After that semis match, I gave up on myself and I felt sorry. This one, I knew for a fact I could beat him. I beat him before, and I knew he knew I beat him with an arm throw, so now I knew I had to get him with my shot that he’s never seen before. That last couple of seconds, he was the one who needed the big move. So just staying in good position, circling, not getting called for stalling. That was really the thing going through my head.”

Adams said the win was the payoff of a lot of work he has put into wrestling.

“I’ve been working my tail off for a long time,” he said. “Freestyle, Greco, been traveling all the world to wrestle. Means the world that I can finally end up on that podium.”

Rieser wrestled against Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton’s Jacob Luebke for third, with Luebke coming away with a 14-2 decision after three takedowns and a 4-point near fall. Portner placed fifth after a medical forfeit, and Ruch lost by fall in 1:59 to Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Owen Lexvold. Alejandro took a 4-0 decision loss to Adrian Area’s Travis Weiss in his fifth-place match.