The STMA Knights wrestling team has had a target on its back the entire season. Ranked No. 1 since its impressive opening weeks by The Guillotine.com, STMA boasts a whopping nine ranked wrestlers in weight classes in Class 3A, meaning it’s not sneaking up on anyone at the State 3A Tournament this weekend in St. Paul.
“Probably the strongest team, top to bottom, since some of the Apple Valley teams six or seven years ago,” said one wrestling expert. “STMA could have 10 wrestlers in the individual tournament alone.”
Well, they’ll send 11, actually.
STMA qualified 11 wrestlers at last week’s Section 5 Tournament, and took the team tournament easily the weekend prior in Rogers, dumping Wayzata 49-20 in the championship duel.
Coach Josh Joriman – who was named Section 5-3A Coach of the Year – has finished in the top five in each of his seasons at STMA since taking over for coach Dan Lefebvre in the 2018-2019 season.
This will be Joriman’s best shot yet at a team title. Cole Becker and Caleb Thoennes, both seniors, lead the team with second place rankings at 145 and 132, respectively. Mason Mills, a sophomore, and Landon Robideau, a freshman, are both ranked first in their classes – 113 and 126 pounds. Jed Wester, just a sophomore, is also ranked second (160) while Chase Mills, only in Grade 8, is ranked third overall at 106.
Those wrestlers rolled through a strong section tournament. In all, 13 STMA wrestlers placed, with 11 earning trips to state. Winning section championships in Section 5-3A were:
Mason Mills, Ian Schutz, Robideau, Thoennes, Becker, Jimmy Heil – a senior ranked 7th at 152, Wester and heavyweight Owen Barthel.
The Knights will kick off the team tournament on Thursday morning at the Xcel Energy Center in the 2022 meet with a familiar opponent – Apple Valley. While the Eagles aren’t the powerhouse they once were, it will be an exciting rivalry to get the event going. Stillwater, ranked No. 2, and Shakopee – a recent team champ, both present the main threats to the Knights as they aim for the team title.
Matches will be streamed on KRWC radio, which will include color analysis by former STMA Coach Gregg Greeno. Check out their app in the Google Play or Apple store, and download it to catch the action. You can also stream it on your desktop, tablet or device here. NWCT and KRWC are longstanding partners at Tourney Time in Minnesota.
TEAM TOURNAMENT – Section 5AAA
Quarterfinals
St. Michael-Albertville 82 Hopkins 0
106 – Chase Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
113 – Mason Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
120 – Ian Schultz (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
126 – Landon Robideau (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
132 – Caleb Thoennes (St. Michael-Albertville) over Aidan Burgett (Hopkins) TF 19-4
138 – Eli Davis (St. Michael-Albertville) over Ty Schmidt (Hopkins) Fall 1:57
145 – Cole Becker (St. Michael-Albertville) over Judson Schulz (Hopkins) Fall 0:49
152 – Jimmy Heil (St. Michael-Albertville) over Mark Gonzales (Hopkins) Fall 0:44
160 – Jed Wester (St. Michael-Albertville) over Patrick Kubisa (Hopkins) TF 20-5
170 – Bryon Sauvy (St. Michael-Albertville) over Nick Kelley (Hopkins) Fall 0:27
182 – Tate Lidberg (St. Michael-Albertville) over Amir Mansour (Hopkins) Fall 2:51
195 – Tyson Hentges (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
220 – Marcus Mueller (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Owen Barthel (St. Michael-Albertville) over Logan Ross (Hopkins) Fall 1:14
Semifinals
St. Michael-Albertville 67 Rogers 3
106 – Chase Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Grady Weinbrenner (Rogers) Maj 11-1
113 – Mason Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Mason Lund (Rogers) Fall 3:34
120 – Ian Schultz (St. Michael-Albertville) over Navarro Kornwolf (Rogers) Fall 2:48
126 – Landon Robideau (St. Michael-Albertville) over Brian Ramola (Rogers) Inj 0:23
132 – Caleb Thoennes (St. Michael-Albertville) over Ryan Lund (Rogers) TF 25-9
138 – Eli Davis (St. Michael-Albertville) over Chris Dietl (Rogers) Maj 9-1
145 – Cole Becker (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
152 – Jimmy Heil (St. Michael-Albertville) over Ty Cassidy (Rogers) Dec 11-4
160 – Jed Wester (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
170 – Bryon Sauvy (St. Michael-Albertville) over Adam Cowles (Rogers) Fall 2:15
182 – Tate Lidberg (St. Michael-Albertville) over Cole Hamilton (Rogers) Dec 9-3
195 – Isaiah Brown (Rogers) over Jake Springer (St. Michael-Albertville) Dec 7-2
220 – Marcus Mueller (St. Michael-Albertville) over Steven Daiker (Rogers) Fall 0:11
285 – Owen Barthel (St. Michael-Albertville) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
Championship
St. Michael-Albertville 49 Wayzata 20
106 – Chase Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Luke Koenen (Wayzata) Dec 3-2
113 – Mason Mills (St. Michael-Albertville) over Jacob Leuthard (Wayzata) Fall 2:23
120 – Ian Schultz (St. Michael-Albertville) over Cohen Hoffman (Wayzata) Maj 13-5
126 – Landon Robideau (St. Michael-Albertville) over Elijah Wald (Wayzata) TF 28-13
132 – Jarrett Wadsen (St. Michael-Albertville) over Andrew Larson (Wayzata) Fall 1:17
138 – Caleb Thoennes (St. Michael-Albertville) over Caden Wong (Wayzata) TF 25-10
145 – Cole Becker (St. Michael-Albertville) over Charles Petit (Wayzata) TF 23-8
152 – Kyler Wong (Wayzata) over Sam Eicher (St. Michael-Albertville) Fall 1:38
160 – Jimmy Heil (St. Michael-Albertville) over Isaiah Schmitz (Wayzata) Fall 0:54
170 – Jed Wester (St. Michael-Albertville) over Jack Brandt (Wayzata) Fall 1:19
182 – Adam Cherne (Wayzata) over Tate Lidberg (St. Michael-Albertville) Fall 0:53
195 – Chase Ullom (Wayzata) over Jake Springer (St. Michael-Albertville) Dec 5-3
220 – Dominic Heim (Wayzata) over Myles Dehmer (St. Michael-Albertville) TF 22-6
285 – Owen Barthel (St. Michael-Albertville) over Austin Franchino (Wayzata) Dec 6-0
MSHSL Section 5AAA Individual
106 1st – Luke Koenen of Wayzata; 2nd – Chase Mills of St. Michael-Albertville
113 1st – Mason Mills of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Jameson Kulseth of Osseo
120 1st – Ian Schultz of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Connor Peterson of Maple Grove
126 1st – Landon Robideau of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Elijah Wald of Wayzata
132 1st – Caleb Thoennes of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Peter Hollingshead of Osseo
138 1st – Max Johnson of Maple Grove; 2nd – Eli Davis of St. Michael-Albertville
145 1st – Cole Becker of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Kyler Wong of Wayzata
152 1st – Jimmy Heil of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – John Lundstrom of Osseo
160 1st – Jed Wester of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Patrick Kubisa of Hopkins
170 1st – Adam Cherne of Wayzata; 2nd – Bryon Sauvy of St. Michael-Albertville
182 1st – Ismael Kante of Park Center; 2nd – Vincent Toleno of Osseo
195 1st – Aidan Wayne of Osseo; 2nd – Isaiah Brown of Rogers
220 1st – Jacob Meissner of Osseo; 2nd – Dominic Heim of Wayzata
285 1st – Owen Barthel of St. Michael-Albertville; 2nd – Riley Johnson of Park Center