SIOUX FALLS – Aberdeen Central definitely left its mark on the Class A Boys Individual State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday. The Golden Eagles had a state champion, 11 state place winners, won a pair of awards and finished third in the team standings.

“To get 14 into the state tournament and then to get 11 to place, that’s something pretty special,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “That doesn’t come around every year.”

Neither do state champions.

Central’s Rayden Zens won the 126-pound state title, grabbing a 5-2 win, denying Watertown’s Sloan Johannsen a shot at a fourth straight championship.

“It feels amazing,” Zens said. “It was awesome.”

Zens recorded the all-important first take down in the match, fighting off an early shot from Johannsen.

When asked how he prevented it, Zens responded, “I don’t even know. I was just trying to pull his elbow and get my leg back. It was crazy.”

The two wrestlers, who will be future teammates at Northern State, have a well-recorded history against each other. While Johannsen still owns the overall advantage, his only three losses in four years all came against Zens.

Bowden said Zens had a solid strategy against Johannsen heading into the title match.

“He just executed a game plan. We were getting beat by him getting to our legs and we took that element away from him,” Bowden said. “Every time he got to our legs, we were able to defend and then when we took our shots against the legs, we came and took the body, and ultimately that was the difference.”

Zens said instead of being passive like he has been in past matches against Johannsen, he stayed aggressive and tried not to think about how much time was left.

“Old me probably would have the looked at the clock and said alright, just hold on,” Zens said, “but today, I do remember thinking to myself, I said alright, just keep pulling, just keep pushing, just keep defending and it’s yours. So I just kept going and going … and gave everything and it paid off.”

Zens was named the Class A Outstanding Wrestler following the tourney, while teammate Ayden Gisi won the Dale Westburg Memorial Award for most pins in the shortest amount of time.

It was also a big day for area wrestlers as Brody Randall of Hamlin-Castlewood (113) and Grady Fey of Redfield (285) both capped off undefeated seasons with Class B state championships.

Fey ended up defeating Traun Cook of Canton in quick fashion on a slick move in the second period. Hooked up in a tight match, Fey took advantage of a switch to pounce on Cook and pin him to win the state title.

“Probably wasn’t the best technique thing to do,” Fey said, “but why he didn’t just cut me is beyond me, but I’m OK with it, because it just put me in that position and I’m pretty happy about it.”

Fey entered the second period thinking that it would likely be another tight match against Cook and instead found himself in the optimal position to pin his foe.

“I was just thinking about getting my escape, and then trying to go for takedowns,” Fey said, “but when that presented itself, I was going to jump on board.”

It marked Fey’s first state championship after coming up short in the finals in two prior attempts.

“It really means a lot that I could go out and finally get it done,” said Fey who is heading to NSU to wrestle. “I’m just really grateful for everyone that’s helped me be able to do it.”

In the Class B final at 138 Kellan Hurd of Miller-Highmore-Harrold defeated Webster’s Haeden Jorgenson to win a state title in the closest match of the finals. Hurd scored a 2-1 double overtime victory to secure the championship. It was the fourth match of the season between the two, with Hurd winning three of them. They were Jorgenson’s only setbacks, while Jorgenson was responsible for the only blemish on Hurd’s record.

Two other area wrestlers finished runner-up as Sisseton’s Holden Hawkins took second at 144 in Class A, and Holden Havlik of Wessington Springs-Woonsocket-Wolsey-Wessington took second at 215 in Class B.

Canton won the Class B team title, while Sturgis won the Class A team crown. Central won eight of its 11 matches in the medal round.

Bowden was pleased with way his wrestlers competed over the three-day tournament.

“They did a really good job,” Bowden said. “They navigated the weekend really well with all the different sessions and the three-day format. They found what they needed to do and they delivered.”

While the season and weekend had its share of twists and turns, the Golden Eagles managed to find a way to have a major impact on the tourney and finished what they set out to do when the season started.

“Every week they improved from the beginning. That was the goal that we were just going to get a little bit better every week,” Bowden said. “It doesn’t always go that way, they found a way to do it, whether they were banged up, sick, no matter what the case was, they found a way to do it.”

Aberdeen Central results

106: Esten Foss 8th
Champ. Round 1 – Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) over Griffin Felder (Harrisburg) (Dec 7-0)
Quarterfinals – Pierce Hurd (Rapid City Central) over Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) (MD 13-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) over Owen Serck (Beresford/Alcester-Hudson) (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 3 – Kaden Haakinson (West Central) over Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 5-1)
7th Place Match – Beckett Rehorst (Brandon Valley) over Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 2-0)

113: Paxton Ewing
Champ. Round 1 – Max  Schoenhard (Rapid City Stevens) over Paxton Ewing (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 9-4)
Cons. Round 1 – Braedy Sievers (Dakota Valley) over Paxton Ewing (Aberdeen Central) (MD 11-2)

120: Porter Lozenski 7th
Champ. Round 1 – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) over Dexton Miller (Beresford/Alcester-Hudson) (Fall 3:56)
Quarterfinals – Gage Lohr (Watertown) over Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 5:01)
Cons. Round 2 – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) over John Jeffery (Spearfish) (Dec 5-3)
Cons. Round 3 – Hudson Cisar (Sioux Falls Lincoln) over Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 5-2)
7th Place Match – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) over Owen Fischer (Milbank) (M. For.)

126: Rayden Zens 1st
Champ. Round 1 – Rayden Zens (Aberdeen Central) over Riley Williams (Sioux Falls Washington) (Fall 2:37)
Quarterfinals – Rayden Zens (Aberdeen Central) over Karson Vessells (West Central) (Dec 1-0)
Semifinals – Rayden Zens (Aberdeen Central) over Aidan Wells (Sioux Falls Jefferson) (Fall 5:11)
1st Place Match – Rayden Zens (Aberdeen Central) over Sloan Johannsen (Watertown) (Dec 5-2)

132: Tate Huff 7th
Champ. Round 1 – Tate Huff (Aberdeen Central) over Graham Wilde (Sioux Falls Jefferson) (Dec 4-0)
Quarterfinals – Bentley  Williams  (Sioux Falls Lincoln) over Tate Huff (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Round 2 – Tate Huff (Aberdeen Central) over slaton jones (O`Gorman) (Fall 4:28)
Cons. Round 3 – Logan Brown (Rapid City Central) over Tate Huff (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 3-0)
7th Place Match – Tate Huff (Aberdeen Central) over Tyler Wurth (Harrisburg) (Fall 1:48)

138: Ridley Waldo 5th
Champ. Round 1 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) over Lah Doh Soe (Huron) (Fall 1:35)
Quarterfinals – Caleb Hodges (Madison) over Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 7-6)
Cons. Round 2 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) over Leo Stroup (Watertown) (MD 10-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) over Langdon Klinkhammer (West Central) (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Semis – Ramsey Williams (Lennox) over Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) over Beau Peters (Sturgis Brown) (Dec 7-4)

144: Owen Ward
Champ. Round 1 – Holden Hight (O`Gorman) over Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) (MD 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 – Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) over Mason  Mathis (Brookings) (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Kalvin Ketelsen (Sturgis Brown) over Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 3-0)

150: Grayden Timm
Champ. Round 1 – Joseph Nadig (Sturgis Brown) over Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) (TF 16-0 2:31)
Cons. Round 1 – Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) over Owyn Schreder (Belle Fourche) (Fall 4:06)
Cons. Round 2 – Shayce Platt (Yankton) over Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 9-4)

157: Mason Schrempp 3rd
Champ. Round 1 – Mason Schrempp (Aberdeen Central) over Ethan Tucker (Brandon Valley) (Fall 1:43)
Quarterfinals – Mason Schrempp (Aberdeen Central) over Carson Lohr (Tea Area) (Fall 5:58)
Semifinals – Chandler Carda (West Central) over Mason Schrempp (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:39)
Cons. Semis – Mason Schrempp (Aberdeen Central) over Zhoel Irion (Sturgis Brown) (Dec 4-3)
3rd Place Match – Mason Schrempp (Aberdeen Central) over Michael Roob (Vermillion) (Dec 3-2)

165: Elias Biegler 8th
Champ. Round 1 – Elias Biegler (Aberdeen Central) over Teagen  Smith (Rapid City Stevens) (Fall 2:25)
Quarterfinals – Dawson Eimers (Tea Area) over Elias Biegler (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Elias Biegler (Aberdeen Central) over Greyson  Deelstra (Sioux Falls Lincoln) (Fall 0:59)
Cons. Round 3 – Rayce Whiting  (West Central) over Elias Biegler (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 7-2)
7th Place Match – Gavin Chapman (Brandon Valley) over Elias Biegler (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 1-0)

175: Ryker Meister 8th
Champ. Round 1 – Tate Schlueter (Milbank) over Ryker Meister (Aberdeen Central) (MD 12-2)
Cons. Round 1 – Ryker Meister (Aberdeen Central) over Noah Hede (Dakota Valley) (Fall 2:17)
Cons. Round 2 – Ryker Meister (Aberdeen Central) over Sean Foote (Mitchell) (SV-1 2-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Lane Knutson (Sioux Falls Washington) over Ryker Meister (Aberdeen Central) (MD 9-1)
7th Place Match – Joseph Tunge (Sioux Falls Lincoln) over Ryker Meister (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 9-5)

190: Cole Dunlavy 7th
Champ. Round 1 – Cole Dunlavy (Aberdeen Central) over Gabe Gebhard (West Central) (Fall 2:34)
Quarterfinals – Chance Carda (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Cole Dunlavy (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 9-4)
Cons. Round 2 – Cole Dunlavy (Aberdeen Central) over Brody Sonnenschein (Harrisburg) (Fall 1:55)
Cons. Round 3 – Ian Hook (Rapid City Central) over Cole Dunlavy (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-3)
7th Place Match – Cole Dunlavy (Aberdeen Central) over Kishmar Eberline (Sioux Falls Lincoln) (MD 8-0)

215: Ayden Gisi 5th
Champ. Round 1 – Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) over Peyton Eustace (Yankton) (Fall 0:21)
Quarterfinals – Chase DeBoer (Tea Area) over Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) (SV-1 6-4)
Cons. Round 2 – Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) over Seth Foote (Mitchell) (Fall 1:23)
Cons. Round 3 – Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) over Rip Siemonsma (O`Gorman) (Fall 1:44)
Cons. Semis – Chet Carda (West Central) over Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:36)
5th Place Match – Ayden Gisi (Aberdeen Central) over Chase DeBoer (Tea Area) (Fall 1:20)

285: Bryce Beitelspacher 5th
Champ. Round 1 – Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) over Daniel  Vazquez  (O`Gorman) (Fall 1:13)
Quarterfinals – Gavin Pischke (West Central) over Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) over Lucas Colman (Pierre T.F. Riggs) (Fall 1:50)
Cons. Round 3 – Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) over Landon Novy (Milbank) (Fall 3:30)
Cons. Semis – Rocky Clark (Mitchell) over Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match – Bryce Beitelspacher (Aberdeen Central) over Gavin Van Emmerik (Tea Area) (Fall 0:19)

To see complete tournaments results, click on the following link:

https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=771079132