The Crookston Pirate Wrestling team’s Gavyn Hlucny finished sixth place at the Minnesota State Wrestling tournament at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul.
FIRST ROUND
Gavyn earned the #8 seed and dominated his first match against #9 seed Gage Mullenbach or Westfield. Gavyn started the match with a takedown 27 seconds into the match for a 3-0 lead. Mullenbach received a penalty point after Hl=ucny was hit with a stalling call twice in the period, and Gavyn took a 3-1 lead into the second period.
In the second period, Hlucny scored a takedown 33 seconds into the period and that would be all the scoring for a 6-1 lead going into the final period.
In the third, Gavyn scored three more points on a takedown 33 seconds into the period and followed up with four nearfall points for a 13-1 lead with one minute remaining. Gavyn held on the rest of the way and cruised to a 13-1 victory to advance to the state quarterfinals.
QUARTERFINALS
Gavyn is now 35-5 on the year and will have the tough task of taking on the #1 seed, Carson Rowland of Chatfield. Rowland is 37-2 on the year and won his first-round match 8-1. Gavyn had a good battle for most of the first half and didn’t give up any points until he was taken down with five seconds to go and trailed 3-0 at the end of the first period. Hlucny started the second period on top, and Rowland scored an escape five seconds into the period. With one minute left, he followed with a takedown for a 7-0 lead. Hlucny got on the board with 44 seconds remaining in the period when he received a penalty point to get within a 7-2 deficit at the end of the period. Hlucny started the third period on the bottom and got an escape 19 seconds into the period and trailed 7-3. Halfway through the period, Rowland got an escape to take a 10-3 lead, and that is how the match ended, with Rowland winning 10-3.
CONSOLATION QUARTER-FINALS
Gavyn took on Conrad Koll of United North Central in the consolation quarterfinals in a rematch of the Section 8A championship last week. Gavyn battled for most of the first period and scored three points on a takedown for a 3-0 lead. In the second period, it was more of the same as Gavyn worked on Koll for most of the second period and got a takedown with 27 seconds left in the period. Hlucny started the third period on the bottom, battled, and got an escape with four seconds left in the match to win 8-0.
CONSOLATION SEMI-FINALS
Gavyn took on Ryan Palmer of Lake Crystal-Welcom Memorial Area. There was no scoring in the first period, but that changed in the second period. Palmer started the scoring with a reversal 19 seconds into the period, adding four nearfall points and three more nearfall points. At the end of the period, Palmer added four more nearfall points for a 13-0 lead. 10 seconds into the third period, Palmer won by a tech fall 16-0.
FIFTH PLACE MATCH –
Hlucny took on William Pilarski of Holdingford for fifth place. Pilarski took a 3-0 lead five seconds into the match with a takedown. There was no scoring in the second period. Pilarski took a 5-0 lead with an escape 30 seconds into the third period. Pilarski followed with a takedown and got three more nearfall points to win the match 10-0 victory. Hlucny finished sixth place and placed at state for the second time.
