TRUDEAU, BOWMAN, AND BOLL ARE CHAMPIONS AT THE NW INVITATIONAL AT FERTILE

The Crookston Pirate Wrestlers had six wrestlers in the championship match with three of them (Evin Trudeau, Ethan Bowman, and Ethan Boll) and all 10 placed on their way to a second-place finish at the 51st annual Northwest Invitational tournament at Fertile-Beltrami High School.  Thief River Falls won the team championship. 

Team results
1. Thief River Falls – 214.5
2. Crookston – 171.5
3. Deer River – 116.5
4. Blackduck/Cass Lake – 108.5
5. United Clay Becker – 98
6. Badger/Greenbush-Middle River – 91.5
7. Bemidji – 90
8. Pelican Rapids – 69
9. Walker-H-A – 68
10. Fertile-Beltrami 66.5
11. All Saints Home School – 5
12. Roseau 0

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES-
Evin Trudeau started things off on a great note by winning his first match by a pin in one minute. In the semi-finals, he beat Drew Rasch of Fertile-Beltrami 7-2 to advance to the championship match at 106 pounds. He scored two points on an early takedown and gave up an escape before his opponent took a 3-2 lead with a takedown. Evin tied the match with an escape before getting a takedown with 48-seconds left in the period for a 5-3 lead. His opponent scored two points on a reversal and added two more on a takedown for a 7-5 lead and Evin made a quick move to get two points on a reversal as the buzzer sounded and the match was tied at 7 going into the third period. In the third period, Evin was taken down and trailed 9-7 before getting a reversal and three near-fall points for a 12-9 lead late in the match. Trudeau was able to hold on and win the match 12-9 for the first Pirate championship.  Evin won the 50th match of his career with the first win in the tournament.

Casey Weiland received a bye in his first match at 132-pounds.In the semi-finals, he beat Jarret Page of Bemidji 14-4 to advance. In the championship, Casey took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown. The match was tied after a reversal, but Casey scored a point on an escape for a 3-2 lead. The lead didn’t last long as he was taken down and he trailed 4-3 going into the second period. After a takedown, Casey scored an escape and then he was taken down before another escape and Weiland trailed 8-5 going into the third period. Casey had an escape to start the final period and scored a takedown with 67-seconds left to tie the match at 8-8. His opponent scored an escape and a takedown to win the match 11-8 and Casey finished second.

Carter Coauette won his first match by a 14-2 major decision at 138-pounds.In the semi-finals, he won by a tech fall at 4:28.In the championship, Carter got behind 2-0 and then 5-0 after three near-fall points. In the second period, Carter trailed 8-1 going into the final period. Carter struggled to score points as his opponent built a 14-3 lead to win the match and Carter finished second.

Ethan Bowman won his first match by pin at 2:52 at 145-pounds.In the semi-final match, Ethan won by an 11-0 major decision. In the championship, Ethan was taken down and trailed 2-0 early. It was all Bowman the rest of the way. Ethan had a reversal to tie the match at 2 going into the second period. In the second frame, Ethan scored two points on a takedown before giving up a point on an escape and took a 4-3 lead. In the third period, Ethan started with an escape and added a takedown with 30-seconds left in the match for a 7-3 lead and held on to win the second Pirate championship.

Hunter Knutson won his first match by pin in 93-seconds at 182-pounds.In the semi-finals, he won by a 7-3 decision to advance to the championship. In the championship, Hunter ran into #4 ranked Caleb Vacura of Badger/Greenbush-Middle River. Vacura took an early lead and was pinned in the second period.

Ethan Boll opened up his tournament by making quick work of his opponent for a pin in 35-seconds at 220-pounds.In the semi-final match, Boll didn’t waste any time again as he beat his opponent in 43-seconds.In the championship, Ethan wrestled the #10 ranked wrestler in Class AA. Boll is the #2 wrestler at 195-pounds in Class A.
Ethan didn’t waste any time as he jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Ethan gave up an escape before getting another takedown. After another escape, Boll countered with a takedown for a 10-4 lead going into the second period. Boll started the second down and had an escape for an 11-4 lead. After an escape, Boll countered with another takedown, and halfway through the period, Ethan led 14-6. Ethan added another takedown for an impressive 16-6 lead through two periods. Boll chose both up to start the third and gave a point and led 16-7. Ethan had a big takedown and slammed Sargent down to the mat for two more points and a few seconds later got the pin for the third Pirate championship of the tournament.

THIRD PLACE –
Gavyn Hlucny won his first match at 120 pounds by pin in 59-seconds. Gavyn lost in the semi-finals 7-4. Gavyn bounced back to win his consolation semi-final by beating Tyler Henderson of Fertile-Beltrami 7-2 to advance to the third-place match. In the match, Gavyn took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. After each wrestler had a reversal, Gavyn led 4-2 and added three near-fall points for a 7-2 lead going into the second period. Gavyn started the second period with a takedown for a 9-2 lead and after no scoring for a while, he was able to make a move and won by pin as the buzzer sounded to finish third place.

Layten Fuentes won his first match by a pin at 3:23 at 152-pounds.In the semi-finals, he lost by a pin in the third period. In the consolation semi-finals, Spencer won by a pin at four minutes and struggled in the third-place match against a tough opponent. Layten trailed 2-0 after the first period and in the second period, there was more scoring as he trailed 6-2 going into the final two minutes of the match. Layten was taken down and trailed 8-2 and couldn’t get anything going as he lost the third-place match 8-2.

Layten Fuentes won his first match by a pin at 3:23 at 152-pounds.In the semi-finals, he lost by a pin in the third period.In the consolation semi-finals, Spencer won by a pin at four minutes and struggled in the third-place match against a tough opponent. Layten trailed 2-0 after the first period and in the second period, there was more scoring as he trailed 6-2 going into the final two minutes of the match.Layten was taken down and trailed 8-2 and couldn’t get anything going as he lost the third-place match 8-2.

Spencer Ness received a bye in the first round at 160-pounds.In the semi-finals, he lost by an 8-2 decision before winning the consolation semi-finals 4-0. In the third-place match, Spencer scored two points on a takedown with 40-seconds left in the first period. In the second and third period, Spencer took over the match.He started the second period with an escape and followed with a takedown for a 5-0 lead. After Spencer was taken down in the third period he responded with a reversal for a 7-2 lead and was able to hang on the rest of the way for a 7-2 victory and a third place finish.

FIFTH PLACE –
Hunter Kresl finished fifth place at 195-poundsHunter lost his first match by pin and received a by in the wrestlebacks.In the consolation semi-finals, he beat Fertile-Beltrami’s Tyler Stuhaug 9-4 to advance to the fifth-place match. In the fifth-place match, Hunter had a first-period takedown for a 2-0 lead. Halfway through the second period, he recorded another takedown for a 4-0 lead and he would win the match by a 4-0 score to win the fifth-place match.