St. Michael-Albertville and Staples-Motley are looking to repeat as Minnesota’s Class 3A and Class 1A state wrestling champions.

Those teams won their respective section tournaments and are the No. 1-seed in their respective classes when the Minnesota State High School League state tournament begins at Grand Casino Arena on Feb. 25. Both St. Michael-Albertville and Staples-Motley have been perched atop the 3A and 1A state rankings for the entire season.

Simley, a 17-time state team champion, earned the No. 1 seed in Class 2A. The Spartans run of six straight Class 2A title came to an end in 2025 with a loss to Kasson-Mantoville in the semifinals.

Here’s what you need to know about watching the tournament, either from up close or afar:

Wrestlers to watch

Joel Friederichs, Watertown-Mayer, senior, 121 pounds: Joel Friederichs was an undefeated champion (47-0) at 121 pounds last season. College: Minnesota.

Titan Friederichs, Watertown-Mayer, senior, 127 pounds: Titan Friederichs is a three-time state champion who’s headed to the Big Ten next year with his twin brother. College: Minnesota

Lincoln Robideau, St. Michael-Albertville, sophomore, 145 pounds: Lincoln, whose older brother Landon was the 2024-25 season All-Minnesota Boys Wrestler of the Year, is the defending 133-pound champ in 3A.

Christian Jelle, Grand Rapids, senior, 145 pounds: Two-time state champion hasn’t lost in more than two years. College: Oklahoma.

Cooper Rowe, Westonka, senior, 160 pounds. This Gophers recruit has won two straight Class 2A titles. College: Minnesota

John Murphy, St. Michael-Albertville, sr., 189 pounds. A two-time state champion who hasn’t lost a high school match since his sophomore season. In September, he flipped his college commitment from Wyoming to Minnesota.

Charli Raymond, Simley, junior, 124 pounds: With four state championships, Raymond is on pace to become Minnesota’s most successful wrestler, regardless of class.

Caley Graber, Northfield, senior, 118 pounds: Graber owns two girls state championships and finished fifth in the boys state meet last season.

Cassandra Gonzales, Apple Valley, senior, 142 pounds: A three-time state champion, Gonzales lost in the U.S. Junior Freestyle 155-pound semifinals.

Sarah Pulk, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, sr., 190 pounds: Pulk is a three-time state champion with exceptional upper-body strength and has been receiving plenty of notice on a national stage.

How to Attend

All matches will take place at Grand Casino Arena.

Team

The team state tournament begins Wednesday, with quarterfinals at 4 p.m., followed by semifinals and consolation semifinals. The consolation finals and third-place matches are scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, with the team championships in all three classes set for 7 p.m.

Individual competition

Thursday: The first round in all four categories — 3A, 2A, 1A and girls — are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Friday: Quarterfinals and wrestlebacks start at 9 a.m. Semifinals and the second round of wrestlebacks start at 4 p.m.

Saturday: Consolation semifinals and wrestleback finals start at 9 a.m. Individual fifth-place and third-place matches will begin at 1 p.m. Competition will then be scaled back to four mats for individual championship matches.

What are wrestlebacks? A second-chance An opportunity for wrestlers who lost in the first round to continue to have a state-meet experience. Wrestlers qualify for wrestlebacks if the wrestler who defeated him or her continues to win. It allows a wrestler a chance to finish as high as third place.

How to Watch

The meet is streamed on the Neighborhood Sports Network (NSPN). Viewers can access the meet by purchasing a monthly subscription for $12 or an annual subscription, which is $33.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.mshsl.org/tickets. They are $17 for adults, $11 for students for a single session; An All-Day pass can be purchased for $32 for adult, $20 for students.