Thursday night, Feb. 26, was the end of the team competition at the state wrestling tournament, which saw St. Michael-Albertville, Simley and Staples-Motley hoist trophies.

Thursday morning marked the start of the individual competition, where hundreds of wrestlers in 13 weight classes, boys and girls, began their journey toward Saturday’s individual championship matches in the round of 16.

The quarterfinals began Friday morning, Feb. 27, and the semifinals and the second round of wrestlebacks started in the afternoon.

Wrestlebacks are 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.

The championship matchups are now set after Friday’s action. Here’s who advanced after the semifinals:

TJ Fuller to face Matthew Veroeven in 2A 285-pound final

No. 9-ranked Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton senior TJ Fuller knocked off No. 4-ranked Brooklyn Center-Concordia Academy junior Anthony Benson by a 3-2 decision in the 285-pound weight class in Class 2A. His opponent will be No. 2 ranked Waseca senior Matthew Veroeven, who defeated No. 3 ranked Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial junior Mason Adams in overtime.

— Joe Gunther

Future D-I wrestlers to meet in anticipated 3A 189-pound final

The match wrestling fans have been anticipating all season will take place in the finals between a pair of undefeated, Division I-bound wrestlers. Moorhead’s William Ward defeated Caden Grenier of Mounds View in the 189-pound weight class in Class 3A, while St. Michael-Albertville’s John Murphy beat Jacob Hanson of Park Center 21-4.

Both Ward, the 3A champ at 215 pounds in 2025, and Murphy, who won the 189-pound title in 2025, are undefeated. Ward has committed to Arizona State, while Murphy will wrestle at Minnesota.

— Jim Paulsen

Stillwater’s Audrey Rogotzke gets one step closer to third state title

Senior Audrey Rogotzke, a state champion as an eighth-grader and again as a junior, won by pin in the 148-pound weight class.

Also in the girls tournament, Apple Valley continues to produce positive results. Senior Esperanza Calvillo beat Hailey Goth of St. Michael-Albertville 6-2 in the 170-pound weight class.

— Jim Paulsen

Cece Rock wins battle of unbeatens in girls tournament

In a battle of unbeaten wrestlers, No. 3-ranked Luverne junior Cece Rock defeated No. 2-ranked Centennial senior Nora Akpan on a fall in the 155-pound weight class. Rock will face No. 1-ranked Apple Valley senior Cassy Gonzales in the championship match.

Gonzales will be wrestling for her fourth state championship. She beat Alyzabeth Hiler of St. Paul Johnson 11-1 to improve to 26-0 on the season.

— Joe Gunther and Jim Paulsen

Two No. 1-No. 2 matchups on deck in Class 2A finals

No. 2-ranked Becker junior Bennett Kujawa defeated No. 3-ranked New Ulm senior Elijah Rieser 19-3 in the 139-pound weight class to set up a Class 2A championship matchup against No. 1-ranked Grand Rapids senior Christian Jelle.

Also in Class 2A, No. 2-ranked Minneapolis North senior Johan Alcantara Lund defeated No. 3-ranked Simley junior Adrian Mincey 5-3 in overtime in the 152-pound weight class. Alcantara Lund will face No. 1ranked Watertown-Mayer junior Kaleb Mead.

— Joe Gunther

Future Gopher Trey Beissel advances in Class 3A

Future University of Minnesota wrestler Trey Beissel, battling an injured left leg, got 12 third-period points to rally past Liam Collins of Prior Lake 19-7 in the 133-pound weight class in Class 3A. Beissel, from Hastings, improved to 51-0 on the season.

Also in Class 3A, three more St. Michael-Albertville wrestlers are through to the finals. The Bergeron brothers, Grant (118 pounds) and Brody (133), both picked up victories, as did Lincoln Robideau (145).

The Knights weren’t perfect in the semifinals, however. Chase Mills lost to Anthony Heim of Shakopee 8-1 in the 139-pound weight class.

— Jim Paulsen

Twins Joel, Titan Friedrichs take care of business in Class 2A

Watertown-Mayer twin seniors Joel and Titan Friedrichs, who are both undefeated defending state champions and the top-ranked wrestlers in their class, took care of business in the Class 2A semifinals. Joel defeated No. 4-ranked Kasson-Mantorville sophomore Kaden Lindquist with an 8-2 decision in the 121-pound weight class. Titan knocked off No. 7-ranked Simley junior Damir Safronov by injury default in the 127-pound weight class.

— Joe Gunther

Raymond pushed in girls tournament, but advances

Considered one of the top pound-for-pound girls wrestlers in the state, Simley 118-pounder Charli Raymond, a four-time state champion, struggled a big with Alexandra Thovson of Farmington, eventually building a lead for a 9-1 victory. It was the only match Raymond has had during the tournament that went the full six minutes.

Also in the girls tournament, Northfield’s Caley Graber defeated Big Lake’s Alexa Guy 19-3 in the 127-pound weight class.

— Jim Paulsen

Tolzman, Earley and Kazal advance in girls tournament

The two highest-ranked girls, No. 1 Rhilynn Tolzman of New Prague and No. 2 Teagan Earley of Zimmerman, both emerged victorious in the 100-pound weight class and will meet in the finals.

In 106 pounds, Azalea Kazal of New Prague beat Breslyn Kirkpatrick of Waconia by, you guessed it, tech fall 17-4.

— Jim Paulsen

Sommer wins in OT in Class 1A at 114 pounds

Class 1A No. 1-ranked Liam Sommer of Kenyon-Wanamingo needed overtime to defeat third-ranked Vincent Schmid of Mille Lacs in the 114-pound weight class.

— Joe Gunther

More tech falls in Class 3A

Tech falls all over Class 3A. St. Michael-Albertville’s Landon Thoennes becomes the second STMA wrestler through to the finals, beating Peter Alan Schutz of Wayzata 16-1 in the 114-pound weight class.

— Jim Paulsen

Hoopman advances to Class 3A final at 107 pounds

No. 1-ranked Chase Lawrence of Stillwater lost to No. 3 Nathan Hoopman of St. Thomas Academy by tech fall, 17-2 in the 107-pound weight class. Hoopman will face Jackson Thorn of St. Michael-Albertville in the finals. Thorn beat Landon Kassel of Willmar with a 19-4 tech fall.

— Jim Paulsen

Hamacher makes Class 2A final in 107-pound weight class

Becker eighth-grader Harper Hamacher defeated New Prague’s freshman Charlie Wagner to reach the Class 2A 107-pound weight class final. He will face Rocori senior Trey Kaemer. Kraemer defeated Zumbota-Mazeppa freshman Grayson Schroeder.

— Joe Gunther

Pulk eyes fourth title

Most people do not have fond recollections of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Sarah Pulk, if it wasn’t for COVID, she might not be where she is today: One of the top girls wrestlers in the state.

Pulk, a junior 190-pounder at Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, remained on pace for her fourth-consecutive state championship with a pair of victories Friday. Pulk, one of three wrestling Pulk sisters (Emily is a seventh-grader and Maddie a freshman) has been one of the most dominant girl wrestlers in its young history. Over the course of her high school career, which already includes three state titles, Pulk compiled a 92-3 record. She’s 31-0 this season.

And to think, at one time Pulk thought her athletic future was on the ice.

She grew up a figure skater, but when Covid hit, she began looking for other athletic outlets. She settled on wrestling.

A wise choice. Her father Andy was a wrestling coach, and at the time, girls wrestling was on the brink of taking off in Minnesota.

“I had gone about as far as I could with skating,” Pulk said.

Pulk is thrilled by the growth of girls wrestling, which has taken her to competitions across the nation and internationally. She finished second at a national meet in Fargo last year and fourth at the prestigious Super 32 meet in North Carolina last fall. She has also competed in Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf.

“It was hot,” she said. “But it was a dry heat, not like in Minnesota.”

National and international competitions are typically conducted in the freestyle wrestling discipline, rather than the more restrictive folk-style manner of high school wrestling.

“I like freestyle over folk style,” Pulk said. “It allows me to explore options.”

The experience outside of Minnesota has given her opportunities to express her artistic side, having recently committed to developing her skills as a photographer. First, however, she’ll need her own camera.

“Right now, I’m borrowing my mom’s,” she said.

— Jim Paulsen