Despite a small roster, the St. Clair Cyclone Wrestling team fared well against Waseca and Maple River/USC in a triangular meet held on January 7. Chase Bade and Blake Sheppard continued their impressive seasons with dominating performances on the mat. Braydon Won delivered a convincing pinfall, and freshman Riley Vaughan clinched his 75th win of his career. However, the team lost the overall matchup to both squads.
It was Senior Night for the wrestling team, with Bade being the sole senior on the squad. Coach Charlie Pickell shared his thoughts about the wrestler’s tremendous career and his impact on his teammates. “He has been a great role model for the other wrestlers and a true leader for a small yet mighty team; I expect quite a bit out of him and he can make some real noise at State this year.”
The St. Clair team has proven their mettle on the mat, but have struggled to clinch team wins because of open weight classes, but Pickell noted the lineups are filling up as the season enters its second full month of competition.
St. Clair opened up the triangular against the Waseca Bluejays, and for much of the match, the Cyclones held a slim lead in points; however, the final few matches decided the overall match in Waseca’s favor as they clinched 39-26. Alex Isebrand kicked off the matchup at 107, and while he displayed some great technical ability to get a takedown, he lost in two periods. Won took to the mat at 121 and dominated his opponent with a textbook pin for a quick victory. Sheppard stepped up at 133, and the early stages of the bout were a battle for the scrappy technician, but he took a dominant 13-1 major decision.
Ty Romnes suffered a setback at 139 as the nimble wrestler seemed off his game during the match, finding himself face down during much of the contest and taking an 18-5 major decision loss. Vaughan battled at 145, and despite some fantastic wrestling, he had to settle for an 11-1 decision.
Bade made quick work of his matchup at 160 with a ferocious burst from the opening whistle; he grappled his opponent to the ground, and the match was over by pinfall in just 1:01. James Stenzel followed at 172, and the match proved to be one of the key bouts of the triangular, and he lost by a 15-1 decision. Even in defeat, his teammates congratulated him for his will on the mat, and Bade offered him some instruction to use for his next match.
Luke Vaughan took to the mat at 189, and the contest started with a friendly shove between the two behemoths. Vaughan struggled to gain the upper hand against his opponent, and many time, he found himself on the defensive. It may have been the lingering injury or an off day for Vaughan as he appeared winded in the third round and took a defeat via pinfall in three periods. Cooper Garlow rounded out the match at 215. There was a clear difference in strength between the two as Garlow would be quickly overpowered and planted hard into the mat and would be put over by pinfall in the second round. Waseca would take the team win 38-26.
St. Clair would later wrestle against Maple River/USC, featuring a pulse-pounding match that ended with Bade taking a 4-3 loss, but Romnes, L. Vaughan, and Garlow found redemption with victories in their second match. Maple River/USC would clinch the overall match 45-19.
An exciting set of St. Clair Wrestling matches then took place at Mankato West High School on January 6. Led by Coach Pickell, the St. Clair Cyclones were looking to take home a few wins at the Mankato West Tri. Blake Sheppard certainly had a great night, reaching win number 75 in his career.
St. Peter was the third team competing that night. The Cyclones sat out the first round and faced the St. Peter Saints after they defeated Mankato West.
First on the mat was the 107 weight class Alex Isebrand. He and his opponent went into the second round before Isebrand secured the first win of the evening with a pin at 2:43. Albino Almanza, 114 weight class, fell to a Saint after one minute. Braydon Won, 121, picked up a win with a pin at 1:07. The Cyclones fans were the loudest of the night, making each bout feel like a main event. Blake Sheppard, 127 weight class, came in to secure a pin in 1:12; his 75th career win. Ty Romnes, 133 weight class, carried the momentum and pinned his opponent in 0:53. Riley Vaughan, 139 weight class, fell in his match in the final round. It was a difficult match for Vaughan, but he kept his feet until the final round, where he was pinned after 4:56. St. Clair gave up three forfeits against both teams in the 145, 215, and 285 weight classes. James Stenzel, 152 weight class, lost by Technical Fall. There was only one ranked match that evening at it was between Chase Bade and Deontre Torres of St. Peter. It was an exciting match that went down to decision. Bade had the lead throughout the match but the final round saw it shrink to dangerous levels, but in the end, Bade was decided the victor, 8 – 7. Cooper Garlow, 172 weight class, fell to his opponent in round 1. The final match against St. Peter was won by Lucas Vaughan, 189 weight class, with a pin in 1:29. In matches, St. Clair won 6 to 4 against St. Peter, but in the official final results, St. Clair lost to St. Peter, 33 – 41. Regardless of official victory, the Cyclones made a great stand against their first opponents.
The hype did not leave the gymnasium as the final matches between St. Clair and Mankato West began. In fact, the excitement in the air grew as the wrestling mat was rearranged to the center of the gymnasium, and the main lights were turned off, leaving only one yellow light illuminating each bout. Once again, the Cyclones fans made their presence known during each match. Isebrand fell to his Scarlet opponent and ended the evening 1-1. Almanza and his opponent had a scoreless first round, neither able to get the other down. He got the ball moving in the second and third rounds, so when the final buzzer sounded, Almanza was declared winner by Major Decision. Won won his match with a pin. The 127 weight class match was forfeited to Sheppard. Riley Vaughan was victorious against his opponent. Romnes fell to his opponent. Stenzel but his loss behind him and took a point lead on against the Saint. The match was delayed due to injury and soon Stenzel was declared the victor. Bade went onto the mat and pinned his opponent in 1:43 for the win. Garlow went multiple rounds with his opponent before securing victory with a pin. Lucas Vaughan won by with a pin. In matches wrestled, St. Clair won 7 – 2, and by official score, St. Clair was Victorious over the home team.
With the fans at their back and their skills practiced, the Cyclones earned their victories against the Saints and Scarlets. The forfeits may affect their official scores, but the Cyclones don’t lack in wrestling technique.
The Cyclones wrestling team showed some promise in the home triangular and Mankato West meet, but there is still much to be desired for a team slowly filling out its roster with the right personnel. They will look to get back on the mat with triangular meets on Tuesday, January 14 in St. James and Friday, January 17 in New Richland. Go Cyclones!
