PINNING TIME — Jackson County Central’s Nolan Ambrose (top) prepares to turn his opponent to his back for a fall during Thursday’s Class A state team wrestling meet at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Ambrose went on to capture his record-setting fourth individual state gold medal on Saturday in St. Paul. (Photo courtesy of Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot & Lakefield Standard)
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ST. PAUL — Nolan Ambrose filled the Jackson County Central wrestling record books with one historical number after another during Minnesota’s Class A individual state meet.
The No. 1-seeded Ambrose pinned his way to the school’s record-setting fourth consecutive state championship at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday.
The Augustana University wrestling commit pinned Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove senior Alexander Schuh in the Class A 145-pound semifinals in 1:56. Ambrose then earned a fall in 2:56 over No. 2-seeded Gavin Johnson of Kenyon-Wanamingo during the individual championship clash to exit the canvas one last time with a gold medal.
Ironically, Ambrose became Jackson County’s first-ever four-time state wrestling champion after winning the 106-pound title in 2021, the 113-pound crown in 2022 and the 132-pound hardware last winter.
Ambrose also established the Husky program’s single-season No. 1 marks in wins (57) and pins (42) en route to the sixth-most career victories in school history via a 212-26 record. The JCC senior standout finished 25 wins behind former Huskies’ record-setter Cooper Moore’s all-time record of 237.
Ambrose kicked off Friday’s Class A 145-pound state preliminary by pinning Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial’s Talan Osborne in 1:06 before sticking Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Tanner Viessman in the quarterfinals in 1:56.
Alexander Schuh, who’s the grandson of former Fairmont High School teacher/coach Daniel Schuh and son of former Cardinal prep great the late John Schuh, went on to earn a sixth-place medal and all-state honors in the 145-pound bracket.
Alexander Schuh posted an 11-5 preliminary win over Border West’s Jude Olson on Friday before edging Holdingford’s William Pilarski in the quarterfinals by a 9-7 overtime decision.
TMB/WWG sophomore David Schuh matched his older brother’s state showing by collecting a sixth-place medal in the Class A 133-pound bracket on Saturday.
David Schuh kicked off Friday’s action at the Xcel Energy Center with a fall over Deer River’s Tate Evans in 3:35 before getting pinned by Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg’s Trey Gunderson in the quarterfinals in 56 seconds.
David Schuh battled back to reach the medal round by pinning Bertha-Hewitt/Parkers Prairie’s Justin Olson in 2:45 during the consolation quarterfinals to reach the final six.
In 133-pound action in Class AA, Martin County Red Bulls sophomore Torrey Paplow lost a 9-2 decision to Sauk Rapids-Rice’s Vance Barz in the consolation quarterfinals to exit the state meet.
While Ambrose returned to Jackson on Sunday with a state championship medal draped around his neck, Huskies’ teammates Kyler Thier (107), Kayden Eller (114) and Isaac Rodriguez (121) each donned different colored singlets to capture bronze medals and all-state accolades on Saturday.
Thier got pinned by Staples-Motley’s Gage Bjerga in Saturday’s semifinals in 3:35 before bouncing back to post a 6-1 consolation semifinal win over Minneota’s Kaden Lasnetski.
Thier, wearing the Huskies’ blue singlet, then captured third place at 107 pounds by outlasting Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Bryan Jacobson via a 2-0 decision by recording the only takedown in overtime.
Eller dropped a 12-3 major decision to Chatfield’s Javier Berg in Saturday’s first match before rallying for an 8-3 decision over Medford’s Kaden Harfmann in the consolation semifinals at 114.
Eller, who was wearing a white singlet, then built a first-period lead of 5-0 before earning a 15-0 technical fall win in the second period over Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Ryan LaCanne in the third-medal match.
Rodriguez collected JCC’s third bronze medal on Saturday by pinning Medford’s Luis Lopez in the consolation quarterfinals in 4:14 before earning the slap of the canvas in 2:25 over Adrian Area’s Moe Erdman in the wrestleback semifinals at 121.
Rodriguez, wearing a black singlet, held a 4-3 first-period lead over Staples-Motley’s Eli Greenwaldt in the third-place battle before the two clashed to a scoreless middle segment. Rodriguez then used a tilt to pin Greenwaldt in 4:43 to exit with the bronze medal.