PONIES FINISH UP TOUGHEST RUN OF THE SEASON
Dateline: Coach Onken’s Living Room 1/26/2025 6:56 PM
The season is winding down and heading towards the post season and the Ponies probably wrapped up the toughest part their run this past week. It started with a nonconference out of state opponent with St. Croix Falls for a home dual on Tuesday. The JV, girls varsity and boys varsity all wrestled and performed well. The JV outmanned their opponents winning the majority of the matches and even though the Saints put up a good battle the Ponies came out on top by a score 44-18 for their 15th team victory of the season.
On Friday the Ponies JV and varsity went to St. Michael Albertville for a quad with highly ranked Class AA Kasson Mantorville, Class AAA 12th ranked Bemidji and 1st ranked STMA. The Ponies took on the Komets of Kasson in the first round winning the dual by a score of 42-16. The Ponies went up 19-0 quickly before Kasson scored a team point and continued to add more points easily winning the dual and avenging a close loss from last year.
In the 2nd dual the Ponies took on Bemidji who always come to wrestle and wrestle they did. It was a back and forth dual with Bemidji leading 15-11 after the 139 lb bout. The Ponies won the next three matches but Bemidji kept it to a 2 point deficit after the 160 lb match. The Ponies then caught some fire winning the next three matches with 2 falls and a tech fall to win by a score of 37-21.
In the main event of the evening the Ponies took on the Knights of STMA. Recall last year in Kasson the Ponies surprised STMA with an upset win, maybe the only team to beat STMA last year. The Ponies were hoping for another this year and made a good run but the Knights had too much up top and beat the Ponies 39-23. The Ponies could see STMA at state in the finals if they are able to win Section 4AAA and then get through 2nd ranked Shakopee. Time will tell.
On Saturday the varsity took a break, but the 9th grade boys and girls headed to Robbinsdale Armstrong for the Minnesota Ninth Grade Wrestling League region 5 tournament. Wrestlers who place in the top 2 at their weight advance to the MNGWL State Tournament in Champlin Park next Saturday. Below are the boys and girls results. Three girls and six boys will wrestle in the state tournament next Saturday.
Girls
- Monroe Eggum – 2nd -advances to state
- Jaylen Surgenor – 2nd – advances to state
- Evie Huffer – 2nd – advances to state
- Bailee Onofre – 5th
- Maya Jelinek – 3rd
- Aubrey Spates – 3rd
- Alyssa Leonard – 3rd
- Merci Kent – 6th
- Helen Pelteir – 7th
Boys
- Brodie Lawrence – 2nd – advances to state
- Chase Lawrence – 1st – advances to state
- Ryan Birkenmayer – 5th
- August Hartung – 1st – advances to state
- Jay Hammarsten – 1st – advances to state
- Kingston Pak – 1st – advances to state
- Axel Rogotzke – 1st – advances to state
- Evan Milby – 3rd
- Kamel Benyahia – 8th
- Tyler Johnston – 3rd
- Erik Skjervold – 6th
Thats all for this week. We have 2 weeks of regular season remaining and then we jump right into the post season with team and individual section. Come cheer on the Ponies!