Thursday, February 28, 2013
In a match up for the ages, St. Michael-Albertville and Apple Valley wrestled to a draw in the State 3A Team Tournament final.
Mike Kessler had dreamed of this moment. With his team's back against the wall, trailing Apple Valley 28-25, the 285-pound heavyweight for the Knights had the state tournament team title in his hands. A decision over Lord Joshua Hyeamang would mean a 28-all tie, and a share of the state championship. Kessler pulled through, getting a second period escape and scoring a point with his aggressive shots at Hyemang's legs, forcing the big Eagle into a stall, to earn a 2-0 win. It was a fitting end with more than 15,000 fans watching the state's top two "big school" teams tangle. Apple Valley, with its history, was admittedly "the underdog" much of the year. The Eagles, however, were everyone's champion in this theater until someone finally …
Fans, coaches and players alike will tell you this has been the week circled on the calendar for the past three years. Now, it's time for the Knights to deliver.
Every program in every corner of the state sets out on the course of a new sports season with one goal in mind: win a state championship. For some, it's a realistic goal. The pieces are in place. The competition can't match up. And, if all goes according to plan, the trophy will be there at the end. Rarely is that easy. But for this St. Michael-Albertville wrestling team, which enters today's Class AAA Team Tournament as the No. 1 seed and No. 3 and 5 team in the entire country, that's been the method of thinking all season. Well, almost all season. Related: The Team Tournament begins today at 9 a.m. Semifinal coverage will be brodcast on Prep 45 Online beginning at 1 p.m., and you can listen to Gregg Greeno and the KRWC crew live from …
Friday, February 15, 2013
The No. 1 team in Minnesota and No. 3 team in the United States squares off with Elk River at 4 p.m. to begin its postseason quest for the State. 3A championship.
It's a difficult task for any team to march through a Section Wrestling tournament, both as a team and with a group of individuals, and come out on top. But for the St. Michael-Albertville Knights, anything less than a Section 7-3A team championship, held this weekend in Forest Lake, would be utter disappointment. And they don't mind the pressure. The Knights, who are the reigning champions in the section since they joined Class 3A, are heavy favorites to not only win the section, but to win the Minnesota Class 3A title, something the school hasn't done before. As a team, standing in the way will be Cambridge-Isanti, the No. 4 team in the state and last year's Section 7-3A runner-up. The Knights, however, dominated the BlueJackets in …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Simley and St. Michael-Albertville, ranked nationally at No 9 and No. 5, respectively by a leading wrestling publication, will do battle at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
It’s a bit early, but this just might be Minnesota wrestling’s battle to see who is “best in the state.” The winner of tonight’s duel between St. Michael-Albertville and Simley High (of Inver Grove) will certainly have some rights to that title when they walk away from the mats tonight. The Knights are ranked No. 5 in the country by Intermat magazine, with Simley ranked ninth. Amateur Wrestling has STMA ninth, with Spartans right behind in 10th place. Either way, it’s going to be a huge battle at 7 p.m. at the STMA gym. “This may be the most high profile home dual meet in STMA history,” said head coach Dan Lefebvre. “They bring a very talented group.” According to Lefebvre, Simley is led by their four senior state champions: 2012 state …
Friday, March 2, 2012
For the third straight year, St. Michael-Albertville found a way to win in the semifinals, and came home with a runner-up trophy.
St. Michael-Albertville is as used to finishing runner up in the team tournament now as Apple Valley is winning it. And the Knights have only been around Class AAA for three years. The Eagles captured their 17th big school title in 19 years, their seventh AAA crown in a row and their third straight team championship over the Knights Friday night, with a 49-24 victory at the Xcel Energy Center. But, for a young St. Michael-Albertville squad, just returning to the team finals was a victory in its own right. The Knights graduate only senior Nick Edling, who is ranked No. 1 at 220 pounds. STMA put up 24 points in the final, the most against an Apple Valley team in Minnesota since 2009. The Eagles are ranked No. 3 in the nation. “You could put …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Knights, seeded third, will have to knock off Champlin Park, Hastings and Apple Valley if the tournament goes to form.
St. Michael-Albertville wrestling will shoot for its first-ever Class AAA team championship today as it hits the mat at the Xcel Energy Center. Action started with the state quarterfinal at 9 a.m. versus Champlin Park. Should they win, No. 3 STMA would square off with either No. 2 Hastings or a strong Little Falls High School club that took the Section 8 championship. STMA earned its third straight trip to state with the Section 7-3A title, earned back on Feb. 17 at the high school. "We're very proud of this particular team, just because it's so young," said coach Dan Lefebvre. "To only have one senior, you kind of miss that leadership factor. Nick [Edling] does a great job, but to have just one voice is different. So this team has really …
Friday, February 17, 2012
For the third straight year the Knights have captured the Section 7-3A crown, and are rolling into the State AAA Tournament in two weeks.
Senior Nick Edling returned in the "nick" of time, scoring a pair of pins in the Section 7-3A tournament to help lead the St. Michael-Albertville Knights to another team championship. STMA defeated Forest Lake 34-19 in the semifinals, then won the championship dual over Cambridge-Isanti by the exact same score to advance to the State AAA Team Tournament, set for Thursday, March 1 and Friday, March 2 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Tommy Thorn also had two pins in those duals, including a first-minute jaw-dropper that saw him recover from an early mistake, score two quick takedowns and find the win over his Cambridge opponent, young Monty Fredrickson. "I think this section, top to bottom, was as strong as we've seen in our three …
With four of the top seven teams in Class 3A, the Section 7 Tournament will have a State Tournament feel tonight in St. Michael.
St. Michael-Albertville coach Dan Lefebvre started the season with a simple mantra of his team: New year, same success. That gets put on the line tonight, his Knights play host to the marquis wrestling tournament of the year with the Section 7-3A meet tonight at St. Michael-Albertville High School. To say Section 7 is tough is a massive understatement. It’s equivalent to, perhaps, the Lake Conference in hockey, or the Classic in football. It’s a true gauntlet. With St. Michael-Albertville ranked No. 3 in the state as the top seed, the section also includes challengers Cambridge (No. 4), Forest Lake (No. 6) and Coon Rapids (No. 7). The quarterfinals start today at 4 p.m. “The winner is very much up in the air,” said head coach Dan Lefebvre…
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Friday, February 3, 2012
Buffalo, Hutchinson and Zimmerman roll into St. Michael-Albertville High School for a Friday night quadrangular. Saturday, the Knights welcome Prior Lake and Foley for the final regular season homestand.
The St. Michael-Albertville High School werestling team will close out the 2012 home schedule (regular season) this weekend with a flury of action, beginning tonight at 5 p.m. at the gym. The Knights welcome Buffalo, Zimmerman and Hutchinson to St. Michael tonight, then tangle with Prior Lake and Foley Saturday before hitting the road next weekend to close out the regular season in Big Lake and SImley. They'll return home for the Section 7-3A team tournament, which is set for Feb. 17. "Our fan support has been awesome this year," said head coach Dan Lefebvre in his weekly wrestling update, sent to fans and alumni. "I promise you, the wrestlers and coaches really appreciate it." The Knights, ranked No. 2 in Class AAA, secured the Section 7-…
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
An early route and late rally put the Knights in the driver’s seat for another Mississippi 8 Conference title, and the No. 1 seed in Section 7-3A
Bennie Wilson is used to making big plays on the football field. Thursday night, however, he took his talents to the wrestling mat, and came up big. Wilson, a junior in his first year of wrestling for the Knights’ varsity squad, filled in for STMA’s lone senior on Senior Night, and scored a major decision at 220 pounds. The big linebacker filled in for No. 1 ranked Nick Edling, who fractured a bone in his hand at the Kiffmeyer duals. With the Knights trailing 28-27 thanks to Mitch Eull’s pin at 195 pounds, Wilson was relentless in his match vs. Kyle Chromy, at one point chasing Chromy down and tackling him in the ring for a takedown. It was a microcosm of the night, which came down, as usual, to the last two matches. STMA rolled to a 21-3 …
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Mike Schoemer
2:46 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sharon, thanks so much for posting that!!! That rocks! more ›