December 22, 2024
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High School
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- St. Michael-Albertville showcased its dominance at the 2024 MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament held at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota, winning the title by over a hundred points.
It was STMA's fifth MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament team title but first since 2021.
The Knights, ranked No. 1 in Minnesota's Class AAA and 22nd nationally by MatScouts, finished the two-day tournament with 382 points, 104.5 points ahead of runner-up Mounds View, last year's team champion. Shakopee placed third in the team standings with 261 points, while Stillwater (239) and Watertown-Mayer (228.5) rounded out the top five.
Four STMA wrestlers won individual titles and nine Knights finished in the top eight in their respective weight classes.
Landon Robideau (160) led the charge for STMA, capturing his fourth MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament title. By doing so he put himself in elite company, joining Mark Hall (Apple Valley) and Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) as the only wrestlers ever to win four or more Minnesota Christmas Tournament titles. Hall was a six-time champion, while Berge won five titles.
Robideau, an Oklahoma State signee, was dominant en route to winning the title at 160 pounds. After getting pins in his first three matches, he won by medical forfeit in the semifinals. In the championship match, Robideau rolled to a 21-6 technical fall over Kyler Walters of Shakopee. He picked up four takedowns in the opening period and three more in the second period to end the match before the third period.
"It's a tough tournament each year," Robideau said. "I think it's kind of like a state tournament. Being able to go out there and dominate, I think it just sets the tone for the rest of the season, especially the state tournament."
Also winning titles for the Knights were Eli Schultz (114), Chase Mills (133) and John Murphy (189).
Schultz, seeded fifth in the tournament and ranked No. 2 in Minnesota (AAA) by The Guillotine, cruised to a 10-1 major decision over Wyatt Koenen of Wayzata in the championship match at 114 pounds. The STMA junior scored two takedowns in the opening period and added a third takedown in the second period to pace him to the victory.
"I need to work on a couple things that I can change in practice but overall it was a great tournament," Schultz said.
Mills, a three-time state placewinner, earned his title at 133 pounds with a 4-1 overtime victory over Mounds View's Brett Swenson, a returning state champion and 2023 MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion. After a scoreless opening period, the two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods. In overtime, Mills countered a shot from Swenson and earned a go-behind takedown for the victory.
"I got to my attacks," Mills said. "A couple things I need to work on. Especially having that two seed, it gave me the strength knowing I was doubted and I knew I could win this tournament."
Murphy, a returning state champion, claimed his first MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament title with a 10-2 major decision over Joey Muhlstein of Mounds View in the finals at 170 pounds, scoring a takedown in each of the three periods. Murphy, a junior, committed to the University of Wyoming.
"I knew he was a tough kid," Murphy said of his finals opponent. "I knew I was going to have to pace myself, work for my takedowns. He wasn't going to give it to me. I had to find my openings, wear him down, snap him, get him opened up so I could get my takedowns."
Runner-up Shakopee crowned a pair of individual champions, Ethan Phanmanivong (107) and Tyler Turzinski (139).
Phanmanivong, seeded fourth in the tournament, was impressive from the neutral position, scoring a pair of takedowns while not surrendering any takedowns en route to a 6-2 victory in the finals over STMA's Landon Thoennes, a 16U All-American in multiple styles.
"This was definitely the hardest match," Phanmanivong said of facing Thoennes in the finals. "But I still went out there and put a hundred percent on the mat."
Turzinski, a state fourth-place finisher last season, was dominant in the finals at 139 pounds, picking up a 14-1 major decision over two-time state placewinner Jake Kos of Simley.
"The tournament went in my favor," said Turzinski. "That's all because of God, my coaches and all my family and friends."
Watertown-Mayer, ranked No. 4 in Minnesota's Class AA by The Guillotine, turned in an impressive performance in Rochester, finishing fifth in the team standings on the strength of three individual champions. Twin brothers Joel Friederichs (121) and Titan Friederichs (127) won titles for Watertown-Mayer, along with Bryce Burkett (172).
Joel Friederichs, a state runner-up last season, secured a 10-5 victory in the 121-pound finals over Anthony Heim of Shakopee. Friederichs built a 10-1 lead before Heim scored some late points to hold it to a decision.
"I started opening up my offense mid-tournament," Joel said. "Last match was good. He didn't let me really get to my offense much because he's so lanky and defensive but I think I was dominant with position."
Two-time state champion Titan Friederichs repeated as a MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion and did so in dominant fashion. He won his title at 127 pounds with a technical fall (18-0) in the finals over New Prague's Lawson Eller, a state champion and three-time state finalist. Friederichs threw Eller to his back in the opening period to race out to a 7-0 lead. He continued the offensive onslaught and closed out the match in the third period with a technical fall.
"I've been coming off a sickness but I'm not going to use that as an excuse," Titan said. "Me and my brother both won it. We do extra in the wrestling room. Every day we do sprints, wrestle with each other. I think all that hard work is paying off."
The Friederichs twins are juniors and have committed to the University of Minnesota.
Watertown-Mayer's other champion, Burkett, won his second consecutive MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament title with a 4-2 victory in the finals at 172 pounds over STMA's Jarrett Wadsen in a battle of Big 12 wrestling signees. Burkett signed with Oklahoma, while Wadsen will wrestle for South Dakota State.
"I was very excited about this tournament as it's probably the toughest tournament I'm in all year," Burkett said. "I feel great about how I performed. I'm excited to get back to practice. There are still things I need to work on so I'm looking forward to that as well."
Farmington's Davis Parrow, a state champion and three-time state placewinner, won his second consecutive MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament title with a thrilling 12-11 victory over two-time Wisconsin state champion Kellen Wolbert of Oconomowoc at 145 pounds. Parrow was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the event.
"I had a couple close wins that I knew were going to be tough but I pushed through them both and wrestled really hard," said Parrow.
Two-time state placewinner Calder Sheehan of Rochester Mayo won the title at 152 pounds in his hometown with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over Willmar's Conlan Carlson, 5-4. Carlson controlled the first two periods, getting an escape and takedown in the second period to go up 4-0. Sheehan battled back in the third, getting his first point off a second stalling call on Carlson before escaping to cut the deficit to 4-2. Sheehan stayed aggressive, continued attacking Carlson and eventually secured a takedown off a single leg on the edge of the mat just before time expired, which gave him the victory.
"I feel amazing right now," Sheehan said. "That last-second [takedown] was crazy. I can't really put it into words right now but it was amazing."
Mahtomedi's Evan McGuire won the title at 215 pounds, defeating Mounds View's Ethan Swenson in wild, high-scoring affair, 18-14. McGuire, a University of Minnesota commit, was on the verge of a technical fall. He built a 13-point lead before Swenson turned the tables and put himself back in the match before eventually falling short.
"I was dominant the whole tournament," McGuire said. "In the last match I kind of got a little tired and let it get close but otherwise a pretty good tournament."
Prior Lake's Brock Zurn secured the title at 285 pounds with a 4-1 overtime victory over Jack Bauer of Eastview. It was Zurn's second victory over Bauer in less than a week.
"I knew [Bauer] was going to come back for it," Zurn said of facing Bauer a second time in a week. "It was a tough match. I won in overtime with a takedown but overall it was a fun tournament."
The MatBoss Minnesota Christmas Tournament serves as a fundraiser event hosted by the Gopher Wrestling Club, with proceeds directly supporting GWC athletes.
107: Ethan Phanmanivong (Shakopee) dec. Landon Thoennes (STMA), 6-3
114: Eli Schultz (STMA) maj. dec. Wyatt Koenen (Wayzata), 10-1
121:Joel Friederichs (Watertown-Mayer) dec. Anthony Heim (Shakopee), 10-5
127: Titan Friederichs (Watertown-Mayer) tech. fall Lawson Eller (New Prague), 18-0
133: Chase Mills (STMA) dec. Brett Swenson (Mounds View), 4-1 SV1
139: Tyler Turzinski (Shakopee) maj. dec. Jake Kos (Simley), 14-1
145: Davis Parrow (Farmington) dec. Kellen Wolbert (Oconomowoc), 12-11
152: Calder Sheehan (Rochester Mayo) dec. Conlan Carlson (Willmar), 5-4
160: Landon Robideau (STMA) tech. fall Kyler Walters (Shakopee), 21-6
172: Bryce Burkett (Watertown-Mayer) dec. Jarrett Wadsen (STMA), 4-2
189: John Murphy (STMA) maj. dec. Joey Muhlstein (Mounds View), 10-2
215: Evan McGuire (Mahtomedi) dec. Ethan Swenson (Mounds View), 18-14
285: Brock Zurn (Prior Lake) dec. Jack Bauer (Eastview), 4-1 SV1
1. STMA 382
2. Mounds View 277.5
3. Shakopee 261
4. Stillwater 239
5. Watertown-Mayer 228.5
6. Willmar 174
7. Prior Lake 170
8. Kasson-Mantorville 169.5
9. Kenyon-Wanamingo 166
10. Zumbrota-Mazeppa 151
