ST. PAUL – Perham senior Brian Ramos went into the Class A state individual wrestling championships as one of the favorites in the 182-pound weight class and walked out with a blue ribbon carrying a gold medal around his neck.
Ramos beat New Prague’s Jay Novak on Saturday night in an 8-6 decision. Ramos trailed 2-1 after the first period before scoring a reversal and a takedown in the second to take a 5-4 lead. Novak notched a reversal 13 seconds into the third period before Ramos’ escape evened the match.
It took 31 seconds of overtime for Ramos to score a takedown. It was a move that won him a Class A state championship in his final high school wrestling match.
Ramos cruised to the finals with a 10-3 decision win over Kasson-Mantoville’s Kail Wynia. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Minneapolis Patrick Henry’s Syrron White in 1:41. Ramos’ opening-round victory was a 27-12 technical fall win over St. Peters’ Kole Guth. Ramos finished his season with a record of 49-1.
At 120-pounds, Rock Ridge’s Asher Hedbloom pinned Perham sophomore Chandler Mickelson in 3:12 to advance to the winner’s bracket. Mickelson did not get a wrestle-back opportunity.
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Blake Lorentz fell in a pair of decision matches in the 152-pound weight class. Becker’s Mason Doucette sent Lorentz to the consolation bracket with a 5-0 decision win. Lorentz got a wrestle-back opportunity but fell to Aitkin’s Carson Kullheim in an ultimate tiebreaker. Lorentz and Kullheim needed two extra sessions before an escape gave the Aitkin senior a 5-4 win.
Sophomore Hudson Hackel ran into New Prague juggernaut Evan Anderson in the opening round of the 195-pound division. Anderson pinned Hackel in 1:23.
New York Mills
New York Mills junior Simon Snyder fell to Crosby-Ironton’s John Paul Fitzpatrick in an 8-4 decision in the opening round of the Class A 145-pound wrestling tournament. In the 152-pound division, senior Dane Niemi fell to Minnewaska Area’s Jacob Blair in an 8-7 decision. Neither Snyder nor Niemi earned wrestle-back chances.
In the 182-pound weight class, senior Bren Salo fell in the final minutes of his first-round matchup to Red Rock Central’s Vander Mathiowetz. Senior Sawyer Wedde was pinned by Minneota’s Jackson Esping in his opening-round match.
