Three Jackson County Central wrestlers will compete Saturday in MN #1, an event that brings together several of the state’s top wrestlers for the upcoming season. The event will be held at The Shop Performance Training Center in Minnetonka.
Returning state champions are guaranteed a spot, with top place winners filling in positions. This year there are also nationally ranked wrestlers from North Dakota and Wisconsin scheduled to compete.
Freshman Kyler Thier is slated to face Shakopee’s Anthony Heim in the first of 18 matches.
Thier placed third at Class A 107 pounds in last year’s state tournament with his lone loss of the tournament coming to eventual champion Gage Bjerga of Staples-Motley in the semifinals. Thier was 38-7 last season.
Kayden Eller, also a freshman, is matched against Bryan Jacobson of Kenyon-Wanamingo in the second match of the day.
Eller finished third at Class A 114 pounds, with his loss coming to Javier Berg of Chatfield in the semifinals. Berg is in one of the feature matches vs. Nic Enzminger of Bismarck, who is ranked No. 15 in the nation.
Eller had a 45-9 record last year.
Rodriguez will wrestle in the eighth match against Gavin Jackson of St. Michael-Albertville.
A junior, Rodriguez was third at Class A 121 pounds last year. He lost in the second round to eventual champion Zach Remer of Mille Lacs.
Rodriguez would come back to win four matches, all by falls to finish third and end the season with a 41-9 record.
Here’s the list of matches. The first wrestler listed is a member of Team Red and the second is on Team Blue.
Anthony Heim (Shakopee) vs. Kyler Thier (Jackson County Central)
Kayden Eller (Jackson County Central) vs. Bryan Jacobsen (Kenyon-Wanamingo)
Chloe Wehry (Sartell) vs. Andrea Quinones (Apple Valley)
Connor Peterson (Maple Grove) vs. Jonah Coleman (Kasson-Mantorville)
Ryan LaCanne (Kenyon-Wanamingo) vs. Bennett Kujawa (Becker)
Parker Zutter (Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus) vs. Reed Sommer (Kenyon-Wanamingo)
Caley Graber (Northfield) vs. Hanah Schuster (Apple Valley)
Gavin Jackson (St. Michael-Albertville) vs. Isaac Rodriguez (Jackson County Central)
Jacob Williams (Aitkin) vs. Jacob Duitsman (Kasson-Mantorville)
Nick Strand (Bemidji) vs. Logan Schwanz (Hutchinson)
Colbe Tappe (Staples-Motley) vs, Nick Korman (Albert Lea)
Joey Enzminger (Bismarck) vs. Carter Katherman (Waconia)
Trey Gunderson (Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) vs. Tyler Turzinski (Shaopee)
Gunner Mullen (Park) vs. Jarrett Wadsen (St. Michael-Albertville)
Christian Jelle (Grand Rapids) vs. Chase Mills (St. Michael-Albertville)
Jake Kos (Simley) vs. Davis Parrow (Farmington)
Javier Berg (Chatfield) vs. Nic Enzminger (Bismarck)
Ben Schultz (Maple Grove) vs. Max Matthias (Two Rivers, Wis.)