Blulejay wrestlers qualify for nationals; Minnesota West women to play in Region 13A hoops tourney

Four Minnesota West wrestlers advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament as a result of their performances during the NJCAA Region XIII National Qualifier Sunday in the Bluejays' home gym in Worthington.

Freshman Sam Rock of Luverne was the highest placer for the Bluejays, as he finished as the runner-up at 174 pounds. Rock was defeated 7-3 in the championship match but then won the true second-place match.

Joey Wilczek, a Little Falls freshman, qualified for nationals by placing third at 149 pounds. He did it by picking up a 13-2 major decision in his final match of the day.

Freshman Aidyn Wolfe of Riverview, Fla., and freshman Powis Mensah of Arlington, Texas also moved on to nationals. Both Wolfe, in the 184-pound weight class, and Mensah, at heavyweight, took fourth place and advanced after injuries to their respective opponents.

Also competing Sunday for Minnesota West were: Austin Hansen, third at 125; Garnett Osborne, fifth at 165; Treveon Owens, fifth at 165; Brody Knapp, fifth at 197; and Mason Gladfelter, sixth at 141.

The NJCAA National Championships will be March 7-8 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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Rochester and Minnesota West were once again ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in this week's NJCAA Division III Women's Basketball Poll.

The postseason begins on Friday with the Region 13A and Region 13B tournaments, with the Lady Jays on the A side and Rochester on the B. Minnesota West will meet the winner of a Friday play-in game between Minnesota North College-Vermilion and Ridgewater at 4 p.m. Saturday in Thief River Falls. Should the Lady Jays win that matchup, they'll meet either Central Lakes or Anoka-Ramsey at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Thief River Falls. The victor there gets an automatic national tournament berth.

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The Worthington Trojans gymnastics team led all Big South Conference with six girls for the Big South All-Conference West Division Team.

Trojans named to the team were seventh-grader Jada Milbrath; freshmen Brooklyn Dykstra and Bella Lazzu; sophomore Lucy Thier; and seniors Kenadie Thiner and Jordis Weber. 

Luverne had three representatives on the team: juniors Addy Mann and Kianna Winter and senior Amira Cowell. Windom senior Ada Lund was among the others named to the squad.

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Sibley-Ocheyedan's Dawson Beyer, a junior competing at 150 pounds, placed seventh in his weight class this past weekend at the Iowa State Class A boys wrestling tournament in Des Moines.

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Seventh-seeded Worthington will play at No. 2 seed New Ulm in a quarterfinal game in the Section 2AAA girls basketball tournament at 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

Top-seeded Marshall has a bye. Other quarterfinal matchups have No. 3 St. Peter hosting No. 6 Hutchinson and No. 4 Mankato West entertaining No. 5 Mankato East.

The semifinals will be played Saturday night and the championship game next Thursday night at the Lund Center at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter.

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We'll have Section 3A girls basketball action for you Tuesday night on La Voz. It will be Hills-Beaver Creek taking on Westbrook-Walnut Grove and Adrian-Ellsworth facing Southwest Minnesota Christian. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m.

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In area boys basketball Monday night, it was:

Dawson-Boyd 105, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 64

Windom 96, Martin County West 70

Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 80, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 46

Hills-Beaver Creek 79, Adrian-Ellsworth 30

Murray County Central 71, Edgerton 62

Southwest Minnesota Christian 63, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 46

Westbrook-Walnut Grove 63, Red Rock Central 47

In area girls basketball Monday night:

Martin County West 54, Alden-Conger-Glenville-Emmons 30