Apple Valley Ties St. Michael-Albertville, Shares State Championship

Young Lord Joshua Hyemang hung on to Mike Kessler of St. Michael-Albertville as long as he could, surrendering only a decision in the match's final battle.

The tie, earned with just a three-point loss, kept the Eagles on top, albeit with a "shared title"

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 knocked them off.

STMA was the squad nationally recognized, considered the state's best after winning The Clash down in Rochester during the holidays, what seems like a lifetime ago.

The Knights started well. Mitch McKee picked up a pin at 106 pounds and STMA took a 6-0 lead. With Tommy Thorn's major decision at 120 pounds, it was 10-4, and Cole Sladek would make it 19-7 with a disqualification victory over Dustin Bethke, a match Sladek led 22-7.

The DQ turned out to be a key to the Knights' tie. A technical fall, which Sladek was obviously shooting for with his high point count, is just five points. Bethke's injury and disqualification gave the Knights six.

As low as Apple Valley felt at 138, the Eagles suffered some tough losses. Things turned with Dayton Racer in a 16-0 technical fall, giving up five points in a match the Knights felt they could win, or at least challenge the Eagles.

And Mark Hall was dominant at 160 pounds for AVHS, as expected, getting a pin and giving the Eagles their first win at 160 pounds.

The Knights fell behind by six points when Jordan Joseph lost to Daniel Woiwor, and it seemed like the Eagles dominant run might continue with big hitters like Donald Johnson and Paul Cheney left to go.

But Mitch Eull pulled out a 5-4 decision over Cheney in the second No. 1 vs. No 2 match of the day, it all fell to Kessler.

Unlike the regular season and other tournaments, the state tournament does not use criteria to break ties. If they had, according to former Knights head coach Gregg Greeno, STMA would've won.

"They had two six-point victories in their seven wins. The Eagles had ones. So, on a regular match, it's a win for STMA. Instead, it's the state tournament, so you have co-champs," he said on KRWC radio Thursday night.

Now, the Eagles will gear up their individual wrestlers to shoot for individual glory beginning tomorrow at the Xcel Energy Center.