The Parkers Prairie wrestling team will be represented by four individuals at the State Wrestling Tournament.

 

The Panthers had two individual champions and two wrestlers finish in second place at the Section 6A tournament held in New York Mills this past Friday and Saturday.

 

Advancing to state are Kevin Hahn and Tyler Walsh, who won titles at 171 and 215 pounds respectively.  Also qualifying are Ryan Silbernick (145) and Ryan Harris (189).

 

Hahn was seeded number two in his weight class, but defeated top-seeded Amos Schmidt of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 5-1 in the championship.

 

Walsh was the top seed at 215 pounds and used a pair of first period pins to advance to the title match, where he decisioned Jarrod Norton of New York Mills 9-6.

 

Silbernick was seeded second at his weight and lost to the number one seed, Jake Long of West Central Area, in the championship.

 

Harris may have had the most difficult, or at least nerve-wracking, tournament.  After winning his first two matches, he lost to top-seeded Greg Erlandson 6-2 in the 189-pound final.  Harris then had to wrestle Wylie Pullis of Border West, who had finished third, for true second.  The Panthers' senior won a 13-1 major decision to secure his spot at the state tournament.

 

New York Mills and West Central Area tied for advancing the most wrestlers, with five apiece.  The Eagles, Knights, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale and Border West each had three individual champions.

 

The Border West Buccaneers will represent Section 6A in the team competition.

 

The Class A individual preliminaries will be held at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.