The six St. Peter All-Conference fighters, from left to right: Cole Filand (first), Leighton Robb (first), Nakiye Mercado (third), Brock Guth (third), Ryan Moelter (third), Harold Born (second ) (Photo courtesy of St. Peter Wrestling Twitter, @stpwrestling_mn)
The St. Peter wrestlers put on an all-time performance Saturday when the team traveled to Pipestone to compete in the Big South Tournament. With a pair of individual champions and a total of six all-conference finalists, St. Peter finished second with a total of 179.00 points, the best finish in school history.
As a team, the Saints posted a tournament-best 20 knockdowns, earning them key bonus points to ensure they could finish in second place behind only Jackson County Central.
Cole Filand (182) and Leighton Robb (195) claimed conference titles in their respective weight classes with Filand going three for three with fall wins while Robb would pick up fall wins in rounds one and two before reaching the away with Waseca’s Payton Garza, earning a 3-1 decision.
Harold Born (152) finished as the conference runner-up, while Brock Guth (113), Ryan Moelter (120) and Nakiye Mecado (138) finished third to round out the list of athletes who earned All-Conference honors.
Also placing in the tournament were Evan Walter (145) and Taylen Travaille (160), both fourth, Kemper Ely (220), fifth, and Joseph Connor (170) and Haadi Ahmed (285), sixth.
The Saints will return to action on Tuesday, January 17, when they host the Waseca Bluejays in a rescheduled game that was postponed due to weather.
106 – The placement of Elijah Mercado (18-8) is unknown and he scored 2.0 team points.
Preliminary – Elijah Mercado (St. Peter) 18-8 won via fall over Timmy Nagel (Blue Earth Area) 7-13 (0:44 fall)
Quarterfinals – Miklo Henandez (Pipestone Area) 15-3 defeated Elijah Mercado (St. Peter) 18-8 (RM 12-3) by major decision
Cons. Round 1: Kane Johnson (New Ulm area) won 23-5 via decision over Elijah Mercado (St. Peter) 18-8 (Dec 4-2)
113 – Brock Guth (12-10) finished third and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Brock Guth (St. Peter) 12-10 won via fall over Carloseriel Perez-Garcia (Pipestone Area) 8-5 (1:56 fall)
Semifinal – Gavin Brandt (Redwood Valley) 12-5 won via fall over Brock Guth (St. Peter) 12-10 (0:31 fall)
Cons. Semi – Brock Guth (St. Peter) 12-10 won by fall over Sam Deutz (Marshall) 4-15 (0:30 fall)
3rd Place Match – Brock Guth (St. Peter) 12-10 won via decision over Alex Portner (New Ulm Area) 13-14 (Dec 5-4)
120 – Ryan Moelter (12-13) finished third and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Ryan Moelter (St. Peter) 12-13 won via decision over Elijah Rieser (New Ulm Area) 15-10 (December 5-3)
Semifinal – Brayden Burmeister (Pipestone Area) 16-2 won via fall over Ryan Moelter (St. Peter) 12-13 (5:38 fall)
Cons. Semi – Ryan Moelter (St. Peter) 12-13 won via fall over Matthew Gangestad (Luverne) 14-9 (2:15 fall)
3rd Place Match: Ryan Moelter (St. Peter) won 12-13 via fall over Elijah Rieser (New Ulm area) 15-10 (4:53 fall)
126 – The position of Charlie Born (16-11) is unknown and he scored 2.0 team points.
Preliminary – Charlie Born (St. Peter) 16-11 won via fall over Aiden Holmberg (Windom-Mountain Lake) 7-8 (1:30 fall)
Quarterfinals: Benjamin Dahlin (Jackson County Central) won a 19-11 decision over Charlie Born (St. Peter) 16-11 (Dec. 6-2)
Cons. Round 1: Tegan Kral (New Ulm area) 6-10 won via decision over Charlie Born (St. Peter) 16-11 (December 5-2)
132 – The placement of Deontre Torres (14-11) is unknown and he scored 1.0 team points.
Prelim – Deontre Torres (St. Peter) 14-11 won by important decision over Hudson Hough (Luverne) 8-11 (MD 15-2)
Quarterfinals – Nolan Ambrose (Jackson County Central) 25-1 win via fall over Deontre Torres (St. Peter) 14-11 (1:11 fall)
Cons. Round 1: Kollin Anderson (St. James Area) 14-7 won via major decision over Deontre Torres (St. Peter) 14-11 (MD 9-0)
138 – Nakiye Mercado (19-9) finished third and scored 18.0 team points.
Bite. Round 1: Nakiye Mercado (St. Peter) won 19-9 via technical drop over Slade Barnett (Waseca) 5-9 (TF-1.5 4:18 (19-3))
Quarterfinals – Nakiye Mercado (St. Peter) 19-9 won via drop over Jared Hunter (Windom-Mountain Lake) 15-9 (Fall 0:48)
Semifinal: Thomas Freking (Jackson County Central) won 26-4 decision over Nakiye Mercado (St. Peter) 19-9 (Dec 3-0)
3rd Place Match: Nakiye Mercado (St. Peter) won 19-9 via technical drop over Riley Cole (Fairmont-Martin County West) 13-5 (TF-1.5 5:48 (19-4))
145 – Evan Walter (20-10) placed fourth and scored 14.0 team points.
Bite. Round 1: Evan Walter (St. Peter) 20-10 won via knockdown over Blair Lunz (Blue Earth Area) 6-13 (Fall 2:24)
Quarterfinals: Evan Walter (St. Peter) won 20-10 via major decision over Brayden Chandler (Marshall) 15-9 (MD 11-1)
Semifinal: Logan Butzon (Jackson County Central) won 18-1 via technical drop over Evan Walter (St. Peter) 20-10 (TF-1.5 5:45 (23-8))
3rd place match: Aden Welcome (Fairmont-Martin County West) 22-3 won by major decision over Evan Walter (St. Peter) 20-10 (MD 11-3)
152 – Harold Born (19-8) finished second and scored 19.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Harold Born (St. Peter) 19-8 won via fall over Zac Guggisburg (Redwood Valley) 4-13 (0:57 fall)
Semifinal – Harold Born (St. Peter) 19-8 won via major decision over Chase Byrne (Worthington) 8-9 (MD 10-2)
1st Place Match: Isaiah Rodriguez (Jackson County Central) 12-12 won via decision over Harold Born (St. Peter) 19-8 (Dec. 9-4)
160 – Taylen Travaille (12-7) placed fourth and scored 14.0 team points.
Prelim – Taylen Travaille (St. Peter) 12-7 won by fall over Bode Bruns (Pipestone Area) 4-15 (1:19 fall)
Quarterfinals: Taylen Travaille (St. Peter) won 12-7 via fall over Kade Gaydon (Blue Earth Area) 15-10 (3:42 fall)
Semifinal: Carver Rohman (Fairmont-Martin County West) won 27-0 via technical drop over Taylen Travaille (St. Peter) 12-7 (TF-1.5 4:09 (24-8))
cons. Semi – Taylen Travaille (St. Peter) 12-7 won via decision over Trey Rossow (Jackson County Central) 16-14 (Dec 4-3)
3rd Place Match: DJ Rock (Luverne) won 21-2 via fall over Taylen Travaille (St. Peter) 12-7 (3:27 fall)
170 – Joseph Connor (11-16) finished sixth and scored 11.0 team points.
Bite. Round 1: Joseph Connor (St. Peter) 11-16 won by knockdown over Graycen Hansen (Windom-Mountain Lake) 1-17 (Fall 5:28)
Quarterfinals: Sam Rock (Luverne) 15-6 defeated Joseph Connor (St. Peter) 11-16 (RM 8-0) by major decision
Cons. Round 2: Joseph Connor (St. Peter) 11-16 won via decision over Peyton Wolner (St. James area) 5-10 (Dec 8-3)
cons. Semi – Joseph Connor (St. Peter) 11-16 won via drop over Ty Kolbe (Fairmont-Martin County West) 9-8 (Fall 2:29)
Match for 5th place: Parker Meyers (Blue Earth Area) won a 23-3 decision over Joseph Connor (St. Peter) 11-16 (Dec 8-5)
182 – Cole Filand (15-9) finished first and scored 26.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Cole Filand (St. Peter) 15-9 won via drop over Josiah Brakenhoff (Fairmont-Martin County West) 5-8 (Fall 1:45)
Semifinal – Cole Filand (St. Peter) won 15-9 via fall over Aidan Mattison (Marshall) 14-10 (1:13 fall)
1st Place Game – Cole Filand (St. Peter) 15-9 won via fall over Jackson Melcher (Pipestone Area) 11-8 (Fall 2:47)
195 – Leighton Robb (22-4) finished first and scored 24.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Leighton Robb (St. Peter) 22-4 won by drop over Andres Vetsouvahn (Redwood Valley) 1-12 (Fall 0:14)
Semifinal – Leighton Robb (St. Peter) 22-4 won via fall over Aiden Voss (Pipestone Area) 14-6 (2:52 fall)
1st Place Match: Leighton Robb (St. Peter) won a 22-4 decision over Payton Garza (Waseca) 10-1 (Dec. 3-1)
220 – Kemper Ely (19-9) finished fifth and scored 8.0 team points.
Quarterfinals – Gavin Schaefer (Marshall) 15-8 won via drop over Kemper Ely (St. Peter) 19-9 (Fall 2:24)
cons. Round 1: Kemper Ely (St. Peter) 19-9 won via fall over Damion Pohlman (Windom-Mountain Lake) 3-16 (1:35 fall)
Cons. Semi – Matthew Veroeven (Waseca) won a 12-5 decision over Kemper Ely (St. Peter) 19-9 (December 5-1)
5th Place Match: Kemper Ely (St. Peter) 19-9 won via decision over Julio Esqueda (Saint James area) 10-9 (Dec 7-6)
285 – Haadi Ahmed (8-11) finished sixth and scored 8.0 team points.
Bite. Round 1: Cameron Scholten (Jackson County Central) 18-11 won by knockdown over Haadi Ahmed (St. Peter) 8-11 (Fall 0:56)
Cons. Round 1 – Haadi Ahmed (St. Peter) 8-11 received a bye () (Bye)
cons. Round 2: Haadi Ahmed (St. Peter) 8-11 won via decision over Masyn Akkerman (Luverne) 5-8 (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Semi – Haadi Ahmed (St. Peter) 8-11 won by fall over Andrew Cowden (Marshall) 7-12 (0:26 fall)
5th Place Match: Griffin Evans (Redwood Valley) won 12-9 via fall over Haadi Ahmed (St. Peter) 8-11 (0:48 fall)