Owen Culbertson (DCL)

Culbertson, a junior captain, led the Charging Dragons in wins, recording a record of 35-13 with 18 pins. He finished one place shy of making it to state, placing third in Section 6AA at 160 pounds.

“Culbertson led the team in falls, consistently putting opponents away early, and recorded 28 bonus-point victories, highlighting his ability to win matches in commanding fashion,” said DCL head coach Darrin Allen.

Calvin Rannow (DCL)

Junior Calvin Rannow finished with a record of 21-9 with 12 pins, taking fifth at the Section 6AA meet at 172 pounds.

“Rannow put together a strong campaign, earning 21 wins in 30 matches. He proved to be a reliable point-scorer for the team, securing 16 bonus-point victories throughout the season,” said Allen.

Felix Franco (DCL)

Sophomore Felix Franco (139 pounds) showed major improvement from last year, going from eight wins as a freshman to 23 (23-18) in 2025-26, with nine pins.

“Franco led the team in both technical falls and takedowns, demonstrating his aggressive style on the mat. He finished the season with 22 bonus-point victories,” said Allen.

Jeff Ritter (Delano)

It was an exciting ending to an impressive career for Delano’s Jeff Ritter. A state entrant in his senior year, he posted an overall record of 43-9 this year.

He capped off his state tournament run with a fourth-place finish at 189 in Class AA. He was ranked nearly the entire season for the Tigers and finished his career ranked No. 9 in wins for the program all-time at 132.

“Jeff had an outstanding season and capped an outstanding career,” Delano coach Jeff Olson said.

Tate Olson (Delano)

Another state entrant for the Tigers this season was Tate Olson. Already one of the best wrestlers in program history for Delano, Olson posted another big season for his team as a junior.

He finished his big year with a 39-9 overall record, which was capped off with a fifth-place finish at the Class AA State Tournament at 152.

For his career, Olson is sixth all-time in wins at Delano with 159 career wins heading into his senior season.

“Tate had an outstanding season and continued his great career,” Jeff Olson said.

Zane Kestner (Delano)

Delano has been a program that has slowly gotten better and better as the years have gone on. Zane Kestner has been a big part of that.

A senior, Kestner had another big season for the Tigers. Competing in a loaded Section 2AA Tournament, he finished in third place at 172, which was just one spot away from a spot in the state tournament.

For the season, Kestner finished with an overall record of 24-9.

“Zane missed some time due to injury, but battled through it and had a great season,” Olson said. “He put together a great career, finishing with 85 career wins.”

Isaiah Depa (Delano)

Another key senior this season for the Tigers was Isaiah Depa. A consistent performer all season long for Delano, he put together a stellar season.

A senior, Depa posted a 32-13 overall record. He also finished in fifth place in the Section 2AA Tournament at 145. 

“Isaiah capped off a great career and finishes 17th on the all-time school wins list with 108 career wins,” Olson said.

Xander Plath (G-SL/LP)

It was a big season for Glencoe-Silver Lake/Lester Prairie’s Xander Plath. Ranked in the top 10 in his weight class in Class AA all season long, he proved worthy of that ranking.

Competing in a loaded Section 2AA Tournament, Plath reached the state tournament for the Panthers at 285. On the state’s biggest stage, he posted a 1-2 record as a junior as he finished his season with an overall record of 27-2. Of his 27 wins, 24 of them came via pins.

Plath was also an All-Conference award winner for G-SL/LP this season and will be a big piece to their success next year, coming back as a senior.

Dayna Kielty (G-SL/LP)

It was a big season for G-SL/LP’s Dayna Kielty. The seventh grader had a big year for the Panthers throughout and found herself competing on the state’s biggest stage at the end of it.

Kielty posted an overall record of 25-10 for the Panthers. Competing in the state girls tournament at 112, she capped off her incredible season with a fourth-place finish.

Raydon Graham (HLWW)

As Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted’s Raydon Graham put a close on his career this season, he does so as one of the best in program history. He posted a perfect record heading into the Class AA State Tournament before things came to a tough close.

Graham finished his career with more than 200 career wins, the most in program history. He also has more than 100 career pins for the Lakers.

“Raydon had a great senior season,” HLWW coach Joe Puncochar said. “His bonus point rate was 84 percent.  We used him to nullify the opponent’s best wrestler nearly every night. On top of being a great wrestler, he’s also a great human being that we are going to miss next year.”

Clayton Birkholz (HLWW)

Every year, a new wrestler can step up and deliver. For HLWW this season, that person was Clayton Birkholz. A freshman, Birkholz became a dominant wrestler for the Lakers despite his age.

Wrestling at 114, he made it all the way to the Class AA State Tournament, where he finished in fifth place. After posting a big year for the Lakers, Birkholz will be a big part of the success for HLWW in the years to come.

“Clayton made a huge commitment to his craft over the last year and improved immensely in so many different areas,” Puncochar said. “He had a number of ranked wins and finished the year with a fifth-place finish at state.  Clayton’s work ethic is contagious, and he makes others on our team better because he’s dedicated to making other teammates better as well.”

William Kutz (HLWW)

The Lakers had two state entrants as a program and could have had another in William Kutz if he hadn’t been injured. Kutz was a big part of the success all season long for HLWW before missing the final chunk of the season with an injury.

Despite that, Kutz still led the team in pins with 20. Had he been healthy, he would have certainly been in the mix for a spot in the state tournament in a tough Section 6AA Tournament.

“Will is a hammer on top,” Puncochar said. “He has improved immensely in all positions. It’s even more impressive knowing he missed individual sections with an injury, so he would have inevitably added to that total. He was a serious candidate to make it to the state tournament before his injury, and we look to help him achieve that goal next year.”

Alex Ogle (HLWW)

Every team needs some younger athletes to step up to be successful, and that was what Alex Ogle did this year for HLWW. Just a sophomore, he became a go-to guy for the Lakers each time he took the mat.

“Alex really made a big jump in his sophomore season,” Puncochar said. “His consistency was probably the thing that made me most excited about his season. As his confidence continues to grow, he will continue to climb the ladder. He puts in a ton of effort all year long, and we expect him to take another big step forward next year.”

Logan Diers (HLWW)

A senior is always a key piece to any team, and that’s what Logan Diers was to HLWW. After not being a part of the team for a pair of seasons, Diers came back and made an immediate impact for the Lakers.

Diers became a big part of the success for the Lakers all season long as his senior leadership was on full display. Holding down the heavyweight position, he showed what some hard work can lead to.

“Logan came back to wrestling after two years off,” Puncochar said. “He had truly transformed his body from a 170-pound freshman into a 240-pound senior. His strength won him and ultimately our team a bunch of duals this season.  He’s just a grinder.  He’ll tell you he hates working hard, but he’s lying. The kid absolutely thrives when things get tough.”

Michael Mumford (HLWW)

Sometimes you just have to wait for your moment. That’s what HLWW’s Michael Mumford did for his team. After waiting for his time to shine, Mumford did just that, turning in a strong season for the Lakers.

He was a big part of helping HLWW compete in the conference and in Section 6AA all season long as he turned in a stellar senior season to wrap things up.

“Mike is one of those unique guys who stuck around until the end, even though he wasn’t a starter until this year,” Puncochar said. “We are thankful that he did. He had a great senior season. He was an All-Conference performer and came so close to being a state entrant. He had a number of wins or close matches with wrestlers who were in the state tournament. Once Michael believed he was good, his results indicated it too. He is an ultimate team guy and always did what we asked of him.”

Julio Alejandro (Sibley East)

Another stellar season for Sibley East’s Julio Alejandro concluded on the state’s biggest stage. Wrestling at 133 this season for the Wolverines, Alejandro took sixth place at the Class A State Tournament.

It was a resilient season for Alejandro after missing a good chunk of the season with an injury. Despite that, he battled till the end and found the podium for the Wolverines.

Gianny Lopez (Sibley East)

A Wolverine wrestler making his first state tournament appearance was Gianny Lopez. Wrestling at 172, Lopez wrapped up his career with a big year for Sibley East.

While Lopez had his hands full in the state tournament, his impact on Sibley East was noticeable all year long for his team.

He finished the season with an overall record of 18-30.

Tanner Johnson (Sibley East)

An exciting season for Sibley East’s Tanner Johnson resulted in a trip to the state tournament. Wrestling at 139, Johnson wrestled well all year long for the Wolverines on his way to competing on the state’s biggest stage.

Despite finishing the state tournament with a 0-2 record, Johnson was a huge part of the success for Sibley East all year long as a junior. 

Joel Friederichs (Watertown-Mayer)

All Joel Friederichs does is win. That was on display once again this year for Watertown-Mayer. Wrestling at 121, Friederichs claimed his second career state title for the Royals.

He finished the season with a perfect 47-0 record that included 15 pins and 18 tech falls to go along with 154 takedowns. An All-Conference selection, Friederichs was as dominant as they come again this year.

“Titan and Joel were the leaders of our team this year, and we will really miss having them in our wrestling room,” W-M coach Kurt Becker said. “They are two of the hardest workers I have ever been around, yet they remain humble despite all of their success and notoriety. They are great young men, and we are excited for what is to come yet in their future as wrestlers and men.”

Kaleb Mead (Watertown-Mayer)

One of three state champions for W-M, junior Kaleb Mead had a season to remember. After getting a taste of success a year ago, Mead used that to get on top of the state’s biggest stage with a state title at the Class AA State Tournament at 152.

Mead finished the season with a 47-3 record to go along with 16 pins, 14 tech falls, and 149 takedowns.

“Kaleb had an outstanding year for us,” Becker said. “We could move Kaleb around to take on the other team’s better wrestler, and that was huge for our team this year.  We look for Kaleb to be one of our main leaders next season.”

Sully Marx (Watertown-Mayer)

One of five state entrants for the Royals this year, it was another big year for Sully Marx. A tough out no matter his opponent, Marx was a big part of the success for W-M wrestling at 133, and he showed it in a big way throughout.

Marx finished in fourth place at the Class AA State Tournament for the Royals on his way to posting a 44-8 record that included 14 points, 18 tech falls, and 155 takedowns. He was also an All-Conference selection for W-M as well.

“Sully became one of the hammers on our team this year as a guy we could count on to win the big matches for us,” Becker said. “We look for Sully to be one of our main leaders next year.”

Lewis Foley (Watertown-Mayer)

A breakout athlete this season for Watertown-Mayer was Lewis Foley. Over the course of the season, Foley quickly became one of the top wrestlers for the Royals as he emerged in a big way in big spots.

Wrestling at 139, Foley qualified for the Class AA State Tournament for W-M. Taking on the state’s best, he went 1-2 on the big stage to finish with a 34-20 overall record. He was an All-Conference Honorable Mention award winner and finished with 17 pins on the year.

“Lewis is a great example of sticking with it,” Becker said. “This was his first full year of wrestling varsity because he had been stuck behind Joel and Titan his whole high school career. Lewis showed that if you keep working hard and don’t give up, good things will happen.”