Rasmussen, Stern win state wrestling crowns

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RAPID CITY – Bobcat junior Luke Rasmussen and senior Cherish Stern won titles in the Class A State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Rasmussen – runner-up at 182 pounds a year ago – pinned his way to the 195-pound title this season to cap a perfect 32-0 season.

He dropped Pierre’s Jacob Larson in 2:59 in the quarterfinals and Chamberlain’s Noah Hutmacher in 1:39 in the semifinals.

Rasmussen stuck Rapid City Stevens’ Ryan Brink in 4:40 in the title match.

Stern posted a championship in the inaugural girls’ tournament, prevailing at 167 pounds.

Following a quarterfinal bye, she stuck Pierre’s Mary Mehlhaff in 33 seconds.

Stern earned a 4-1 decision over Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Ali Bissell in the final.

Brandon Valley won the Class A boys’ team title with 188 points. Rapid City Stevens was second at 166.5, with Pierre (144), Watertown (137) and Harrisburg (118.5) rounding out the top five.

Brookings ended up ninth with 68 points.

Quarterfinalists Nolan Miles (106 pounds) placed fifth and Nolan Archer (182) ended up seventh. James Olson bounced back from Thursday’s opening-round loss to take seventh, as well.

Miles fell 3-1 to Aberdeen Central’s Rayden Zens in the quarters.

He majored Harrisburg’s Tyler Wurth 14-6 in a wrestleback and then pinned Madison’s Caleb Hodges in 43 seconds.

Miles dropped a 10-4 decision to West Central’s Chandler Carda in the consolation semifinals. He beat Sturgis’ Korbin Osborn via a 12-4 major decision in the fifth-place bout.

Archer was majored by Mitchell’s Joe VanOverschelde 13-1 in the quarters.

He pinned West Central’s Gabe Gebhardt in 24 seconds but then dropped a 3-1 decision to Watertown’s Tyler Rudebusch in the third round of wrestlebacks.

Archer stuck Pierre’s Gavin Stotts in 5:47 to take seventh.

Olson pinned Sturgis’ Zak Juelfs in 2:11 and Yankton’s Zavier Leonard in 4:31 in consolation action. He was pinned by Harrisburg’s Ayden Vox in 2:18 after that. Olson notched a 1-0 decision over the Raiders’ Eli Huot in the seventh-place matchup.

Gabriel Stern (126 pounds) and Samson Flakus (285) both went 1-2 and Spencer Christie (113) finished 0-2.

Class B

Sioux Valley’s Russell Sheets took seventh and three Kingsbury County wrestlers found the podium – led by Gannon Gilligan, who took sixth at 106 pounds.

Sheets beat Burke/Gregory’s Rylan Peck in his final match.

Gilligan won three consecutive consolation bouts to reach the consolation semifinals.

Dylan Zell (126 pounds), who reached the quarterfinals, and Alec Dobson (138) both placed eighth.

The Knights’ Sheldon Balderston (120), Nate Kersting (182) and Kain Gilligan (220) each went 1-2. Matthew Steffensen (145) was 0-2.

The Cossacks’ Seth Heidenreich (160) ended up 1-2, while Joe Hornick (170) and Connor Logan (285) both went 0-2.

Flandreau’s Tathan Headrick went 1-2 at 152 pounds. Brayden Wiese (106 pounds) and Kolby Peters (170) both ended up 0-2.