Shakopee Wrestling: Team and 10 Wrestlers Set to Compete for State Titles
By Bill Schleper
The Shakopee Sabers have had one of the most successful regular seasons in the history of Shakopee wrestling, and they are carrying that success on the mat all the way to the Minnesota State High School State Tournament after a dominant performance in the Section 6AAA Tournament.
The No. 1-seeded Sabers rolled in the first round, defeating Minneapolis Southwest 78-0, and followed that up with another impressive win over the No. 5-seeded Edina Hornets. In the championship match, the Sabers continued to outperform their foes, defeating the No. 2-seeded Waconia Wildcats by a resounding 53-14 score to capture the Section 6AAA title and qualify for the state tournament at Xcel Energy Center this coming week.
Ten of thirteen Saber boys' grapplers will also be bringing their energy to the Xcel Energy Center for the Individual State Tournament Championships beginning on Friday, February 28, with the remaining three wrestlers narrowly missing out with third-place finishes during the section tournament.
Results from the Section Tournament:
1st Place Ethan Phanmanivong 107#
1st Place Anthony Heim 121#
1st Place Tyler Turzinski 139#
2nd Place Calvin Miller 145#
1st Place Joseph Heim 152#
1st Place Kyler Walters 160#
1st Place Jackson Barron 172#
1st Place Kyle Linville 189#
2nd Place Landon Rouse 215#
2nd Place Max Coles HWT#
3rd Place Patrick Heim 114#
3rd Place Noah Wegner 127#
3rd Place Kaleb Long 133#
You can’t help but get fired up for this team when talking to head coach Alex Van Krevelyn, who was pumped up after the sectional tournament victories. “I was EXTREMELY proud of how our guys competed this weekend! With wrestling having 13 weight classes, sending 10 wrestlers to state is a great achievement for our program! I was also very impressed with our three wrestlers who fell just short of going to state (all taking 3rd place),” stated Van Krevelyn, or AVK, as he is referred to by his Shakopee Schools colleagues and throughout the wrestling scene. “A BIG shoutout goes to those three wrestlers for a HARD-FOUGHT battle and the heart, effort, and resilience you showed us all today!”
Of course, the Sabers take every practice and every match one day at a time and try not to look too far into the future. AVK, along with senior wrestler Tyler Turzinski, both reiterated that philosophy during a recent podcast on The Hub News - Shakopee. Turzinski will be competing in the state tournament this week, vying for both a team championship and an individual championship as he takes on the finest in the state at the 139-pound weight level.
The Team State Tournament will begin on Thursday, February 27, with Class AAA Team Quarterfinals starting at 9:00 a.m., where the No. 2-seeded Sabers will take on Elk River. A win for the Sabers would put them into the semifinals at 1:00 p.m. against the winner of Prior Lake vs. No. 3-seeded Stillwater, a perennial powerhouse. If the Sabers emerge victorious in that round, the championship round will follow that evening, beginning at 7:00 p.m., with a likely showdown against the No. 1-ranked St. Michael-Albertville squad that handed the Sabers their only loss of the season earlier this year. That would be a match for the ages, but as Van Krevelyn has stated numerous times this season, “We just take things a day at a time. No goals except to get better each day.”
Individual Shakopee girls' wrestlers also competing on the individual level include No. 6-ranked Jasmine Tukhlynovych (124#) and No. 1-ranked Belle Suchta (170#), both of whom have been paving the way for a rapidly growing girls’ wrestling program in Shakopee. They will be representing Shakopee at the State Tournament on Saturday, March 1, at Xcel Energy Center.
“As we enter into state tournament week, I am excited to make some memories with this team and chase after some great things.” said Van Krevelyn.
Saber wrestling fans will not want to miss this year’s tournament! It could be one of the most exciting in Shakopee wrestling history!
All tickets must be purchased online. Click on this link for State Tournament Tickets: MSHSL Tickets
State Tournament Brackets: MSHSL Wrestling Tournament