The Minnewaska Area wrestling ream hosted a four-team meet, Thursday, including Border West, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and Team United (Montevideo, LQP and DB).

The Lakers fell to United (56-18) and Border West (37-36) in their first two dual matches of the season for Minnewaska.

In other matches, Border West fell to BBE (46-21), United beat Border West (69-6) and United also edged BBE in the championship, 39-28.

The Lakers are now set to compete at the Pine River Invitational, Dec. 15-16 before hosting Benson in a rare afternoon match in front of the student body.

The match with Benson, which had been set for Friday, Dec. 22, was pushed ahead to 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 21, giving the Minnewaska Area High School student body a chance to watch the action.

That’s the last match for the Lakers until the Minnewaska Invitational, set for Jan. 12.

Minnewaska quad

The Lakers fell twice at the Minnewaska Area quadrangular, including a 37-36 loss to Border West.

During that match, the Lakers earned a 26-second pin by Landon Schiffler at 107 pounds, a pin in 48 seconds at 121 pounds by Miles Wildman and a pin in 4:30 by Chase Smith at 139 pounds.

That still left the Lakers trailing 31-18 after nine matches.

Jayce Kovarik earned a pin in 1:45 at 172 pounds to keep the Lakers in contention and Cole Kittelson and Riley Dell earned forfeit wins in the next two weights to put Minnewaska ahead 37-31, but Border West ended the contest with a forfeit victory of its own to give it the one-point victory.

•  In the 56-18 loss to United, the Lakers won three matches, including a pin by Miles Wildman at 121 pounds, a DQ win by Nathan Dell at 152 and a pin by Myles Reichmann at 1:01 at 172 pounds.

During the loss to United, Chase Smith fell by a 19-2 technical fall to Ben Gunlogson, who is ranked first at 121 pounds in Class AA.  Wildman is ranked second behind Gunlogson at 121 pounds, while Smith is ranked seventh in state at 127 pounds.

•  Two big changes for wrestling this year are the change from 14 weights to 13 and the switch from Section 5A to Section 8AA.

This year, high school wrestlers will use 13 weight classes as follows — 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215 and 285.

at Waska quadrangular

United 56, at Waska 18

107:  Olson, U pin Alex Adams 1:22

114:  Morten, U win by forfeit

121:  Miles Wildman, Min pin Long 1:54

127:  Olson, U pin Garrett Jungclaus 1:18

133:  Gunlog., U tfall Chase Smith 19-2

139:  Schach., U pin Isaiah Rosario 2:43

145:  Norman, U win by forfeit

152:  Nathan Dell, Min win by DQ

160:  Gunlog., U def Jayce Kovarik 6-2

172:  Myles Reichmann, Min pin Peder. 1:01

189:  Meyer, U win by forfeit

215:  DeBeer, U win by forfeit

285:  Rhode, U win by forfeit

Border W 37, at Waska 36

107:  Landon Schiffler, Min pin McLain :26

114:  Pittman, BW win by forfeit

121:  Miles Wildman, Min pin Ward :48

127:  Olson, BW pin Garrett Jungclaus 1:56

133:  Hennessy, BW def Jude Bailey 10-5

139:  Chase Smith, Min pin Hennessy 4:30

145:  Olson, BW maj Isaiah Rosario 15-2

152:  Casper, BW pin Sawyer Erickson 1:23

160:  Nach., BW pin Myles Reichmann 5:30

172:  Jayce Kovarik, Min pin Peterson 1:45

189:  Cole Kittelson, Min win by forfeit

215:  Riley Dell, Min win by forfeit

285:  Adelman, BW win by forfeit

Check out more photos in our photo gallery!