Zack Fier has his arm raised after winning his third-place match on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The win was also the 150th of Fier’s prep career.

FIER 3RD AT STATE

Minneota senior finishes 4-1 at 152 pounds; medals for 3rd straight year

Zack Fier closed out his stellar wrestling career with a third-place finish in the Class A state tournament at 152 pounds on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
This was the third straight year the senior has stepped on the podium as a medal winner. He placed fourth in both his sophomore and junior years.
"Obviously, I wish I had ended up on top," said Fier. "I'm pleased that I got third. I'm glad that I didn't end up fourth again."
Fier's 3-0 decision over John Paul Fitzpatrick of Crosby-Ironton in the third-place match was also the 150th win of his career.
Fier won his first two matches at state 7-0 and 5-1 against Tyler Moe of Frazee and Mitchell Malak of Howard Lake-Waverly/Winsted, respectively, before falling to eventual state champion Brodie Kellen of Dover-Eyota 6-5.
Fier nearly had a takedown secured before time ran out.
"It was close, but I needed about one more second to get the takedown," he said. "I looked up and the clock said zero, so I knew I didn't get it in time."
Fier came back to defeat Isaiah Rodriguez of Jackson County Central 8-2 and then topped Fitzpatrick for third place.
"Zack has worked so hard to get where he's at," said Minneota co-coach Matt Buysse. "His goal was to be a state champ and he did everything he could to achieve that goal. When he lost that close match, he regrouped and focused on getting third place. To get to the podium three years in a row is a great accomplishment. Adam DeVlaeminck, a freshman competing in his second straight state tournament, won his first two matches at 113 pounds before suffering a head injury in the semifinals against eventual state champion Zach Remer of Mille Lacs and having to default that match.
DeVlaeminck and Remer cracked heads during their match, leaving DeVlaeminck momentarily unconscious.
DeVlaemink was then unable to continue wrestling and forfeited both his first match in the wrestleback semifinals, as well as his fifth-place match. Still, DeVlaeminck was able to become a sixth-place medalist in his weight class.
"We're not going to mess around with a head injury, but Adam proved he belonged here," said Buysse on Sunday night. "He's doing fine now. He was able to get up on the podium Saturday and get his medal. He was disappointed but this might give him extra motivation for next year."
DeVlaeminck pinned his opening opponent, Danny Salazar of Pelican Rapids, in 46 seconds before edging Kaisen Johnson of Chatfield 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
Peyton Gillund, in his third state tournament, went 1-2. He won his opening match at 126 pounds by technical fall over Griffen Gimenez of Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial. He then fell to Devin Carter of Tract-Milroy-Balaton/Walnut Grove 11-4 in the quarterfinals. Carter would go on to win the state title. Gillund lost his first match in wrestlebacks and was eliminated.
Eli Gruenes, a sophomore wrestling in his first state tournament at 195 pounds, lost a pair of close matches to opponents that went on to place third and fourth in the weight class. He lost to Tytan Small of St. Charles 9-5 in his first match and then fell to Matthew Haley 9-5 in the wrestlebacks. Haley ended up placing third and Small fourth.
Hudson Scholten, a senior in his first state competition, went 2-2 in the 285-pound weight class and finished in seventh/eighth. He won a 7-5 overtime decision in his first-round match before losing 4-3 to Cameron Scholten of Jackson County Central in the quarterfinals. Cameron would to on to place second.
Scholten then earned a pin in his first wrestleback match and then fell in overtime to Spencer Eisenbraun of Paynesville, who finished in fifth place.

Minneota results
113 Pounds
ADAM DEVLAEMINCK (6th place): First round - pinned Danny Salazar, Pelican Rapids, :46 ... Quarterfinals - won 1-0 decision over Kaisen Johnson, Chatfield ... Semifinals: lost by injury default to Zach Remer, Mille Lacs ... Wrestlebacks: forfeited due to injury to Eli Greenman, Canby ... Fifth place: forfeited due to injury to Micah Gregory, Trinity School at River Ridge.

126 Pounds
PEYTON GILLUND: First round: won by 16-0 technical fall over Griffen Gimenez, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial ... Quarterfinals: lost 11-4 decision to Devin Carter, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Walnut Grove ... Wrestlebacks: lost 7-2 decision to Jeremiah Bien, Goodhue.

152 Pounds
ZACK FIER (3rd place): First round: won 7-0 decision over Tyler Moe, Frazee ... Quarterfinals: won 5-1 decision over Mitchell Malak, Howard Lake-Waverly/Winsted ... Semifinals: lost 6-5 decision to Brodie Kellen, Dover-Eyota ... Wrestlebacks: won 8-2 decision over Isaiah Rodriguez, Jackson County Central ... Third place: won 3-0 decision over John Paul Fitzpatrick, Crosby-Ironton.

195 Pounds
ELI GRUENES: First round: lost 9-5 decision to Tyler Small, St. Charles ... Wrestlebacks: lost 5-2 decision to Matthew Haley, Jackson County Central.

285 Pounds
HUDSON SCHOLTEN: First round: won 7-5 overtime decision over Jackson Duellman, Dover-Eyota ... Quarterfinals: lost 4-3 decision to Cameron Scholten, Jackson County Central ... Wrestlebacks: pinned Lamarcus Osborne, Minneapolis North Community, 1:55 ... lost 4-1 overtime decision to Spencer Eisebraun, Paynesville Area.

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