ROCHESTER — It’s better to go to state on a loss than not go to state at all.

Austin’s Michael Hirsch and Howie Underwood each took second at the Section 1AAA wrestling meet and qualfied for state Saturday, despite the fact that they both lost in the finals.

Underwood’s loss in the 145-pound finals was the more dramatic of the two shortcomings as he just missed a go-ahead takedown as the final buzzer sounded. He lost by a score of 1-0 as Albert Lea’s Adam Kermes escaped with 56 seconds left in the third period for the match’s lone point.

“I think it was two. Too me it was too,” Underwood said of the way the match ended. “I had both legs and I was turning him to his back, but I guess it’s a rush decision. If I look back and really think about it, if I would’ve been another six inches up his back it would’ve been two and no one would’ve questioned it.”

Underwood nearly escaped twice in the second period but couldn’t quite get loose.

“(Howie) had a great tournament and in the right situation that two point call might have been there,” Austin head coach Bill Kinney said. “Of all our guys wrestling in that last round, he was the one who wrestled to win and advance. He’s really worked hard to make this step and now he’s going to get his opportunity.”

Underwood will make his first trip to the Class ‘AAA’ state meet Wednesday, and he hopes to use his loss on Saturday as motivation.

“Being a junior and going to state is pretty fulfilling. But I’m probably one of the only kids in here who’s mad about going to state with a loss in sections. Just with how it went down,” Underwood said.

Underwood (29-9 overall) sealed his trip to state by edging out Owatonna’s Taylor Hedberg (30-11 overall) in the semifinals by a score of 4-0.

Underwood came up with a take down with 10 seconds left in the first period to take a 2-0 lead in that match and he made an escape and drew a stalling penalty on Hedberg, who hadn’t wrestled Underwood before.

“He’s really lanky and he’s got a lot of leverage to him. I knew if I could get past his defense with a nice set up shot I’d be able to take the match,” said Underwood.

Underwood has come on strong in the last month and a half after struggling a bit earlier this season. He said his biggest problem early on was he was trying to develop too many new moves.

“Coach Kinney told me to go back to my bread and butter moves and that’s why I’m going to state,” Underwood said.

Hirsch’s loss in the 189-pound finals came to Mayo’s Mike Minske (27-8 overall). Minske took a 2-0 lead with a takedown with six seconds left in the first period and he held Hirsch (34-3 overall) in check the rest of the way.

This is the second straight year that Minske beat Hirsch in the Section 1AAA meet.

“(Hirsch) was just way too tentative in that match,” Kinney said of Hirsch. “He allowed Minske to take the action to him and Mike is at his best when he’s the attacker. We’re gonna look to get him back to that fashion Wednesday (at state).”

Hirsch won with pins in his other two matches at the Section meet.

The other Packer who came close to getting to state was Ethan Eggum (34-4 overall), who dropped a 4-3 decision to Logan Kortan (19-2 overall) of Albert Lea in the semifinals and fell 4-3 to Mayo’s Zach Hanson (32-8 overall) in the third place match as he settled for fourth.

Against Hanson, Eggum escaped with 25 seconds left to make it 4-3, but he didn’t have enough time to pull of a takedown. Eggum, a senior, finishes his career with 95 wins.

“He’s a large part of the reason why Howie’s going to state. They’re workout partners and Ethan always works hard in practice,” Kinney said. “I’m horribly disappointed for him not ever making it to state because he’s put in a lot of work. The top four kids in his bracket were all ranked and he lost two one point decisions that could’ve gone either way.”

Austin had four wrestlers take fifth (Erick Power, Colin Sheehan, Dylan Diekmann, and Bryce Zahradnik), while Bobbe Dulitz and Thomas Herrera took sixth.

“We had four kids that came in unseeded and weren’t expected to place and they placed. We’re pretty happy with nine placewinners. We’ve got young kids ready to take the next step next year,” Kinney said.

AUSTIN RESULTS

112: Brandon Canedy (Northfield) pinned Colin Sheehan (A) (3:28); Sheehan (A) 14-6 dec. over Marcus Riggle (Faribault)

119: Bowen Schultz (Owatonna) 15-0 dec. over Erick Power (A); Power pinned Coltan Koser (M) (1:36)

125: Blake Patton (M) pinned Dylan Diekmann (A) (2:44); Diekmann pinned Gabe Miller (Century)

145: Howie Underwood (A) 4-0 dec. over Taylor Hedberg (Owatonna); Adam Kermes (AL) 1-0 dec. over Underwood

152: Chad Zastrow (Century) pinned Bryce Zahradnik (A) (:49); Zahradnik 8-6 OT dec. over Trevor Friday (AL)

160: Logan Kortan (AL) 4-3 dec. over Ethan Eggum (A); Eggum pinned Eric Allen (Century) (:46); Zach Hanson (Mayo) 4-3 dec. over Eggum

171: Caleb Breyer (Faribault) pinned Bobbe Dulitz (A) (1:33); Quin Schultz (Northfield) pinned Dulitz (2:46)

189: Michael Hirsch (A) pinned Coyte Keufner (O) (4:56); Jake Minske (M) 5-0 dec.over Hirsch (A)

Hwt: Kevin Kimlinger (M) pinned Thomas Herrera (A) (3:21); Rob Allen (Northfield) pinned Herrera (1:32)