Hayfield sophomore Shane Masching had an unfair advantage in his 125-pound championship match – he knew he could win.

Monday, March 04, 2002

Hayfield sophomore Shane Masching had an unfair advantage in his 125-pound championship match – he knew he could win.

Masching met up with Shane Haag – the same wrestler he defeated 7-4 in the Section 1A finals – in the championship round of the 2002 State Wrestling Tournament Saturday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Masching nearly matched his previous victory with a 7-5 decision to claim the fame with a Class A title.

Masching (38-1), who went 0-1 at state as a freshman, won his four matches by a total of six points, including a 6-5 decision over Medford’s Greg Brendemuhl (40-3) in the quarterfinals. Brendemuhl won his next four matches in the consolation bracket to take third place.

Masching’s veteran teammate Joe Gunderson did the same. The Hayfield senior, after losing a 20-9 major decision to Josh Brady of Royalton in the quarterfinals, won four straight decisions to take third place in his final campaign with the Vikings.

Gunderson, a section runner-up to eventual four-time state champion Eric Sanders of Wabasha-Kellogg, finished the year 36-6.

Senior Jordan Luinstra appeared poised to match the performance with a pair of victories to move into Friday’s semifinals, but he lost his next three 189-pound matches by pin to finish sixth. Luinstra, a section champ, finished 33-7.

Steven Emerick, a 103-pound sophomore, could not match his 1-2 effort at state from a year ago. Emerick went 0-2 in his second trip, ending the season 26-11.

Sam Rud’s junior campaign ended on a high note despite an 0-2 finish at the state meet. The Viking 145-pounder ended the year 16-21 with what to some was a surprise trip to state.

Results:

(Hayfield only)

103–Brandon Schunk (Wabasso) dec. Steven Emerick (Hayfield) 4-3; David Cunningham (Meadow Creek Christian) dec. Emerick 5-1.

112–Joe Gunderson (Hayfield) dec. Codey Schultz (LCWM) 8-3; Josh Brady (Royalton) major dec. Gunderson 20-9; Gunderson major dec. Reid Clark (Norwood Young America) 12-2; Gunderson dec. Trevor Balbach (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) 7-2; Gunderson dec. Nathan Kubash (BOLD) 3-2; Gunderson dec. David Schjenken (Renville County West) 6-4 for third place.

125–Shane Masching (Hayfield) dec. Jared Oyster (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) 6-5; Masching dec. Greg Brendemuhl (Medford) 6-5; Masching dec. Nathan Rohlik (sr., 40-3, Wabasso) 11-9; Masching dec. Shane Haag (jr., 33-7, Lewiston-Altura) 7-5 for championship.

145–Matt Houtsma (Olgilvie) dec. Sam Rud (Hayfield) 5-0; Nick Krebsbach (Osakis) major dec. Rud 14-3.

189–Jordan Luinstra (Hayfield) pinned Jason Kellen (Ortonville) 3:18; Luinstra dec. Ryan Thelemann (WEM) 10-9; Joey Graczyk (Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead) pinned Luinstra 5:49; Jake Meixl (Mankato Loyola) pinned Luinstra 2:00; Kyle Asleson (Nicollet) pinned Luinstra 3:20.