ROCHESTER -- Hayfield will be well-represented at the 2003 State Wrestling Tournament by its only representative, junior 125-pounder Shane Masching.

Masching, the defending Class A champion ranked No. 1, lost for the first time all season in the Section 1 finals Saturday at the Mayo Civic Center. Lewiston-Altura’s Shane Haag, ranked No. 2, defeated Masching for the first time in five career meetings between the two.

The fifth run-in was expected, but the outcome was not.

"Who knows what’s going to happen when you wrestle somebody, especially somebody as good as he is," Masching said of Haag. "Hopefully I’ll meet him again in state and beat him when it counts."

Masching defeated Haag 7-4 in last year’s section final, and 7-5 in the 125-pound state championship match. Masching made it 4-0 against Haag with two regular-season meetings this year, but the fifth time was Haag’s turn, 10-6.

"He did his homework, so now I’ve got to go home and do my homework," Masching said. "(Making it to state) was my goal for the year, and right now my second goal is to win state. I’m hoping I can make it back to the finals."

Masching (34-1) pinned his other three opponents at sections in a combined time of 5:08.

His first match at state is against fifth-ranked Chris Werth of St. James (sr., 23-2).

Upended for second

Eighth-grader Danny West and senior Carl Bamlet were each within one win of qualifying for state. At 112 pounds, West lost to eventual champion Dan Gray of Dover-Eyota and was eventually eliminated by Southland’s Zach Stratton a 6-5 decision for true second.

Bamlet lost a 5-0 decision to second-ranked Peter Burfeind of Goodhue in the heavyweight finals, and Bryan Breidall of Pine Island came back through to pin Bamlet for true second.

Josh Evans, Bruce Erath and Brad Evans each earned sixth-place finishes for Hayfield, which last year qualified five wrestlers for state.