(photo by Jim Lindquist)
Taylor Venz shook a large monkey of his back and in doing so won a section championship and a berth next weekend's Class AAA state wrestling tournament.
The Tiger eighth-grader defeated Lakeville North's Collin DeGrammont 10-2 in the championship match of the 106 lbs. division at last last weekend's Section 2AAA Championships in Shakopee. DeGrammont, the fifth ranked 106-pounder in the state, had defeated Venz twice within the last month.
Venz will take an impressive 30-5 season record to the Xcel Energy Center this Friday morning when he opens state meet competition against Logan Walkow (29-11) of Willmar.
Venz wasn't the only Tiger grappler to enjoy success at the section meet as a total of nine Farmington entrants ended the meet as place winners.
"That's the second highest number of place winners Farmington has ever had at a section meet," Tiger coach Chad Olson said. "I am very proud of how our wrestlers finished the season."
The 1996 Tiger team had 10 individuals finish as place winners at the section tournament.
Besides Venz, two other Tigers reached the finals only to lose there and in a true second match. Jacob Gabbard (113) and Joe Hoeve (152) each placed third. Gabbard finished his season with a 25-5 mark; Hoeve was 27-12.
Other Farmington place winners included Dakoda Louis-Dupay, 4th at 220 lbs.; John Walz, 5th at 126; Jake Rudeen, 5th at 138; Bret Hoffman, 5th at 285; Matt Rustad, 6th at 120; and Chris McCue, 6th at 145.
"Not only did we have the second most place winners ever, but three seniors who didn't place-Ridge Raddatz, Trevor Breezley, and Tyler Engel--had their last match be the best of their careers," Olson said. "It was great to see them go out like that."
