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| Tiger coach Chad Olson has four wrestlers rated among the top ten in their weight class |
In pool play coach Chad Olson's grapplers routed Minneapolis Roosevelt 71-0 and fell to Willmar 48-23. In second round action the Tigers downed host Monticello 41-27.
Willmar, the ninth-rated Class 3A team in Minnesota, won nine of the 14 individual matches against the 11th-ranked Tigers.
Farmington won the first three bouts with Victor Gliva (106) winning a decision and Jamin LeDuc, the state's fourth ranked 113-pounder following with a technical fall. Fourth-rated Taylor Venz then won by decision in the 126-pound match-up.
Two more state-rated Tigers, Matt Rustad (No. 5 at 132 lbs.) and Joe Hoeve (No. 7 at 182 lbs.), closed out the Farmington scoring with six-point pins. Seven of Willmar's nine wins came by pin.
"We can't give up big bonus points against good teams and expect to compete," Tiger coach Chad Olson said.
In the shutout win over Roosevelt, Olson wrestled only a few of his regulars. Seven of the Farmington wins came on falls, including Gliva (113), Chris Erickson 120), Brian Caravantes (120), Seth Marshall (132), Marshall Heyda (152), Zack Seufer (160), Seth Nechville (170) and Jake Rudeen (182).
Mason Hawkins (145) and Hayden Randall (138) won by decision and the Tigers picked up six points via forfeit at 106 lbs.
Farmington closed its day with a solid win over host Monticello. The Tigers roared to a 26-3 lead on pins by Gliva, Skyler Raynond (113) and Rustad and major decisions by LeDuc and Brayden Chapman (138). Later in the match, Rudeen and Hoeve scored falls and Godfrey Mpetey gained
an 8-4 decision over seventh-ranked Brent Riddle.
"Godfrey has always shown flashes of being really good and this was the first match he
did that for six minutes," Olson said.
"We wrestled very well against Monticello, back to wrestling the way were capable."
Farmington has a three meets-in-three nights scheduled this week, a Thursday triangular at Eagan and a Friday home dual with Faribault followed by a Saturday appearance at the Eastview Invitational.
"Then we get 13 days off," Olson said, "and that will be much-needed break."
