The B-B-E robotics team is off and running at the region competition in Duluth this morning. Their first match should start at about 9:12 a.m. You can track updates from today's robotics action by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website at this link: https://bit.ly/3tzhmrc.
More to come. Still getting a handle on state wrestling scheduling.
**Here's a short video clip featuring the signs hanging at Belgrdade Hadrware store on Wednesday:
State wrestling update: Maximus Hanson won his second wrestleback match while taking a 9-1 major decision this morning. He faces KMS's Coy Gunderson in his next wrestlback match. A win puts Hanson into the third place match tonight.
**Update: Ryan Jensen's state semifinal match should get started before 11 a.m. today, and Walker Bents will follow soon after that.
GREAT NEWS!
At 120 with Ryan Jensen against Eli Larson, no scoring took place in the first minute of the opening period. Jensen broke through with the first points of the match by getting a takedown with 24 seconds on the clock. He took a 2-0 lead into the second period.
No scoring took place in the second period, and Larson earned two back points with 1:49 left in the third period. Jensen earned an escape with 1:03 left to go ahead 3-2. Jensen earned a takedown in the final seconds to earn a state semifinal win by a 5-2 decision.
The same script played out early at 132 for Walker Bents against Owen Denstad. They went into the second period with no scoring. The second period ended with no scoring. Bents was given an escape to start the third period, and he then earned a takedown with 1:18 left to go ahead 3-0. Bents was awarded a penalty point (stalling) with 29 seconds left and won his state semifinal match by a 4-0 decision. These 126 and 132-pound semifinal matches both wrapped up by 11:03 a.m.
Now we wait for Blaine Fischer's state semifinal match at 152 pounds. I expect that match to get started by 11:20 a.m.
Updates on Blaine's match won't be posted until closer to noon. I've got too many irons in the fire.
**At 152, Blaine Fischer lost a heartbreaking 5-4 decision in the state semifinals. He had a 2-1 lead after one period. Jacob Leibold of Royalton/Upsala outscored Fischer 4-2 in the third period, getting a takedown with about 40 seconds left to take the win. He can still go for third place depending how his wrestleback match goes. In the 2021 state championships, Leibold was defeated by Fischer in a championship match. Updates to follow.
Next is Ethan Spanier in the 220 to state semis. **His match should get started at about 12:05 p.m. or soon thereafter.
**At 220, Ethan Spanier lost a 9-2 decision in his semifinal match. He was outscored 4-1 in the first period and 5-1 in the third period. Spanier faces Bryce Holm of Royalton/Upsala in a wrestleback match, and a win there puts him in the third place match.
Additional updates to come here after 2 p.m. Hanson and Spanier haven't been assigned to mats yet.
**Wrestlebacks were not kind to B-B-E wrestlers this afternoon. Maximus Hanson lost a 3-1 decision to Gunderson to fall into the fifth-place match. Ethan Spanier lost a 10-4 decision to also fall into the fifth-place match. At 152, Blaine Fischer lost a 6-2 decision to LPGE/Browerville's Landon Gode to fall into the fifth-place match.
**A new blog post will be added here after 4 p.m. once I get back to Xcel Energy Center. The fifth and third-place matches are in the final session, which starts at 4 p.m. today.