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Jacks will place three at state wrestling

Bemidji's Lumberjacks will bring home three placewinners today from the state high school wrestling tournament. Greg Skerik and Kaleb Young will battle for third place in today's noon round while Joe Andersen will fight for fifth. All three emerg...

Bemidji's Lumberjacks will bring home three placewinners today from the state high school wrestling tournament.

Greg Skerik and Kaleb Young will battle for third place in today's noon round while Joe Andersen will fight for fifth.

All three emerged from Friday's firing with Young going 3-0, Andersen 2-1 and Skerik 1-1.

Eliminated in his second match of the day was Dan Sorby.

Skerik fell in the championship semifinals in the afternoon round but came back to beat Tony Sadder of Totino Grace 7-4 to gain the third place match.

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He goes against Matt Morris of Albert Lea, an opponent he beat earlier in the state 5-2 in his second match.

The win was his 215th career victory leaving him in eighth place among the all-time career winners in state history.

A win today would leave him one behind five-time champion Matt Nagel of Frazee, now at Minnesota and two behind Marcus LeVesseur of Minneapolis Roosevelt who went on to stardom at Augsburg after opening with Minnesota.

Young, who lost his opening match 2-1, ran his state victory string to three with an evening win over Justin Phillippi of Moorhead 6-0.

He had beaten Phillippi 3-2 last weekend in the Section 8-3A title match.

He faces junior Matt O'Connor of Cambridge today for third place.

Andersen saw his hopes of bettering his fourth place finish at last year's state meet fall when he was beaten by John Vaith of Hastings 4-3.

He will go for fifth today against freshman Chris Stevermer of Prior Lake.

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Of the three, both Young and Andersen will return next season for their senior years.

Morning winners

All three Jacks in the morning wrestlebacks came through in good style.

Andersen sidelined Nick Miller of Owatonna 5-2 while Young ousted Andy Staberg of Stillwater 5-3 and Sorby turned back Billy Morgan of Rosemount 6-4.

The season ended, however, for Nate Higgins of WHAN who lost his second bout of the meet to Josh Falk of Windom 10-4.

Afternoon results

Things were not as rosy in the four afternoon bouts with the Jacks emerging 2-2.

Skerik's title hopes faded in the semifinals when he dropped a 1-0 decision to John Brantjen of Simley.

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That dropped him into the final two rounds of the wrestlebacks needing two wins to finish third.

Andersen and Young remained alive and assured of placing.

Andersen stopped Mark Prokopowicz of Simley 11-1 while Young turned back Garrett Long of St. Francis 8-4.

Both needed wins in the evening round to gain the third place matches facing losers of the championship semifinals.

Sorby's season ended in a 3-2 setback to Pat Mahan of Owatonna to fall one match short of placing. He ended his final season with a 36-8 record.

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