Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougar Wrestling

32 ZM wrestlers in grades K-8th competed at Byron NYWA regionals on Friday and Saturday to punch their ticket to NYWA state tournament in Rochester next weekend. Top 3 in each category move on to state. ZM had 17 qualifiers listed below:

Kade McNamara – 1st place K 60 pounds

Jaxon Liffrig – 1st place 1st and 2nd 50 pounds

Jase McNamara – 2nd place 1st and 2nd 65 pounds

Patrick Fruth – 3rd place 1st and 2nd 70 pounds

Jonah Karow – 3rd place 5th and 6th 70 pounds

Jake Moran – 3rd place 5th and 6th 88 pounds

Brody Lohmann – 3rd place 5th and 6th 130

Owen Lexvold – 1st place 5th and 6th 140

Cole Schiell – 1st place 7th and 8th 80 pounds

Sammy Moore – 1st place 7th and 8th 85 pounds

Carl Murray – 1st place 7th and 8th 90 pounds

Simon Karow – 2nd place 7th and 8th 90 pounds

Jent Beyer – 1st place 7th and 8th 95 pounds

Noah Schaefer – 3rd place 7th and 8th 110 pounds

Mitchell Olson – 3rd place 7th and 8th 125 pounds

Gunner Mancilman – 2nd place 7th and 8th 140 pounds

Cain Lexvold – 2nd place 7th and 8th 150 pounds

Nine ZM wrestlers competed at the MN-USA state tournament over the weekend at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Five ended up on the podium with hardware to show for it, led by the smallest one, Jaxon Liffrig, with a state title!

Here is the MN state place winners from Zumbrota Mazeppa:

8u weight class C- Jaxon Liffrig State Champ

12u 70 pounds – Jonah Karow 5th Place

14u girls 83 pounds – Macy Schaefer 3rd place

14u 87 pounds – Samuel Moore 5th Place

14u 149 pounds – Cain Lexvold 3rd Place

The ZM 7th and 8th graders dual team competed on Sunday in a field of 9 teams in Grand Meadow for a chance to advance to state. ZM beat GMLOS, Chatfield and Pine Island to win the tournament and advance to state in 3 weeks. Congrats Cougars…can’t wait to watch you at state!

Here is a link to the photos taken from this tournament: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nF9ars12SJpAJzjA8

Gabe Tupper and Jack Krier made the MN State podium at the Xcel Center on Friday and Saturday. Gabe went 4-2 and finished 5th overall. Jack went 3-3, and unfortunately had to forfeit his last two matches due to injury. Kaleb Lochner ended up 2-2 and just missed the podium by one match. Lucas Schiell ended up 0-1. You guys battled hard and made us all proud!

Jack Krier is in the semi’s (2-0), while Kaleb Lochner and Gabe Tupper (both 2-1) are still alive in consolation bracket. Lots of tough wrestling going on! Keep it going guys!!

Jack Krier, Kaleb Lochner, and Gabe Tupper all won their first matches and move to the quarterfinals. Lucas Schiell lost a decision in the first round, but is still alive in the consolations….keep it rolling guys!!!

The ZM K-3 wrestlers competed in Waseca today and finished 11th overall. The young grapplers beat teams from Pine Island, St James, and Shakopee and lost to Owatonna, Northfield and Wayzata. Keep up the good work!

The section 1AA tournament wrapped up today with 4 Cougars earning a trip to the state championships! Jack Krier won the Section 1AA championship, while Lucas Schiell, Kaleb Lochner, and Gabe Tupper each finished 2nd place in their bracket to represent ZM at the state tournament. Can’t wait to cheer ya guys on!!

Other Cougar place winners are:

3rd place: Noah Schaefer, Laiken Copeman, Ryan Lexvold

4th place: Ben Murray, Cody Anderson

5th place: Isaiah O`Reilly, Dalton Hall

6th place: Lucas Williams, Mason Goodman

These guys all earned some pizza!

In the first year that ZM has been bumped up to class AA, ZM finished in 2nd place behind Kasson Mantorville in Section 1AA.

On Thursday night, ZM hosted Cannon falls in 2nd round action and defeated the Bombers 51-18 to advance to Saturday’s semifinals in Rochester. In their semifinal, ZM beat traditional powerhouse Albert Lea 40-23 to advance to the championship match vs Kasson Mantorville.

The #2 ranked Komets topped ZM by a final of 51-16 to round out the last dual of the season for ZM. ZM will wrestle on Feb 25 and 26th in the Mayo Civic Center for individual state trips. Good luck!!

Pictures from Thursday’s match vs Cannon Falls. https://photos.app.goo.gl/eY7vQCyDQsB8S8vY6

The ZM youth team finished 2nd place out of the 10 teams competing in the Byron Challenge on Sunday. The ZM team was led by Jaxon Liffrig and Owen Lexvold as they won their brackets in the challenge.

ZM Youth completing in the Byron Challenge

Team scores:

Northfield	284.5
Zumbrota Mazeppa	216
Kasson Mantorville	193
Farmington	175.5
Apple Valley	164
Goodhue	99
Albert Lea	94
Byron	75
Triton	71
Faribault	38

Individual Place Winners were:

1st Place: Jaxon Liffrig, Owen Lexvold

2nd place: Levi Matthees, Brody Lohmann

3rd place: Jonah Karow, Bryce Gerdes, Kason Hill

4th place: Mason Haugen, Elih Schaefer, Lincoln Toombs, Jacob Matthees, Jacob Moran

5th place: Jaxon Riggs, Tanner Poncelet, Braylen DeFrang, Gabe O’Connor