Wrestling: Tulenchik sets Road Crew win record

Junior Connor Tulenchik scored his 155th career wrestling victory with a technical fall against Walker-Hackensack-Akeley to break the program record for wins as the Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus Road Crew earned two wins Monday, March 1, in Walker. The Class 2A’s eighth-ranked Road Crew defeated Deer River 63-15 and the Wolves 70-4.

“Connor has worked extremely hard and he has always had his goals set high,” Road Crew coach Travis Hoffarth said of Tulenchik, who passed 1996 Pequot Lakes graduate Randy Rager’s 154 wins. “Connor has a great chance to get to 200 (career) wins, and yet his ultimate goal is to be a state champion. He would place team goals ahead of his own goals. That’s why he’s a great leader.”

Also on Monday, Parker Zutter, Owen Carlson and Finnegan O’Dell each tallied two wins by fall as the Road Crew improved to 24-4 overall.

The Road Crew was scheduled to face Alexandria Tuesday, March 2, in Pequot Lakes before concluding the regular season with a triangular against Hibbing and Virginia Thursday, March 4, in Pine River. The Section 7-2A team competition starts Thursday, March 11 at the highest two seeds. The top two teams then advance to the super region semifinals Saturday, March 13. The top team advances to the Class 2A state semifinals March 25-27, in St. Michael-Albertville.

Section individuals will be Tuesday, March 16, in Pequot Lakes. The top four kids in each bracket advance to the super region March 20, in Foley. The top two finishers at each weight advance to wrestle in SM-Albertville.

Road Crew results:

106: Parker Zutter 2-0

113: Easton Miller 1-1

120: Max Trumpold 1-1

126: Owen Carlson 2-0

132: Caleb Ruhl 1-1

138: Korey Kinyon 2-0

145: Finnegan O’Dell 2-0

152: Earl Stockman 2-0

160: Chance Abraham 2-0

170: Connor Tulenchik 1-0/ Trey Tuchtenhagen 1-0

182: Trey Tuchtenhagen 1-0/ Connor Tulenchik

195: Parton Scott 1-0/ Corbin Knapp 1-0

220: Corbin Knapp 0-1/ Matthew Foster 1-0

285: RIley Peters 2-0

On Friday, Feb. 26, Zutter, Carlson, O’Dell and Tulenchik all went 2-0 for Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus, which split a pair of non-conference matches in Thief River Falls.The Road Crew defeated the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebels 42-21 and lost 37-29 to Class 2A’s ninth-ranked Thief River Falls Prowlers.

“We saw two very good opponents Friday. Our kids learned a valuable lesson. We had beat TRF earlier in the year and when you have a program like TRF does you know they are going to come out and try to settle the score. They surprised some of our kids in the lower weights and turned the tide. We were able to rebound against a very good DGF team and get out at 1-1. The loss will shake up seeding at sections, but regardless of seed and record everyone must prove it that day.”

Road Crew results:

106: Parker Zutter 2-0

113: Easton Miller 1-1

120: Max Trumpold 1-1

126: Owen Carlson 1-0, Sean Kilpatrick 1-0

132: Owen Carlson 1-0, Caleb Ruhl 1-0

138: Korey Kinyon 1-0. Caleb Ruhl 0-1

145: Finnegan O’Dell 1-0. Karsen Kinyon 1-0

152: Finnegan O’Dell 1-0, Earl Stockman 0-1

160: Chance Abraham 0-2

170: Connor Tulenchik 1-0, Austin Staricha 1-0

182: Connor Tulenchik 1-0, Austin Staricha 0-1

195: Corbin Knapp 0-1, Payton Scott 0-1

220: Corbin Knapp 0-1, Payton Scott 0-1

285: Riley Peters 1-1

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Tulenchik notched his 150th career win as the Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus picked up two wins against Crosby-Ironton 68-9 and Spectrum 75-3. Tulenchik notched his milestone win with a pin in the 182-pound match against Spectrum (Elk River area).

Caleb Rulh, O’Dell, and Chance Abraham each recorded two pins for the Road Crew.

Road Crew results:

Crosby-Ironton 56, Spectrum 21

Crosby-Ironton results

106: Michael Anderson 1-1

113: Dilion Barna 1-1

120: Cam Durant 0-2

126: open

132: Gabe Ridlon 1-1

138: John Paul Fitzpatrick 2-0

145: Colby Hanson 0-2

152: Isaac Turner 0-2

160: Jake Klancher 2-0

170: Hayden McGowan 1-1

182: Michael Fitpatrick 1-1

195: Kale Dugan 1-1

220: Ben Gripentrog 1-1

285: Conner Zender 1-1