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The Pipestone Area Schools wrestling program reflected on yet another successful season during a closing awards presentation on Monday, March 11, in The Commons.
The event featured a potluck dinner, to wit PAS head coach Brian Bos quipped about the spread like Clark Griswold in those National Lampoon’s movies.
“If this tastes half as good as it looks,” Bos said, “then we’re in for a special treat.”
And it was.
The PAS coaching staff, Paul Young, Gary Haupert, Scott Sterud and Bos, presented awards to wrestlers from seventh through 12th grade. This year’s squad featured 36 members, and there was plenty to celebrate.
Bos, who also serves the PAS district as a fifth-grade teacher, was proud to see the Arrows earn a silver award from the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association with a 3.440 team grade-point average.
The four state qualifiers — Miklo Hernandez (114), Brayden Burmeister (127), Hudson Burnett (139) and Jackson Melcher (189) — received the Lion’s share of the honors.
Pipestone Area Schools’ wrestling program conducted its season-ending awards program on Monday, March 11, in the Commons. Major award winners were (from left) Jackson Melcher, Hudson Burnett, Ritch Sobrecary, Miklo Hernandez, Lucas Thooft and Brayden Burmeister. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)
Just an eighth grader, Hernandez has put up some gaudy numbers with 69 total wins, 147 All-Bos team points (which tied Burmeister). He also will enter a record book at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a state champion alongside Burnett.
Hudson Burnett finishes his stellar career as a multi-time state champion, like his older brother, Hunter Burnett. Hudson racked up 552 takedowns, good enough for third in PAS history. He’s also fourth in career wins (176), and now heads to St. Cloud State University next fall.
Burmeister’s only losses during the 2023-24 campaign were to the wrestlers who finished first (Donovan Schmid, Mille Lacs) and second (Devin Carter, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton) at the Class A state meet in St. Paul. He also was an all-state all-academic selection, and stands in fourth place at PAS with 86 pins and eighth in wins (126).
Melcher wrapped up his career with top-20 marks in career wins (110), takedowns, pins and team points.
As for the “B” squad and junior high level wrestlers, both Mason Fruechte (freshman) and Lane Fruechte (eighth-grader) were recognized for competing in the ninth-grade specific state tournament.
Lane Fruechte scored the first points of a match 23 times, and finished with a 24-9 record with 60 near falls (two- and three-point combined).
Kyson Evans, Braxton Melcher, William Perez-Garcia, Zachary Amen and Troy Chaulsett all received certificates for leading the Arrows in certain statistical categories — helping the sub-varsity squad to an 11-7 record in duals.
Bos also presented GUTS Club and leadership honors. GUTS Club awards were given to several wrestlers who never missed a practice, including 152-pounder Ritch Sobrecary — who was selected as the teammate of the year. Lucas Thooft, a junior 160-pounder, earned the most improved award.
This year’s squad also featured a historic first in sophomore Joanna Perez-Garcia, who competed primarily at 100 pounds and wrestled at the girls’ sectional tournament in Redwood Falls.
Managers Gabby Petersen, Jocelyn Burnett, Kailyn Burmeister, Jessica Cid, Wyatt Corcoran, Tommie Clark-Chaulsett, Kynslee Hulstein, Caradee Gorter and Cody Martens were recognized.
In closing, Bos recalled nearly three decades as the Arrows’ coach, and he gave the wrestlers statistics books, the kind of detailed touch not too many coaches supply.
“All of them bought in to what I was trying to sell,” Bos noted, fighting back some tears.
The coach piloted PAS to the 2017 Section 3A championship and seven state qualifiers, including champions Hunter Burnett and Michael Suda plus Grant Budden, Bill Olsen, McKinley Bush, Garrett Ploeger (who would then earn a medal in 2018) and Sylas Stangeland.
Bos coached dozens of sectional qualifiers and champions, 10 state champions and 22 state medalists. He personally skippered more than 14,000 matches since the 1996-97 campaign.
His number of dual-match victories (356) currently ranks 55th in Minnesota scholastic history.
WRESTLING
Team Awards Ceremony
At Pipestone Area Schools
Commons Area
Event: Monday, March 11
Varsity
Majors
Most Valuable Wrestlers: Miklo Hernandez, Brayden Burmeister, Hudson Burnett and Jackson Melcher
Most Improved Wrestler: Lucas Thooft
Teammate of the Year: Ritch Sobrecary
All-Bos Team: Hernandez, Burmeister and Burnett (first-team selections); Melcher (second team)
All-Big South Conference: Haden Mulvihill, Carlos Perez-Garcia, Hernandez, Burmeister, Burnett and Melcher
State Qualifiers: Hernandez, Burmeister, Burnett and Melcher
State Champions: Hernandez and Burnett
State Third-Place Finisher: Burmeister
Statistical
Most Individual Points: Miklo Hernandez, 468
Most Wins: Brayden Burmeister, 41
Most Pins: Burmeister, 23
Most Escapes: Lucas Thooft, 41
Most Reversals: Burmeister, 19
Most Near Falls (two- and three-point varieties combined): Hernandez, 68
Most Takedowns: Hernandez, 168
Junior Varsity
Majors
Outstanding Wrestler: Lane Fruechte (junior high); Mason Fruechte (B squad)
Teammate of the Year: Carlos Zepeda
Most Improved Wrestlers: Troy Chaulsett (junior high) and Kevin Caso (B squad)