Sam Winkels registers record-breaking performance in qualifying for State Class AA Individual Wrestling Tournament at 285 lbs.
February 25, 2024 9:35AM CST
Austin Schools
Individuals from the Austin Packers wrestling team were looking to punch their ticket to the State Class AA Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Section 1AA Individual Tourament at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester Friday and Saturday, and Sam Winkels at 285 lbs had a historic day Friday as he broke two school records that have been in place since 2003-04. Winkels now has the record for most wins in a season with 45, eclipsing TJ Parlin’s 20-year record of 42 wins, and Winkels also surpassed Dan Rysavy’s 20-year record of most falls in a single season of 24, with his 25th fall registered in :48 seconds over Lucas Dykman of La Crescent in the tournament quarterfinals. Winkels also downed Thadeus Zabel of Byron by technical fall 16-1 in the first round of the tournament Friday, and on Saturday, Winkels moved into the finals by defeating Teigan Baird of Cannon Falls by technical fall 17-2, and he then won by a 4-1 decision over Kasson Wynia of Kasson-Mantorville to claim the title at 285 pounds after taking first at 220 lbs. in Section 1AAA last year. Winkels will take a 45-1 record into the Class AA Invididual Wrestling Tournament next Friday at Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul.
Also wrestling well over the weekend for the Packers was senior Antonio Garcia, as after he fell to eventual third-place winner Slade Barnett of Waseca in the first round, he then pinned Lucas Freeberg of Cannon Falls in the wrestlebacks at 3:16, and the pinned Caden Hyke of Stewatville in 5:04 before falling to Brayden Lorentzen of Byron by a 4-2 decision. Garcia then wrestled Alden Smith of Pine Island for fifth place on Saturday, and Garcia was victorious by a score of 9-7.
