Waseca Wrestling had a full night of action Thursday at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, competing in a triangular against LeSueur-Henderson and the WEM-JWP Grizzlies. The Bluejays showed strong individual performances and came away with a big win over WEM-JWP, while facing a tough challenge against LeSueur-Henderson.
LeSueur-Henderson 56, Waseca 21
Waseca opened the night against LeSueur-Henderson. Freshman Kole Nelson set the tone at 107 pounds with a 16-7 major decision. Freshman David Haley added six points via forfeit at 139, and senior Matthew Veroeven earned another forfeit victory at 285. Senior Slade Barnett delivered a dominant 17-2 technical fall at 172 pounds, remaining undefeated on the season. Despite these strong efforts, LeSueur-Henderson’s multiple pins and major decisions carried the dual.
Waseca 40, WEM-JWP 27
The Bluejays bounced back in their second dual of the evening with an impressive 40-27 victory over WEM-JWP. Nelson opened strong at 107 pounds with a 15-0 technical fall. Senior Deven Parpart added a 20-second pin at 139 to give Waseca momentum. The middle and upper weights saw several key wins, including a major decision from freshman Braxton Nelson at 152 and another from sophomore Samuel Selthun at 160.
Freshman Alex Bethke contributed a 4-1 decision at 172, and senior captain Slade Barnett added six team points via forfeit at 189. The Bluejays closed the dual with back-to-back pins from seniors Lucas Selthun (215) and Matthew Veroeven (285), securing the team victory.
Waseca continues to show strong growth with underclassmen developing rapidly and upperclassmen providing steady leadership.
The Jays return to the mat Saturday for the JCC Pizza Ranch Invitational in Jackson, Minnesota, starting at 9:45 a.m.