ST. PAUL — Austin seniors Brandon Cotter and Kole Igou knew they were coming in as underdogs in their first Class AAA state meet appearance and neither of them were able to pull of a shocker as they each lost their first match at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Friday.

Igou was pinned seconds into the second period by Mark Hall of Apple Valley, who is the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 170 pounds, and Cotter was pinned 55 seconds into the first period by Garrett Beaman, who is ranked No. 3 in Class AAA.

Igou scored a point off of Davis in the first period with and escape and he trailed 4-1, before Davis took him down early in the second period.

“He’s a very tough wrestler,” Igou said. “He’s constantly got pressure and he’s always looking to pin. He let off a little and I got out and got my one.”

Igou was glad to finally experience the Class AAA state meet for the first time in his career. He said the atmosphere was as big as advertised.

“It’s definitely crazy. It really set in right before the match walking in,” Igou said. “I guess I kind of killed the nerves a little. I’m at state and I just wanted to have the time of my life and make memories. I was really excited about being to wrestle. It was an exciting match.”

Cotter ended up being taken down early in his match and he wasn’t able to escape from Beaman.

“I kind of gave it to him I guess,” Cotter said. “I was really nervous and that was not the way I hoped it would go.”

Cotter said the wrestling at state is definitely something he’ll remember and it was like no other meet he had competed in.

“Everyone’s watching and there are so many people. It’s so much more intense and fast paced,” Cotter said.

Igou has a chance in the wrestlebacks, but Cotter did not get a chance at a wrestleback match.