The Austin wrestling team broke its two-year drought of sending a wrestler to the state meet when seniors Brandon Cotter and Kole Igou earned spots at state in the Section 1A meet in Mayo Civic Center in Rochester Saturday.

Cotter punched his ticket to state when he pinned Hastings freshman Trey Rodgers with three seconds left in the third period in a 160-pound ‘true second match.’ Cotter was leading 2-1 when he took down Rodgers and pinned him just before the horn.

“I felt that I had to pin him just there or I could lose a chance [at state],” Cotter said. “I knew I had to pin him.”

Cotter pinned Jake Timm of Winona in the second period in the semifinals, but he was pinned by Farmington’s Kyle Benjamin in the first period of the finals. Cotter had to regroup after losing in the finals and get ready for his state-qualifying match.

“It wasn’t too hard to keep my focus for the two days. I’ve been doing it for five years,” Cotter said. “After losing in the finals I focused on my frustration and used it to get ready.”

Igou beat Chris Wisted of Winona 5-4 in the 170 semifinals, but he lost 15-0 to Jon Vouk of Hastings in the finals.

Igou did not have to wrestle a ‘true second match.’

Igou has only been wrestling since he was a freshman and he said his dedication and no-quit attitude have helped him get as far as has in a short time. Igou started to think about aiming for state when he had some close matches with ranked wrestlers last season.

“I’m super excited. It’s such an amazing feeling,” Igou said. “It’s one of the toughest sports to make it state and it’s such an accomplishment. When I joined my ninth grade year, I never thought I could make it.”

Austin’s Eli Kaercher finished in fourth place at 285 after he lost 3-2 to Jon Lorang of Mayo. Kaercher lost Jacob Bacon of Hastings when he was pinned in the first period of the semifinals and he pinned Zach Mayne of Farmington in the wrestlers.

Austin’s Aiden Wilson finished in fourth place at 132 pounds. Wilson lost 18-4 to Justin Tacheny of Owatonna, he pinned Trevor Pomeroy of Winona and he lost 6-3 to Kyle Calley of Rochester Mayo.

Austin’s Nathan Brinkman took fourth for the Packers at 145 after he lost to Austin Eichman of Hastings 23-6.

In Class AA, GMLOKS junior Parker Hale is headed to state after he bat McCoy Tekautz of LARP 10-8 in overtime in a ‘true second match,’ GMLOKs junior Wyatt Richardson is headed to state after he won the Section 1A title for 195 pounds with a 2-0 win over Felipe Ramirez of Faribault, and GMLOKS sophomore Blake Benson lost the 285 title match by getting pinned by Kyle Lipkie of Stewartville, but Benson is still headed to state.

In Class A, Blooming Prairie advanced Ethan Arett, a 106-pounder and Zach Nirk, a 220-pounder, to state. Both are first time state qualifiers.