A three-point loss to Faribault earlier in the week and a three-point win over host Winona on Thursday have been too close for Austin coach Bill Kinney’s tastes.

Friday, January 21, 2000

A three-point loss to Faribault earlier in the week and a three-point win over host Winona on Thursday have been too close for Austin coach Bill Kinney’s tastes.

"This week has been tighter than it should have been," said Kinney, whose Packers improved to 11-2, 4-2 in the Big Nine by beating the Winhawks.

Against Winona, a difficult week was made even moreso when 103-pounder T.J. Parlin didn’t make weight, falling one-tenth of a pound shy on a digital scale.

"We didn’t work out on Wednesday because of the snow day," Kinney said, "and he wasn’t able to run after school because it was a road game.

"If he could have had just 15 minutes …"

Promising junior varsity wrestler Marcus Ball took Parlin’s place in the lineup and was pinned – a 12-point swing considering Parlin has handed Winona’s Clinton Haake with ease in the past.

The Packers also saw a major point swing when Drew Oesterle, leading 10-4 in his 140-pound match, was suddenly pinned by Winona’s Jesse Stratton.

It was the second match in a row in which Oesterle was leading before losing by fall.

"He was really going after his guy, trying to gain extra team points, (needing an eight-point win to gain a major decision)," Kinney said. "He just got caught. It happens.

"That’s one of the things I love about wrestling. In basketball a 20-point lead doesn’t change unless something major happens. In wrestling, you’re always one move away from losing no matter how many points you have."

Kinney and his club could erase the stresses of a trying week with a good showing at Saturday’s eight-team Eastview Invite.

The field at the invite "is very talented," said Kinney.

Austin opens with St. Cloud Tech at 10 a.m. and with a win would likely face Paynesville, the No. 2 state-ranked team in Class A.

Also invited are Dassel-Cokato, the No. 3 team in Class AA, Prior Lake, a early-season top 10 Class AAA team, and host Eastview, which is getting votes in the Class AAA poll.

Austin has three invite championships to its credit this season already.

"This would be a feather in our caps," Kinney said. "I believe its within our reach. We can wrestle with any team there."

Austin 34, Winona 31

103 – Clinton Haake (W) pinned Marcus Ball, 3:54.

112 – Spencer Wolner (A) pinned Mark Bascovsky, 0:54.

119 – Scott Miller (A) pinned Charlie Deedrich 4:16.

125 – Andy Hazelton (W) tech. fall over David Carroll, 18-1.

130 – Matt Adwell (A) dec. Tony Ford, 7-5.

135 – Joe Cunningham (A) pinned Alex Dennehy, 0:30.

140 – Jesse Stratton (W) pinned Drew Oesterle, 4:55.

145 – Robbie Tufte (W) pinned Dan Smith, 0:47

152 – Mike Cunningham (A) won by forfeit.

160 – Willie Clennon (A) dec. Keith Srock, 8-6 in OT.

171 – Adam Haake (W) tech. fall over Todd Krupicka, 17-2.

189 – Chad Mentel (A) major dec. Jarrett Wolvington, 10-0.

275 – Max Lossen (W) dec. Brian Heimer, 7-2.