A day after losing a tough dual to Plainview, the GMLOK wrestling team crowned five champions to win the Fillmore Central Holiday Tournament Saturday in Harmony.

The Bulldogs edged Plainview by one-half point, pulling from a bundle of wins by pin. GMLOK had five tournament champions to Plainview's four, winning first place 216-215.5. The 'Dogs placed in 12 of the 13 weight classes they filled and sent eight wrestlers into the finals.

"This is the most finalists and champions we have had in this tournament in a very long time, maybe ever," said GMLOK coach Bill Simpkins. "Those extra points really add up."

The Bulldogs beat the competition with 22 pins throughout the day, including an overtime fall by fourth-seeded Kyle Stern to win the 189-pound title. Stern was the only wrestler seeded outside the top two to reach the finals in any weight class, let alone win.

"Four of our five champs had come-from-behind victories in the finals, but none of them were as exciting or dramatic as Kyle's," Simpkins said.

Stern beat the top seed in the semifinals and barely made it to overtime in the finals. He scored a reversal inside the final five seconds of regulation and countered an early takedown attempt from Eagan's Carl Troje and eventually pinned him.

"This was a nice way for us to go into Christmas break," Simpkins said. "The coaches were very pleased to see the heart the team had, winning a lot of come from behind matches, and the aggressiveness that they exhibited."

Eighth-grader Justin Bain got the team's first championship with a 3-2 win in the 103-finals. Adam Schlee followed it up with a domination of the 112-pound bracket.

Taylor Bunne picked up a pair of pins and a comeback win in the 125-pound finals, while Mitch Lunning's escape with four seconds left earned him the 160 title.

Mitch Mosher (130), Joe Bunne (152) and Adam Swanson (275) all placed second for the Bulldogs. Bunne's loss in the finals was his first of the season.

"Joe had difficulty getting his offense going," Simpkins said. "This was the first match that Joe has not gotten at least one takedown in this season."

Mosher's only loss was to defending Class A runner-up Shane Haag of Lewiston-Altura. Plainview's eighth-ranked Jesse Kahn handled Swanson in the heavyweight finals.

Brent Bunne (135), Brady Wolfgram (140) and Lance Peters (171) all earned fourth, and unseeded Tom Miles picked up fifth at 119. Eighth-grader Justin Turner (145) was the only GMLOK wrestler who did not place.

The Bulldogs are off until Jan. 4 when they host the GMLOK Tournament at Grand Meadow. Medford, Triton, and Alden-Conger come to town for the first meet back after break.

Team standings -- 1. GMLOK 216, 2. Plainview 215.5, 3. LaCrescent 149.5, 4. Lewiston-Altura 123, 5. Chatfield 115, 6. Fillmore Central 81.5, 7. Necedah

79, 8. Eagan 77, 9. Winona 64.5.

Blossom matmen making name for themselves

The Blooming Prairie wrestling team continued to make a name for itself after going 3-0 to win first place at the Rushford-Peterson Quadran-gular Saturday.

The Blossoms, who have moved into the Lean and Mean category of teams according to The Guillotene, defeated Lake City, St. Charles and the host Trojans to up their overall record to 12-3 this season.