Six area wrestlers will compete in the state meet this week at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Mike Hirsch, a senior from Austin, is making his third trip to the Class ‘AAA’ meet at 189 pounds.

Hirsch (33-2 overall) will face Sam Crockett (26-7 overall) of Park Center in Wednesday’s opening round.

Hirsch, who took fifth in state last year, is ranked No. 1 in ‘AA.’ His only loss this season at 189 pounds came in the section meet to Dalton Henderson of Owatonna.

Since they are in different brackets, Hirsch wouldn’t face Henderson again until the title match.

Kraig Schumm (39-3) of St. Michael-Albertville and Henderson (23-2) are both hoping to better last year’s runner-up showings. Schumm was second at 189 pounds in Class AA, and Henderson was second at 171 pounds in Class AAA. CJ Hays (39-0) of Woodbury has this year’s only unblemished record.

Howie Underwood, a senior from Austin, is making his second trip to state at 145 pounds.

Underwood (27-6 overall) will open up the state tournament against the Dylan Ness of Bloomington Jefferson/Kennedy. Ness (40-0 overall) is the top ranked 145-pounder in ‘AAA.’

Five 2009 medalists return in at 145: Jeff Engstrom (16-8) of Hastings, third at 112 pounds; Brandon Haluptzok (39-3) of Centennial, Circle Pines, third at 135 pounds; Dylan Ness (40-0) of Bloomington Jefferson/Bloomington Kennedy, third at 140 pounds; Charlie Janssen (38-5) of Forest Lake, fifth in this weight class; and Ben Horn (30-13) of St. Michael-Albertville, sixth at 140 pounds in Class AA. Ness has this year’s only unblemished record.

Class ‘AA’

Tyler Jennings, a senior from Grand Meadow/LeRoy/Ostrander/Kingsland is making his first trip to the Class ‘AA’ meet at 125 pounds.

Jennings (29-5 overall) will take on Mitch Jobe (28-7 overall) of Grand Rapids in the first round.

Drew Fleming (30-1) of Watertown-Mayer/Mayer Lutheran, last year’s champion at 112 pounds, seeks a new title at 125 pounds. He is joined by 2009 medal-winners Matt Nelson (35-2) of Big Lake, runner-up at 119 pounds, Sam Warne (36-1) of Perham, fourth at 125 pounds, and Chaz Abrahamson (34-7) of Thief River Falls/Goodridge, sixth at 112 pounds. There are no perfect records in this weight class.

Carter Brandt, a junior from GMLOK, is making his second trip to state at 215 pounds.

Brandt (34-6 overall) is ranked No. 10 in ‘AA’ and he will open the state meet against Alex La Shomb (32-7 overall) of Simley. La Shomb is ranked No. 6 in ‘AA.’

Three medalists from last year’s 215-pound class are again vying for a title: Colton Thorson (41-0) of Fergus Falls placed third in 2009; Marshal Ash (35-5) of Milaca/Faith Christian was fifth; and LaShomb finished sixth. Jeff Nielsen (30-1) of Zimmerman, who placed fourth at 189 pounds in 2009, is the other returning medalist. Thorson is the only undefeated wrestler in this class.

Class ‘A’

Mason Moreno, an eighth grader from Hayfield, is making his first trip to the Class ‘A’ state meet.

Moreno (23-9 overall) will take on Jake Hickerson (30-9 overall) of Ogilvie in the first round.

The 2009 champion at 112 pounds, Christian Skillings (34-1) of Minneota, leads this weight class. Two other 2009 medal-winners at 112 pounds will also wrestle at this weight: Hayden Rouser (40-2) of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City was third last year, and Travis Borchert (41-0) of Browerville/Eagle Valley was fifth. Borchert and Chase Levos (37-0) of St. Clair/Mankato Loyola both boast perfect records.

Grant Hegge (22-6 overall), a junior from Southland, is making his fourth trip to the Class ‘A’ state meet and he was a place-winner as a freshman and an eighth grader.

Hegge, a 145-pounder, will take on Ryan Brady (31-9 overall) of Royalton/Upsalla in the first round.

Jake Long (39-1) of West Central Area, who won the title at 140 pounds last year, is the only returning qualifier at 145. Justin Buss (26-0) of Chatfield boasts the only perfect record.