Cloquet-Esko wrestling closes year on mats

The Cloquet-Esko wrestling team put a finish to their season this past weekend at the Section 7AA Individual Wrestling Meet Friday and Saturday in Grand Rapids.

Before the stacked field of 13 teams, the Lumberjacks were far from competitive in a majority of the brackets. They posted just five individual wins all weekend. The host Thunderhawks will represent the section at the state team tournament.

Returning from a knee injury, Jake Baker was the highest finisher for Cloquet-Esko individually, as the 171-pound senior took fourth place with his two-win, two-loss record at the tournament.

“Jake’s injury played a part,” said coach Al Denman. “We were a little disappointed with the finish, but his weight bracket was one of the toughest up there.”

Adding to Baker’s wins were seventh-grader Mitchell Borchardt and junior Cohen Nelson.

The 103-pound Borchardt claimed eighth place with a pair of victories, while Nelson won his inaugural varsity match at 145 pounds over the two-day, double-elimination event.

Tags: sports, wrestling, cloquet, esko, preps