TSCHETTER REGION CHAMP; PANKRATZ, PREHEIM ALSO ADVANCE

Freeman High School freshman Easton Tschetter dominated the 144 lb. weight class at the Region 2B tournament in Salem on Saturday en route to a championship and another trip to the state tournament, and FHS sophomore Logun Pankratz and Marion senior Keaton Preheim also advanced with a fourth- and third-place finish at 126 lbs. and 132 lbs., respectively.

The three-day state tournament will begin in Rapid City Thursday, Feb. 27.

• Tschetter (42-6) earned a first-round bye and won his next three matches by pin — all in the first period.
• Pankratz (38-15) earned a first-round bye, won his first match by fall, lost his second match by fall, won his third by technical fall (17-1) and then dropped the 3rd/4th-place match on a 4-1 decision.
• Preheim (35-10) won his first two matches by technical fall (20-3) and fall, lost by a 9-3 decision, and came back to win twice by fall to secure third place.

Marion/Freeman had three other place-winners, all of whom won a match on Saturday. Michael Blau finished fifth at 120 lbs., and David Wollmann and Josh Olesen were both sixth at 113 and 106 lbs., respectively.