Zosels and Grussing among top awardwinners for Benson wrestling
The Benson wrestling team held its season-ending banquet Sunday night at the Benson Bowler.
The Braves finished 8-9 this season, starting out 0-3, but going 8-5 over its next 13 matches before losing to Paynesville in the Section 5A quarterfinals, 57-21.
Wins this year for Benson came over Morris (40-32), BOLD (43-36), Howard Lake-WW (66-5), Minnewaska (54-24), Osakis (42-33), Ortonville (47-27), Norwood-Young America (34-33), and Minnewaska Area again in the section opener (54-30).
During invitationals and tournaments, Benson placed fourth at the WCC Tourney, fifth at the 8-team Willmar Invitational and 8-team Morris Invitational, and sixth at invitationals at BBE and Parkers Prairie.
The season came to an end at the Section 5A Individual Wrestling Tournament where Aaron Zosel, Jared Knutson, and Ross Grussing each placed third, Adam Zosel was fifth, and Hunter Mondor was sixth;
Zosel and Knutson, who served as captains this season for the Braves, missed out on a second-straight state berth after losing by a point or two in the section semifinals.
Coaches this season for the Braves were co-coaches Randy Weber and Scott Thompson, assistant coach Brett Hoffman, volunteer coaches Pat O’Leary, Steve Ricard, and Pat Hess, and student managers Brayden Haugen, Madisen Wieber, Mackenzie Kurkosky, and Megan Grussing.
Seniors lost to graduation are Austin Whitcup, Chase Young, and Ross Grussing, but the Braves will return starters at 11 of the 14 weights next season.
KMS went on to win the Section 5A team title with a 43-23 victory over BBE in the finals. The Saints went on to go 1-2 at state to finish sixth....
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Pictured: Aaron Zosel (right), shown wrestling against KMS, won the Most Dedicated Wrestler Award for Benson and has 83 career wins heading into his senior season.
