Area Male Athlete: Pierz's Andres collects win No. 150

It's not something he thought about or at least put a number to.

But 150 wins has a nice ring to it.

At least Pierz senior Jake Andres thinks so.

Class 2A's fifth-ranked 126-pound wrestler finished 5-1 Jan. 11-12 at the Rick Lee Duals in Bemidji to earn his 150th career win.

"I remember a few years back, when I was in eighth grade, Kolton Eischens was talking to me, and I had never really thought about wins, and he was telling me about getting 200 and I thought, 'Wow, that's impressive,'" he said. "It never really occurred to me how many I would get.

---   ---   ---   ---   ---

Jake Andres

• Year: Senior
• School: Pierz
• Sport: Wrestling
• Position: 126 pounds
• Highlights: Finished 5-1 at the Rick Lee Duals to pick up his 150th career win

---   ---   ---   ---   ---

"I've thought about it more the last two years, my junior year and this year, but other than that, no. It's not something I thought about."

Andres posted a 4-2 decision over Kenyon-Wanamingo's Alec Johnson. He scored a 1:47 pin of Thief River Falls' Alex Lancto, a 12-0 major on Luis Perez of Tracy Milroy-Balaton-Westbrook-Walnut Grove, a 49-second pin over United North Central's Hunter Skaro and a win over Brainerd.

His one loss was a 9-3 decision to Bemidji's Joe Hudson.

"Out of 16 teams there, there were 13 teams ranked," coach Skip Toops said. "As a team, we competed really well. As an individual, I thought Jake wrestled really well. It's long days. You wrestle a dual and then you wait a couple of hours. You wrestle a dual and then you wait a couple of hours and then you wrestle another dual. You're wrestling three matches over the course of an eight- to 10-hour period and that can be mentally and physically wearing.

"There wasn't a single gimmie in that whole tournament either. You step in there and you have a tough kid. To come out with five wins, that's great."

Andres' winning ways started early this season as he captured the Paul Bunyan Dec. 7-8 in Brainerd. He pinned his first three opponents and then scored a 9-0 major in the finals.

"That was actually a very interesting week," Andres said. "I think it was the Thursday or Friday before and I went down at practice with a knee injury. At first, I kind of laughed it off. The whole week it didn't get better. It was pretty badly bruised, I guess, and it never got better. It was sort of a sad moment. I was down and feeling sorry for myself. I did everything I could to be prepared and coach said, 'Jake, I think you're good. You're jogging fine. You're looking better.' So I had my knee pad on and I wrestled through it and that was a really great tournament. It felt good to be that guy who showed up even when things weren't going in my favor."

Last season, Andres won the Section 8-2A individual title with a 4-1 win over Detroit Lakes' Blake Weber. At state, Andres won his opening match with a 3:03 pin, but lost by a late takedown in the next round 4-3. His season ended in wrestlebacks with an 11-3 loss, but what he learned should prepare him for a long run this season.

"Last year, was a really good year and I knew what I needed to do," Andres said. "And that was, I needed to improve on my feet. I had succeeded everywhere else on the mat. I was doing good. The state tournament kind of hit me. I lost one match on a takedown and I got taken down quite a few times by a really good kid and I was really motivated coming into this season. I was coming off a good cross-country year and I couldn't complain about that so I was fired up."

Andres is no stranger to state despite not playing football at Pierz. He's a two-time state cross-country participant. He finished 67th in the state Class 1A meet this past fall and despite feeling left out of many conversations, running cross-country in a football town has its benefits.

"No. 1, he's got the best gas tank of anybody I've ever coached," Toops said. "He never gets tired. He's always pushing the pace. For his size, I don't think there is anybody as strong as him pound for pound. When he puts the clamps on somebody he puts the clamps on them. He holds great position. He never quits and I think regardless of what your best move is if you've got a great gas tank and you're strong and you never quit those are the qualities you want every wrestler to have."

Other notable performances

Basketball: Sivert Klefsaas, Staples-Motley, finished with 23 points against Pequot Lakes.

Cooper Folkestad, Wadena-Deer Creek, finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Menahga.

Louis Bueckers, Pine River-Backus, finished with 25 points against Red Lake.

Torry Hirschey, Pine River-Backus, finished with 25 points against Red Lake.

Spencer Schaefer, Pillager, finished with 26 points against Menahga.

Hockey: Dane Couture, Little Falls, finished with 17 saves for a 1-0 shutout win over River Lakes.

Wrestling: Taylor Eigenheer, Crosby-Ironton, recorded his 100th career win and finished 3-0 at the Zimmerman Quadrangular. He also won his weight class at the Raider Invite.

Gabe Nagel and Grant Litke, Little Falls, both finished the week 5-0.

Connor Tulenchik and Jake Poehler, Road Crew, won their weight classes at the Minnewaska Invite.

Quinn Kern, Zavier Grefe, Craig Orlando, BHVPP, won their respective weight classes at the Raider Invite.

Adam Christopher, Crosby-Ironton, won his weight class at the Raider Invite.