Apple Valley wrestling runs deep and deeper

The program is a perennial power, and a close look at this year's team reveals more: a ninth-grader who is 19-0 after three more victories at The Clash National Duals.

By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Last update: January 3, 2009 - 12:31 AM

Print this story

More from Sports

ROCHESTER — News flash: Apple Valley has a good wrestling team.

That fact, of course, is neither newsy nor flashy. The Eagles dominate Minnesota wrestling like the sun dominates the sky. This year's lineup, on display Friday and today at The Clash National Duals, is -- here's another news flash -- as solid as granite.

Apple Valley has three defending state champions, six kids who are ranked No. 1 in the state and two who are No. 2. The Eagles are ranked sixth in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News, so it was no surprise when they easily won three matches Friday to advance to today's four-team championship round robin at the Regional Sports Center.

Some of the names were familiar before the season began. Sophomore Destin McCauley is already a three-time state champ who could become the first six-time winner in Minnesota history, and senior Justin Lavalle and junior Tyler Lehmann won state titles last year.

But the sudden star is ninth-grade 125-pounder Brandon Kingsley.

He burst onto the scene at the Minnesota Christmas tournament two weeks ago right here in this very building. At the time, he was ranked third in Class 3A and seeded seventh among 28 wrestlers at 125. And then he went out and pinned his way through the field. The headline-grabber came in the title match, when he recorded a first-period pin against three-time state champion David Thorn of St. Michael-Albertville.

"My goals this season were to win state, and win the Christmas tournament, too," said Kingsley, now ranked No. 1. "So far one of them has come true, and I have to work hard for the next one."

His record is 19-0 with 18 pins. On Friday, Kingsley recorded a 14-5 major decision over Mike Maggi of Mount Carmel, Ill., pinned John Allgood of Collins Hill, Ga., in 2:10 and pinned Mitch Barnetzke of Wausau (Wis.) West in 23 seconds.

Apple Valley defeated those three teams by scores of 49-19, 41-26 and 46-21, and the Eagles will wrestle in the four-team championship round robin today. Also advancing to the title bracket out of Friday's first session was defending 2A state champion Simley, which beat St. Edward of Ohio (ranked ninth in the country) 33-28. In the evening session, No. 16 Christiansburg, Va., and No. 8 Huxley Ballard, Iowa, advanced to the championship round.

Last season Kingsley had a record of 22-3 but didn't wrestle as an individual in the postseason because he was behind the likes of McCauley and state runners-up Matt Kelliher and Tom Kelliher. But he is no newcomer to big-time competition, having won a schoolboy folkstyle national championship last April.

"He's been successful at every level," Apple Valley coach Jim Jackson said. "I'm not surprised, but did I expect what he did to Thorn? I don't know about that, but he had a great offseason. He's tough. And he wrestled behind some good kids last year."

There still might be an air of mystery about Kingsley, especially for those who perused the 96-page Clash tournament program. All of the 32 teams from 14 states are pictured in the program, but the words "Brandon Kingsley" are missing from the names printed underneath the Apple Valley team photo.

I showed Kingsley the program and asked, "Are you in here?" He looked at the photo and pointed to a kid in the third row.

"That's me," he said.

The secret's out.

John Millea • jmillea@startribune.com