If you're a wrestling fan, or just a casual observer, what's likely coming up in the Class 3A team competition at the wrestling state meet will seem awfully familiar. No. 1 seed Apple Valley will cruise through the first two rounds, No. 2 St. Michael-Albertville will do the same and the two will meet in the finals, with Apple Valley pulling out its 11th consecutive state championship.
That's pretty much the way things have gone since St. Michael-Albertville moved up to Class 3A in 2010.
St. Michael-Albertville won the Minnesota Christmas Tournament in December and finished one place ahead of Apple Valley at Wisconsin's Cheesehead Invitational in early January. Both tournaments were held in an invitational format, however. In the only match between the two teams in a dual meet format, Apple Valley won at The Clash in Rochester.
St. Michael-Albertville has 11 wrestlers who qualified for the individual tournament and Apple Valley has nine, so any future result is not chiseled in granite. In 2013 Apple Valley and St. Michael-Albertville tied in the Class 3A championship match and were crowned co-champions. In 2014 Prior Lake made the finals before losing to Apple Valley.
If one team is prepared to crash the Apple Valley/St. Michael-Albertville party, it would be No. 3-seeded Anoka, which also had nine wrestlers qualify for the individual tournament. The Tornadoes have lost only once, to Oak Park/Lake Forest (Ill.) at The Clash.
Minnetonka is the only team in the field making its tournament debut.
Individuals
• Apple Valley senior 170-pounder Mark Hall's quest for a sixth consecutive individual state championship has been well-documented. No Minnesotan has won six. Hall has been so dominant that it might more notable if he loses.
• St. Michael-Albertville senior Mitchell McKee is undefeated (42-0) and ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds. He's seeking his third individual championship. Younger brother Patrick, a sophomore, is looking for his first state title. He has a difficult path in front of him at 106 pounds, a bracket that also includes undefeated Aaron Cashman of Mound Westonka, Colby Njos of Anoka and Israel Navarro of Willmar.
![Apple Valley's Mark Hall is considered, pound-for-pound, the best high school wrestler in the nation. The junior wrestles at the 170 lbs. weight class. He is wrestling assistant coach Jake Avre.] Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/SEINVV74JIXNDW5HDJ2L7NJBQI.jpg?&w=1080)
![Mitchell McKee, right, St. Michael-Albertville tries to get a hold on George Farmah, of Eastview, in the Class 3A 126 lb. Championship on Saturday. ] (Aaron Lavinsky | StarTribune) Wrestlers compete in the State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/2W4MPZHZLL74EBTOUOSPOMHQV4.jpg?&w=1080)
![Mitchell McKee, back, of St. Michael-Albertville, tries to flip Wade Sullivan, of Lakeville North, to his back for a pin during the Class 3A prelims on Friday night in the 126 lb. weight class. ] (Aaron Lavinsky | StarTribune) Wrestlers compete in the Class 3A state wrestling individual prelims of the State Wrestling Tournament on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CH2L2FLUIPPHRAFHQDNKQ32WRE.jpg?&w=1080)
