Nehemiah Schwinghammer and Nick Strand claim 3rd at individual state tournament

Feb. 28—ST. PAUL — Nick Strand will end his Bemidji High School boys wrestling career with a top-three finish.

The senior claimed third in Class 3A at 139 pounds after beating St. Michael-Albertville's Chase Mills in a 9-1 major decision.

Junior Nehemiah Schwinghammer also claimed third at 285 pounds. He defeated Stillwater's Andrew Olson 13-4 in a major decision to get the top-three finish.

Senior Gabe Morin also had a shot at third place at 133 pounds. After losing his semifinal match to STMA's Brody Bergeron, he defeated Eastview's Spencer Lee in a 7-0 decision to move on to the third-place match, where he'd face Elk River's Walker Gaulrapp. Gaulrapp would get the best of Morin in a 12-7 decision, ending his Lumberjack career with a fourth-place finish.

The last Lumberjack alive in the consolation bracket was Ozzie Hanks at 107 pounds. He, too, made it to the third-place match, but lost in a narrow 10-6 decision to Wayzata's Gavin Hoeft.