The Prior Lake wrestling team faced the two highly ranked squads from Section 2AAA in back-to-back matches.

The Lakers fell 44-21 at top-ranked Shakopee Jan. 2 in South Suburban Conference action and lost 46-18 at home the next day to No. 5 New Prague in the annual Highway 13 Rumble.

Prior Lake went into those duals taking 14th out of 58 schools in the annual Rumble on the Red in Fargo Dec. 27-28. The Lakers finished with 71 team points. New Prague won the title (146), followed by No. 6 Northfield (124) and Farmington (117).

The Lakers (3-5 overall, 2-2 in SSC duals) are back on the mat Jan. 9 at home versus Eagan in league action at 7 p.m. The Lakers will compete in the Elk River Invitational Jan. 11 at 9 a.m.

In the loss to New Prague, the Lakers dropped the first six matches to fall behind 33-0. Junior Colton Sund picked up a win at 145 pounds for Prior Lake, earning a 7-1 decision.

Senior Chase Bloomquist followed winning 9-2 at 152 pounds, while sophomore Cole Edwards won 6-4 at 160 and senior Logan Hennen picked up a fall at 170. Senior Cameron Miller also had a win for the Lakers, earning a 9-2 victory at 220.

In the loss to Shakooee, wins for the Prior Lake came from ninth-grader Alan Koehler at 106 (fall), sophomore Jonah Kolsrud at 113 (4-0), Sund at 145 (8-2), Bloomquist at 152 (7-2) and Edwards at 160 (fall).

In Fargo, the Lakers had three wrestlers on the medal stand in Koehler, junior Teagan Block and Bloomquist.

Koehler finished fourth at 106, winning four of his six matches, including one by fall. Block was fifth at 120 pounds with a 4-2 record getting two pins. Bloomquist also went 4-2, winning three matches by decision and one by major decision at 152.

Other Lakers who competed included senior Cory St. Martin at 126 (2-2), Sund at 145 (2-2), Edwards at 160 (4-2), Hennen at 170 (3-2) and junior Billy Trees at 182 (1-2).