Eden Prairie crowns two champions, with three wrestlers placing at state meet

Marcus LeVesseur was coping with a hoarse voice on Sunday morning.

The night before was spent on the mats at the Xcel Energy Center, coaching two Eden Prairie wrestlers to individual state titles, with three more Eagles wrestlers taking runner-up, third and fifth place at the Class 3A state wrestling meet. 

“There were some very big moments and just a lot of excitement with the tension, with what’s at stake,” he said. “These kids train sometimes their entire lives up to this point for this moment. There’s just so much passion that goes into it, from the coaching side of it, but then also the wrestlers. They’re on their own journeys out there battling, and so it’s just fun to be a part of.”

In his second year as the head coach at Eden Prairie, LeVesseur has been a big believer in mental focus by his wrestlers, particularly leading into the state meet.

“I am extremely thrilled about how our wrestlers managed each match in between the rounds,” he said. “On the mat is on the mat, and they did phenomenal. They all were in some pretty tough situations either once or twice in the tournament, and they just found ways to navigate it with the best ways forward.”

285-pound class

Two years ago, Eden Prairie’s Will Sather became the first sophomore in state history to win the heavyweight, or 285-pound class state title. 

After a state runner-up finish last March, he was eager to return to state this season, where he reclaimed his 285-pound title with a 5-3 decision over Cittadino Tuttle of North St. Paul in the finals.

“It’s a pretty great feeling,” he said. “I’m just super grateful to my parents, all my coaches and teammates that helped me get through some of the mental things because it’s hard to lose a match like that (last year) and then having to come back.”

LeVesseur calls Sather a student of the game and points to his mental strength and resolve as key factors in his return to the first-place podium in St. Paul.

“He was able to refocus himself, rededicate himself and put in the hard work that he put in this year,” LeVesseur said. “For him to pull himself back up, and just keep moving forward in a positive manner, was very impressive to see.” 

160-pound class

Eden Prairie senior Terae Dunn has knocked on the door several times in the state tournament, reaching the finals in the 145-pound class last year and placing as the state runner-up.

He was the runner-up the year before in Nevada, where his family had relocated before returning to Eden Prairie in 2022.

But Saturday in St. Paul, Dunn captured his long-sought state crown, winning the 160-pound class with a sudden victory (SV-1) over Charles Petit of Wayzata.

“It feels great,” he said. “I’ve been a two-time state runner-up and then in my eighth grade year, I didn’t place at state, so it’s been a long time and a great time coming up on top with that No. 1.”

Dunn’s victory in the finals avenged an earlier season loss to Petit. He also administered payback in the semifinal round, when he defeated Jackson Barron of Shakopee to make good on a regular season loss, as well as a section defeat to Barron.

Dunn’s 6-3 decision over Barron earned him a trip to the finals and an eventual state title.

“Man, that kid is electric. I mean, he’s such a stud, such an athlete,” LeVesseur said effusively. “I’m super happy for him. He’s worked extremely hard. He is very deserving of it and just a good kid. He will do some very good things on the next level.”

LeVesseur praised both Dunn and Sather for fighting through challenges as they sought their state championships.

“I’m just super happy for Terae and Will, for them to overcome that personal hurdle to win in the finals,” he said. “It’s hard to do.”

Longtime friends and teammates

Sather and Dunn have been classmates since kindergarten. And with the exception of Dunn’s brief time in Nevada, the two have been teammates in both wrestling and football. 

Dunn will head to the University of Minnesota Duluth this fall on a football scholarship. Sather will attend Princeton University, where he will wrestle and play football.

When Dunn earned his title, there was no one more happy for him than Sather.

“When he won, I was the happiest guy in the world. I was so ecstatic,” Sather said. “He’s one of my best friends and I’ve known him since we were in kindergarten and we’ve literally wrestled together all 13 years of our wrestling careers.”

For Dunn, the feeling is reciprocated.

“We’re all proud,” he said. “I’ve been growing up with those guys since I was little. So I’m pretty much best friends with all of those guys.”

139-pound class

In the 139-pound class, Eden Prairie junior Charles Vanier was perhaps one move away from a state title, taking runner-up following a 3-2 decision in favor of his opponent, Davis Parrow of Farmington.

“Charles has been wrestling lights out the last four and a half weeks. He’s just ramped up to another level, and that has been super fun to see,” LeVesseur said. 

LeVesseur reflected on Vanier’s finals match, comparing the margin of victory in wrestling to that of football, with a razor-thin edge separating the title winners and the runners-up.

“In football, it’s a game of inches, and in wrestling, it’s a game of angles,” LeVesseur said. “We were really close to a takedown (in Vanier’s finals match) that we just didn’t get it, and obviously hindsight is 20/20. If we did get that takedown, we might have three state champs.”

Added Sather about his teammate, “Charlie was a little disappointed about how the season ended, but he had such an incredible year. No one really picked him to make the finals or anything like that. So the tournament that he had was great. And I know he’ll be back next year.”

152-pound class

In his semifinal matchup, Eden Prairie’s Patrick Kubisa faced not just one of the best wrestlers in the state but the entire country in Landon Robideau of St. Michael-Albertville in the 152-pound class.

Robideau, a junior, entered the tournament undefeated, with two previous state titles under his belt. He defeated Kubisa by a technical fall on his way to another championship.

But Kubisa bounced back to take third place with a 9-3 decision over Gunnar Mullen of Park Cottage Grove.

“(Kubisa) has only been wrestling for five years, so that’s kind of amazing,” LeVesseur said, pointing out several takedowns Kubisa had against Robideau. “To achieve that against that guy says a lot about Patrick, so we’re super happy with how he finished.”

127-pound class

Last March, Zytavius Williams, just a sophomore, stood victorious on the mat at Xcel Energy Center after a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Mason Mills of St. Michael-Albertville to capture the state title in the 120-pound class.

This season, Williams made the decision to drop from the 133-pound class to the 127-pound class just three weeks before the state tournament.

“He just felt that he had better odds trying to go chase a second title,” LeVesseur said. “That weight cut really got the best of him, I think, this year; alongside of just the pressure of trying to go and be a returning state champ.” 

Williams was defeated in the quarterfinal round by Chase Mills of STMA, but bounced back to take fifth place in the 127-pound class.

Also appearing at state was Eden Prairie’s Max Morehead at 133 pounds.

Building for the future

With the season now behind them, the Eagles look to next season with optimism to build on one of the state’s elite wrestling programs. 

For LeVesseur, the commitment his wrestlers have shown bodes well for the future of the program.

“I’m most proud of the resolve that they’ve shown each day of practice each week, each month,” he said. “I also like the fact that the Eden Prairie wrestling bond is in the most positive way. It’s infectious.”

The program includes wrestlers with all levels of ability, but according to their head coach, that is the only thing that separates them.

“We have very experienced wrestlers. And then we have very inexperienced wrestlers,” he explains. “And there’s no division. There’s no cliques. There’s no egos. We’re one team. So I’m just pumped by the examples that they’re demonstrating day by day and the culture that they helped create.

“Because we’re trying to build a culture at Eden Prairie and I think we’re doing a darn good job.”