By MIKE BIALKA
Sports Editor

Crosby-Ironton's Hayden Zillmer and Pierz's Clint Poster kept their quests alive for state championships in the Class 1A tournament Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The top-ranked Zillmer pinned No. 3 Mitch Andrews of Border West at 5:47 at 112 pounds to reach Friday's semifinals where he will wrestle Taner Trembly of Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial.

"It went OK," Zillmer said of the match. "I didn't come out very strong at the beginning, then at the end I did what I had to do to win and pinned him."

Poster advanced to the semis with a 5-2 decision over Ethan Hildebrandt of St. James.

Class 1A

Highlights: Crosby-Ironton's Hayden Zillmer and Pierz's Clint Poster advanced to the semifinals.

Next: Individual semifinals and consolation quarterfinals 6 p.m. Friday, individual consolation semifinals 8:30 p.m., Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.

"I believe it was tied 2-2 going into the third period," Pierz coach Simon Waltman said. "Their kid tried to stand up, and Clint went up and did one of the things he does best on top, what we call a 'Turk Lift. Clint put him on his back and he stayed there the rest of the period."

Poster, ranked second at 135, wrestles third-ranked Curt Maas of Medford in the semis.

"We haven't seen him," Waltman said of Maas. "I didn't get a chance to watch that match because it was when Clint was wrestling. We're trying to find out what we can about him.

"We're really happy with Clint. He's wrestling about as well as he has the last couple years, ever since Christmas, and hopefully he can keep it going."

Area wrestlers who remained alive in the wrestlebacks were Mitch Steffens (112) of Wadena-Deer Creek, Brad Hofstrand (125) of C-I, Nathan Tomala (152) of Pierz, Sean Huls (160) of Pierz and Jeremy Hamman (189) of C-I.

Class 1A individual tournament

103: Quarterfinals, Zack Kuhns (Maple River) pinned Chris Ortman (Pierz) 5:49, Wrestlebacks-Mick Roemer (Wabasha-Kellogg) dec. Ortman 4-2, Ortman finished 32-13

112: Quarterfinals, Hayden Zillmer (C-I) pinned Mitch Andrews (Border West) 5:47, Semifinals vs. Taner Trembly (Lake Crystal-Welcome Memorial)

112: Wrestlebacks, Mitch Steffens (Wadena-Deer Creek) dec. Tanner Mills (Kimball) 8-2, Steffens vs. Aaron Bates (Sibley East) Friday.

112: Brad Meyer (Pierz) finished 31-12

125: Quarterfinals, Beau Buysse (Minneota) dec. Brad Hofstrand (C-I) 2-0, Wrestlebacks-Hofstrand dec. Ryan Murphy (Border West) 11-4, vs. Adam Cooling (Madelia-Truman-Martin Luther)

130: Jordan Rentz (WDC) finished 22-13

135: Quarterfinals, Clint Poster (Pierz) dec. Ethan Hildebrandt (St. James) 5-2, Semifinals vs. Curt Maas (Medford)

135: Wrestlebacks, Paul Norgren (Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) dec. Dalton Stevens (Aitkin) 9-1, Stevens finished 28-10

140: Quarterfinals, Jessie Regalado (Jackson County Central) dec. Jordan Chouanard (Aitkin) 9-1, Wrestlebacks-Mike Lerum (Pine Island) dec. Chouanard 8-3, Chouanard finished 30-8

140, Wrestlebacks, Zach Kanzenbach (Medford) dec. Jacob Wegscheid (WDC) 20-6, Wegscheid finished 21-16

145: Isaac Novak (Aitkin) finished 26-16

152: Wrestlebacks, Nathan Tomala (Pierz) dec. Jake Braaten (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) 7-2, vs. Sam Lindgren (LeSueur-Henderson) Friday.

152: Quarterfinals, Caleb Lanoue (Mahnomen-Waubun) dec. Jake Braaten (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) 7-3, Wrestlebacks-Nathan Tomala (Pierz) dec. Braaten 7-2, Braaten finished 31-5

160: Quarterfinals, Brady Weisinger (Benson) dec. Sean Huls (Pierz) 9-6, Wrestlebacks-Huls dec. Jon Pikop (West Central) 10-9, vs. Matt Doom (Paynesville) Friday.

160: Wrestlebacks-Cody Tibbetts (Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) dec. David Booth (C-I) 7-2, Booth finished 29-10

171: Quarterfinals, Josh Willaert (LeSueur-Henderson) dec. Amos Schmidt (B-H/V) 16-2, Wrestlebacks-Chad Matthees (Zumbrota-Mazeppa) pinned Schmidt 2:25, Schmidt finished 36-7

189: Wrestlebacks, Jeremy Hamman (C-I) inj. default over Caleb Hillesheim (River Valley), vs. Kody Lafraniere-Sorenson (Frazee)

Hwt: Wrestlebacks, Aaron Rose (Sibley East) pinned Colin Turchin (B-H/V) 2:08, Turchin finished 32-13

Hwt: Dylan Peterson (Pierz) finished 16-5