Byron's Petersen reaches the mountain top again, captures second state title

ST. PAUL — Maxwell Petersen is once again on top of the mountain.

After three straight runner-up finishes, including a heart-breaker last season that came down to a tough referee's decision, the Byron senior won his second state title by holding off New Prague's Colton Bornholdt by a 3-0 decision in the Class AA 145-pound title match on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

The North Dakota State University commit won his other title as an eighth-grader at 106.

"This feels so great," Petersen said. "Just proves that I'm not a one-timer. I kept working on my craft and it just shows that I'm going to go up to the next level and dominate just like I did this tournament.

"I felt a bit snake-bit the last few years just with all the hard work I put in, but I didn't finish. You just learn over the years."

All season, Petersen was simply a notch above the rest.

He won the prestigious Minnesota Christmas Tournament, defeating Lakeville North and Stanford University commit Zach Hanson, who won the 145-pound Class AAA title on Saturday. He also won the Rumble on the Red in Fargo, N.D.

"The whole year, I just felt really good," Petersen said. "Just dominating, especially on my feet. I feel I could take down anyone no matter what. Of all my years, this is the most dominant I felt."

That trend continued into the Class AA state tournament.

Petersen collected two first-period pins in his first round and quarterfinal, before winning by technical fall in the semifinals.

The now three-time state medalist Bornholdt put up a fight in the title match as it was 0-0 heading into the third period. Yet, it felt like Petersen was in control and just waiting for his moment.

It came early in the third when Petersen scored on an escape, before registering a takedown with 1 minute, 16 seconds left to cap off a perfect 50-0 season. And boy, when that final whistle blew the excitement was more than apparent. He punctuated the victory with an incredible round-off backflip that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.

It was a backflip three years in the making.

"Everything was just exploding today," Petersen said with a laugh.

1/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge prepares to wrestle Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge defeated Herzog, becoming a five-time State Champion.

2/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge wrestles Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge defeated Herzog, becoming a five-time State Champion.

3/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge wrestles Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge defeated Herzog, becoming a five-time State Champion.

4/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge defeats Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

5/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge defeats Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

6/67: Kasson-Mantorville fans cheer after Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge defeated Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

7/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge defeats Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

8/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge acknowledges the fans after defeating Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

9/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge hugs head coach Jamie Heidt after defeating Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

10/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge wrestles Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge defeated Herzog, becoming a five-time State Champion.

11/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge acknowledges the fans after defeating Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

12/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Bennett Berge acknowledges the fans after defeating Simley's Soren Herzog in a 195-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berge is now a five-time State Champion.

13/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen reacts after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

14/67: The Individual Championship matches were held Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

15/67: Pine Island coaches talk with Lauren Elsmore before she wrestles Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

16/67: Pine Island's Lauren Elsmore wrestles Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

17/67: Pine Island's Lauren Elsmore wrestles Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

18/67: Pine Island's Lauren Elsmore wrestles Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

19/67: Pine Island's Lauren Elsmore wrestles Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

20/67: Pine Island's Lauren Elsmore shakes hands with Simley coaches after being defeated by Simley's Charli Raymond in a 100-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

21/67: Goodhue's Ryan Bortz is introduced before wrestling Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose in a 113-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nolan Ambrose defeated Ryan Bortz.

22/67: Goodhue's Ryan Bortz wrestles Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose in a 113-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nolan Ambrose defeated Ryan Bortz.

23/67: Goodhue's Ryan Bortz wrestles Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose in a 113-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nolan Ambrose defeated Ryan Bortz.

24/67: Goodhue's Ryan Bortz wrestles Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose in a 113-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nolan Ambrose defeated Ryan Bortz.

25/67: Grand Meadow/ LeRoy-Ostrander/Southland's Diann Smith prepares to wrestle Eastview's Riley Myers in a 138-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Riley Myers defeated Diann Smith.

26/67: Grand Meadow/ LeRoy-Ostrander/Southland's Diann Smith wrestles Eastview's Riley Myers in a 138-pound Girls Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Riley Myers defeated Diann Smith.

27/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust wrestles Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gust defeated Leibold.

28/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust wrestles Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gust defeated Leibold.

29/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust wrestles Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gust defeated Leibold.

30/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust reacts after defeating Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

31/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust reacts after defeating Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

32/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust reacts after defeating Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

33/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust hugs his coaches after defeating Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

34/67: Dover-Eyota's Gavin Gust hugs his coaches after defeating Royalton/Upsala's Jacob Leibold in a 152-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

35/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Logan Vaughan wrestles Becker's Mason Doucette in a 152-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Doucette defeated Vaughan.

36/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Logan Vaughan wrestles Becker's Mason Doucette in a 152-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

37/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier talks with his coaches before wrestling Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.Connor Tulenchik defeated Cole Glazier.

38/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier prepares to wrestle Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Connor Tulenchik defeated Cole Glazier.

39/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier wrestles Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Connor Tulenchik defeated Cole Glazier.

40/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier wrestles Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Connor Tulenchik defeated Cole Glazier.

41/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier wrestles Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Connor Tulenchik defeated Cole Glazier.

42/67: Kasson-Mantorville's Cole Glazier reacts after being defeated by Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus' Connor Tulenchik in a 170-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

43/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott wrestles Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Grady Schott defeated Carter Holtz.

44/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott wrestles Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Grady Schott defeated Carter Holtz.

45/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott, bottom, wrestles Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Grady Schott defeated Carter Holtz.

46/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott reacts after defeating Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

47/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott reacts after defeating Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

48/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott reacts after defeating Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

49/67: Chatfield's Grady Schott hugs his coaches after defeating Kimball Area's Carter Holtz in a 182-pound Class A Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

50/67: Lake City's Max Balow wrestles Foley's Elijah Novak in a 285-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Novak defeated Balow.

51/67: Lake City's Max Balow wrestles Foley's Elijah Novak in a 285-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Novak defeated Balow.

52/67: Lake City's Max Balow wrestles Foley's Elijah Novak in a 285-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Novak defeated Balow.

53/67: Lake City's Max Balow wrestles Foley's Elijah Novak in a 285-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Novak defeated Balow.

54/67: Lake City's Max Balow wrestles Foley's Elijah Novak in a 285-pound Class AA Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Novak defeated Balow.

55/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

56/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

57/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen talks to his coaches as he wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

58/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

59/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

60/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

61/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt.

62/67: Byron wrestling coach Ryan Radke cheers from the stands as Byron's Maxwell Petersen wrestles New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Petersen defeated Bornholdt 3-0.

63/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen does a flip after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

64/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen reacts after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

65/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen reacts after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

66/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen reacts after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt in a 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

67/67: Byron's Maxwell Petersen shakes hands with his coach after after defeating New Prague's Colton Bornholdt 145-pound Individual Championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.