The Albert Lea wrestling team sits in 13th place after Friday at the Christmas Tournament in Rochester.

The Tigers scored 53 points in the first day and are three points behind Cambridge-Isanti for 12th. Simley leads the tournament with 102 points while Apple Valley is second with 95 and Bismarck is third with 82 points.

Albert Lea head coach Larry Goodnature said he and the coaches learned a lot from the first day, among them that the team has to get in better shape.

“Some of the kids that got beat out have to pick it up a notch,” Goodnature said. “Some of these kids that got beat today weren’t intense enough and that’s something this tournament brings out.”

Three Tiger wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals after the first day. Dalton Westerlund at 130 pounds, Cory Hansen at 135 and Trevor Rasmussen all went 2-0 to remain in the championship bracket.

At 130 Dalton Westerlund made his way to the quarterfinals with a 7-1 victory over Coon Rapids’ Dan Coughlin and a pin at 4:34 against White Bear Lake’s Branon Collum. Westerlund will wrestle Bronson Steuber of Jackson County Central, Saturday. Steuber was the Class A state champion at 119 pounds last year.

At 135 Cory Hansen got a 9-1 major decision against Dover-Eyota’s Sonny Komaniecki and a 3-0 decision against Spirit Lake Park’s Mark Noland to reach the quarterfinals. Hansen will face Apple Valley’s Devon Scot Saturday.

Fourth-ranked Trevor Rasmussen reached the quarterfinals after a 7-0 decision against New Prague’s Cody Dolezal and a 5-4 decision against Irondale’s Derek Weinmann. Rasmussen will face Zac Threadgill Saturday at 140 pounds. Threadgill is ranked fourth at 145 pounds.

Eight other Albert Lea wrestlers advanced through wrestlebacks.

Lucas Hansen lost his first match 6-2 at 103 points to West Fargo’s Jordan Shearer. Hansen won his second bout 11-3 against Ulises Tajonar Diaz of Bloomington Kennedy. Hansen beat Rochester Mayo’s Brady Nelson with a fall at 1:26 and faces Bismarck’s Tate Hoffman Saturday in wrestlebacks.

Garrett Wangsness won his opening match against Amery’s Caleb Andrews with a fall at 2:23 but lost to No. 10-ranked Juan Torres of Simley at 1:36 in the second round. Wangsness beat St. Francis’ Jayce Oie in wrestlebacks 9-0 and moved on to face Century’s James Stefonick Saturday.

Trey Hable won 3-1 against Dover-Eyota’s Ethan Luftus, but fell to Cambridge-Isanti’s Travis Holt when he was pinned in 1:19. Hable made his way to wrestlebacks and earned a 3-1 overtime victory over sixth-ranked Corey Latuff from Hastings. Hable will face Anoka’s Ryan Nortan Saturday.

Caleb Kolodge lost his opening match at 145 to Mounds View’s Luke Boroda but earned two victories in wrestlebacks to remain alive in the tournament. Kolodge beat Coon Rapids’ Riley Lawson 12-4 and Stewartville’s Cody Buchanan 8-2. Kolodge faces Apple Valley’s Nate Brunner.

Carter Kortan got a 4-3 decision to start his tournament against Forest Lake’s Lance Benick, but lost to Totino-Grace’s Quinton Thiele 9-4 at 152. Kortan got bounced by St. Francis’ Kyle Allen 10-5 in wrestlebacks.

Connor Kortan lost his first match by fall at 3:05 to Amery’s Blake Lundgren at 160. Kortan beat Anoka’s Luke Ducharme 4-3 in wrestlebacks, but lost 7-1 to Cambridge-Isanti’s Mark Volker.

Taylor Blake pinned White Bear Lake’s Jaylen London at 171 to open the tournament, but lost to Apple Valley’s Jake Waste by fall at 2:45. Blake lost in wrestlebacks to Century’s Trevor Weigle by fall in 58 seconds.

At 189 Caleb Gaudian lost his first match to Jackson County Central’s Alex Tewes 13-5, but won his next two matches in wrestlebacks, defeating Irondale’s Tad Miller by fall in 4 minutes and Simley’s Eulisses Sanchez in 1:58. Gaudian wrestles Totino Grace’s Anthony Guillickson Saturday.

Alex Nielsen won his first round match against Wayzata’s Ben Lindau with a fall at 1:08, but in his second match he was disqualified for stalling against Jackson County Central’s Jordan Phibbs. Nielsen then lost 5-3 to Forest Lake’s Josh Werner in wrestlebacks.

Chrisitan Andersen lost by fall to Coon Rapids’ Tanner Lowe at 3:03 and lost in wrestlebacks 8-1 to West Fargo’s Zach Vetter.