OBSERVER File Photo Pictured above, Fredonia’s Dalton Gardner (bottom) wrestles Falconer-Cassadaga Valley’s Jimmy Kramer during a match earlier this season. Gardner was named to the state tournament on Wednesday as an at-large bid as the sectional runner-up at 138.

What a season it has been for the Fredonia wrestling program.

Not only did they have six Class finalists as well as four Sectional finalists, but they’ll also be sending three to the state tournament in Albany later this month on Feb. 22.

Fredonia junior Dalton Gardner was named to the tournament as an at-large bid on Wednesday night to the Division II field, joining him with his teammates Gio Russo and Ceric Kristan who earned automatic bids last weekend by winning sectional titles.

Gardner, a two-time section champion and a one-time state place winner, is a well deserved candidate for the tournament giving his success over the course of his career. Gardner has a record of 39-5 this season at 138 and was narrowly beaten in the last seconds of his sectional title match by Tonawanda’s Zach Braddell.

Gardner’s teammate Russo knows the feeling of being named a wildcard, as he himself was named as a wildcard last season. Russo (32-3) is looking to close out his senior season on top of the podium in Albany at 132.

As for Kristan, of Brocton, he’ll be heading to his first state tournament after knocking off defending sectional place winner Cleon Lawton of Franklinville in last week’s tournament. Kristan, only a sophomore, will have a 36-6 record heading into states at 170.

Also getting named wildcards on Wednesday include Chautauqua Lake’s Austin Bourgeois and Ben Szymanowski.

Bourgeois, of Westfield, is heading into states with a 31-5 record at 132 and is the first Westfield student to qualify for states since Thom Betts did a decade ago.

Szymanowski will join the field at 285 after finishing as a section runner-up.

The state tournament will take place Feb. 22-23 at the Times Union Center in Albany.