Wrestling Round-Up:Norse dominate dual matches

The Whitehall wrestling team went 6-0 in dual matches last week with none of the competitions being particularly close.

The team began its week with a 52-30 win over Black River Falls on Tuesday. On Friday, the team participated in a dual tournament hosted by Durand-Arkansaw, going 5-0 and winning each match by at least 40 points. 

Those competitions were Whitehall’s final tune-up before it begins to defend its Dairyland Conference title with a double-dual at Blair-Taylor on Thursday. Whitehall will host a DC dual competition next Thursday. 

Whitehall 52 BR Falls 30

The Norse registered four pins and received two forfeits to take a big lead.

Whitehall got pins by Cashton Kulig (144), Brodie Garbers (150), Broc Coburn (165) and Luke Matejka (190) while Evander Peterson and Devin Hutsell received forfeits as the team went ahead 36-0.

The Tigers got on the board with consecutive pins as Sullivan King (215) and Keanu Goldsmith (285) got wins over Travis Smith and Mason Bautch. 

Frank Juresh (106) and Ivonne Rojas Ortiz (113) received forfeits for Whitehall and Kivin Juresh beat Jordan Calverly, 19-7. 

BRF won three of the final four matches with Zayden Killian, Deacon Brown and Aaron Taylor getting pins over Gage Garbers, Brayden Johnson and Rawley Matejka, but Whitehall’s lead was too big. 

Durand Duals

The Norse dominated all five matches in the dual tournament with eight wrestlers going undefeated.

Whitehall came away with a 60-17 win over Cashton; 78-0 over Chippewa Falls McDonell/Elk Mound; 71-12 over Prescott; 65-18 over Durand-Arkansaw and 72-12 over Osseo-Fairchild/Augusta/Fall Creek.

Kulig, Peterson, Broc Coburn, Devin Hutsell, Luke Matejka, Caden Hansche and Lane Huismann all went 5-0 and Frank Juresh was 3-0. Kulig and Hansche both registered four pins and a forfeit while Hutsell had three pins and two forfeits, Coburn, Matjeka and Hutsell all had two pins and three forfeits and Peterson had one pin and four forfeits. Frank Juresh won all three of his matches, getting one pin and two technical fall victories.

Ivonne Rojas Ortiz went 4-1 with four pins, Kivin Juresh and Gage Garbers also went 4-1 in the tournament. Brayden Johnson and Rawley Matjeka were 3-2 and Brodie Garbers was 2-3. 

Arcadia’s Sobotta wins Westby Invite

By Zach Rastall

Times Staff

Arcadia’s Kalyce Sobotta placed first overall in her weight class, making her the best-performing wrestlers for the Raiders at the Westby Girls Invite this past Saturday.

Sobotta steamrolled her way to the championship match in the 132-pound bracket, winning four consecutive matches via pinfall to set up a first-place bout against Merrill’s Adison Clark. Sobotta largely dominated that championship match, ultimately beating Clark via a 10-2 major decision.

Other wrestlers at the invite for Arcadia were Ava Knopps (165) in fourth; Deyanira Ortiz (138) in fifth; Heidi Hernandez (114) and Brianna Dominguez (120) in sixth; and Madison Muhutga (107) and Linnet Barrios (145) in seventh.

As a team, the Raiders accrued 203 points to place fifth among the 15 teams.

G-E-T/Mel-Min competes at Aquinas quads

By Zach Rastall

Times Staff

In their three duals at the Aquinas quads late last week, the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro co-op won one and lost the others via tiebreakers.

The Titans were part of a quadrangular held last Friday at Aquinas High School in La Crosse. The Tians defeated Baldwin-Woodville 59-20 while tying Prairie du Chien 35-35 and Aquinas 39-39. However, both Prairie du Chien and Aquinas won the respective duals via tiebreaker.

The top performing wrestlers for the Titans on Friday night included Koda Purney (113 pounds), Colton Koss (120/126) and Gunnar Johnson (157), who each went 3-0. Koss had three pinfall victories while both Koss and Purney won twice via pinfall and once via forfeit.

Other Titan wrestlers to win twice on Friday were Jace Anderson (132), Brody Banse (132/138) and Braden Peterson (175/190).

Indees swept in La Crosse duals

By Andrew Dannehy

Times Editor

Forfeits and pins were too much for the Independence/Gilmanton wrestling team to overcome in one match and they were overpowered in another as the team dropped two duals in La Crosse last week Tuesday.

The Indees lost, 41-30, to Baraboo and 60-18 to La Crosse Logan/Central in the double-dual hosted by La Crosse. 

In matches that were wrestled, the Indees went 4-4 against Baraboo. But I/G had to surrender 18 points to forfeits — while receiving only six — and suffered three pins in the 41-30 loss. 

Baraboo began the competition with a pin by Keeton Nowak over Blake Slaby at 150 pounds. I/G evened the match when Landan Stamper (157) pinned Jameson Neuman. Baraboo won the next two with Nolan Owen beating Chase Back (165), 19-3, and Ethan Huelsmann pinning Preston Solberg (175)

I/G’s James Carillo Taylor received a forfeit at 190 pounds and the teams split the next two matches with Barboo’s Kadin Marz (215) pinning Juan Morales and I/G’s Drew Bragger (285) sticking Gunner Hill.

Three straight forfeits received by Baraboo would clinch the win however then both teams had to forfeit the 126- and 132-pound classes.

I/G won the last two matches as Grant Klimek (138) pinned Peyton Oberg and Sam Marsolek (144) stuck Dominic Gallo, but it wasn’t enough. 

La Crosse scored the first 54 points before Klimek got the Indees on the board with a pin. Marsolek followed Klimek with another pin, but the only other points I/G would get was a forfeit received by Stamper at 157 pounds. 

The Indees will have a long break as the team’s next competition isn’t until Thursday when it opens Dairyland Conference action in Blair-Taylor. The team will wrestle in a tournament hosted by Arcadia on Saturday. Next Thursday, Whitehall hosts a DC meet.