Wrestling Roundup: Titans victorious at Bluejay Challenge

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro wrestling co-op kept up their winning ways with another triumph at a weekend tournament.

The Titans blew away the competition at last Saturday Bluejay Challenge in Merrill, registering 237.5 points in the boys’ team standings to finish comfortably ahead of Wausau West (176.5) in second and Saint Croix Central (161.5) in third.

The G-E-T/Mel-Min boys were led by a pair of first-place finishers in their respective weight classes: juniors Braden Peterson and Aaron Dunigan at 175 and 190 pounds.

After a bye, Peterson won three matches to earn a place in the championship bout, where he defeated Merrill senior Hunter Opper in a dominating 18-2 tech fall victory. Dunigan had to win four matches to earn his place to the first-place match. He also claimed the crown via tech fall, defeating Saint Croix Central sophomore Jayden Stave 21-5.

Senior Colton Koss (132 pounds), junior Brody Banse (144) and senior Jayce Stetzer (157) all raked in a haul of points for the Titans as well by finishing second in their brackets. None of the three were pinned in the championship match. Koss lost to Abbotsford/Colby senior Tristen Smazal 4-1 in OT via sudden victory, Banse was defeated by Marathon senior Cale Quaintance in a 9-3 decision and Stetzer fell to Wittenberg-Birnamwood senior Benjamin Miller in a 13-7 decision.

G-E-T/Mel-Min also had a trio of third-place finishers: senior Koda Purney at 120 pounds, senior Gunnar Kremer at 126 pounds and sophomore Brock Kaz at 285 pounds.

In girls’ competition, junior Payten Craig continued her excellent winter for the Titans by emerging victorious in the 120-pound bracket. Craig earned three straight pinfall victories to make her way to the championship bout, where she defeated Rhinelander junior Cassidy Linder in a 14-2 major decision.

Sophomore Mikaela Dixon picked up four straight pinfall wins to make it to the first-place match at 126 pounds, though a pinfall loss to Stanley-Boyd sophomore Sierra Marten meant Dixon settled for second.

The Titans are set to take part in a triangular in Westby this Thursday starting at 6 p.m., followed by a weekend tournament for the girls on Saturday at Wausau West starting at 9 a.m.

Raiders split CC matches, fifth at Cadott Invite

By Zach Rastall

Times Staff

The Arcadia boys wrestling team enjoyed a successful showing at a tournament this past weekend, placing inside the top five as a collective.

The Raiders notched their fifth-place finish at last Saturday’s Cadott Invitational, led by a triumphant David Aguilar in his weight class. The Arcadia girls also finished in ninth in the team standings at the same event, where Kalyce Sobotta was also victorious.

Earlier in the week, Arcadia had split a pair of duals at a home triangular, losing to West Salem/Bangor and defeating Viroqua. The Raiders have another pair of triangulars over the next week: at Westby on Thursday at 6 p.m. and home again next Tuesday at 6 p.m. The girls are in Westby again this Saturday for a tournament starting at 9 a.m.

WS/Bangor 57 Arcadia 21

The Raiders managed only four wins in their dual against West Salem/Bangor at last week’s triangular at the Wanek Center.

Arcadia junior Logan Breska (138 pounds) earned a pinfall win over junior Easton Cottrell, junior David Aguilar (165) had a tech fall victory against junior Lucas Fry, junior Landen Pehler (120) defeated freshman Noah Chambers via a 10-1 major decision and senior Matthew Badillo (132) registered a win against junior Peyton King.

There were also four girls matches between the two teams, with junior Kalyce Sobotta (126) responsible for the lone Raider win thanks to a 12-0 major decision over sophomore Ihlee Schniepp-Duffy.

Arcadia 60 Viroqua 19

Seven wins on the mat and three forfeit victories allowed Arcadia to cruise to a convincing dual win over the Blackhawks.

All seven of those Raider victories came via pinfall: Pehler at 120 pounds, junior Ony Zaragoza at 126 pounds, freshman Cade Schlesser at 150 pounds, senior Nicolas Esteban at 157 pounds, junior Derek Tamke at 175 pounds, junior Keven Luna at 215 pounds and sophomore Kriss Vazquez at 285 pounds.

Cadott Invite

Aguilar led the charge for the fifth-place Raiders, winning his weight class at 165 pounds. Aguilar won his first two matches and then defeated Cameron senior Conner Carlson via 13-7 decision in the championship match.

Vazquez nearly has the same story in the 285-pound bracket. He won his first two matches via pinfall but then was pinned himself by Holmen senior Jagger Jepson in the first-place bout.

The Raiders had four wrestlers win third-place matches to end the day: Pehler at 120 pounds, Badillo at 132 pounds, Breska at 138 pounds and Esteban at 157 pounds.

The Whitehall boys team finished seventh in the tournament led by Devin Hutsell’s first-place finish. 

Kivin Juresh and Evander Peterson both took second for Whitehall and Mason Bautch was third. 

Like Aguilar, Sobotta emerged victorious in Cadott. In the 120-pound bracket, she defeated River Falls sophomore Lila Woychik via pinfall, squeaked past Bloomer sophomore Veronika Leavens 6-5 in the ultimate tiebreaker and pinned Marshfield sophomore Logann Boon in the championship match.

The Whitehall girls had two champions as Lucy Frye and Ivonne Rojas Ortiz both won their weight classes. Jaydea Wells finished second.

Indee wrestlers win two at Dragon Duals

By Andrew Dannehy

Times Editor

The Independence/Gilmanton wrestling team came away with two close wins and two lopsided losses at the Dragon Duals, hosted by the Osseo-Fairchild co-op team on Saturday.

The Indees scored a 36-24 win over Black River Falls and defeated O-F/Augusta/Fall Creek, 30-24, but lost to Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro varsity reserve, 51-6, and Mondovi/Eleva-Strum, 50-11.

There were only seven I/G wrestlers available for the tournament. Mason Severson went undefeated, scoring two pins, a technical fall and a forfeit.

Jurgen Fankhauser went 3-1, receiving three forfeits while Jonah Rombalski and Landan Stamper both received two forfeits to go 2-2 on the day. Blake Slaby and James Carillo-Taylor both registered pins as they went 1-3. Harold Choncoa also went 1-3. 

The Indees are back in action for a quadrangular in Tomah on Thursday and they’ll host a triangular next Tuesday.