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MADISON – Marshfield junior Ava Gardner became the program’s first girls state champion as she took care of business against a two-time champion at the 2024 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center on Saturday night.
Gardner rolled to a 17-4 major decision over previously undefeated Brooke Corrigan of De Pere in the girls 100-pound championship bout, finishing the season with a 27-1 record and keeping Corrigan from a third-straight state title.
Garnder, who placed third at state last year, was one of four local wrestlers competing for a state title on Saturday night, and the only one to walk away with a gold medal.
Marshfield junior Caleb Dennee finished runner-up for the second year in a row, losing the Division 1 165-pound final to Liam Crook (39-0) of Kaukauna, 4-0, in a battle of undefeated wrestlers.
Crook used a three-point nearfall in the second period to take the lead and Dennee couldn’t get anything going while he was in control in the third. Crook escaped late in the match to finish off the 4-1 win. Dennee, who placed second at 152 pounds in 2023, ends the season with a 53-1 record.
Auburndale junior Colton Weiler also finished second for a second year in a row as he dropped a Division 3 144-pound title match to Ian Crapp (30-5) of Fennimore, 3-2.
Weiler fell behind 3-0 in the second period and closed to 3-2 with an escape late, but couldn’t make a move to take down Crapp. Weiler, who was second at 138 last year, finishes the year 51-2.
Stratford junior Carter Lueck earned his second-straight state medal as he placed second at 175 pounds in Division 3, losing to David Malin (42-2) of La Crosse Aquinas, 7-5.
Lueck (51-2) tied the match at 4-4 with an escape in the second period, but Malin responded with a takedown to take the lead for good. Starting in the down position, Malin had an escape in the third period and Lueck was unable to earn a takedown in the closing seconds. Lueck placed fourth at 170 pounds last year.
Marshfield junior Owen Griesbach, Stratford junior Trenton Cournoyer and Auburndale sophomore Zade Grassel all earned third-place medals with a pair of consolation bracket victories on Saturday.
Griesbach (41-3) defeated Johnny Botsch of Brookfield East 5-3 in a consolation match and knocked off Cayden Brandenburg (51-2) of Janesville Parker 7-5 in the Division 1 175-pound third-place match. Brandenburg had come into the state tournament undefeated.
In Division 3 at 120 pounds, Cournoyer (44-9) earned a quick pin of Mason Dewing of Crandon in 34 seconds in the first consolation match, then beat Roger Fiege of La Crosse Aquinas in the third-place match 9-7, avenging a loss to Fiege in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Grassel (44-11) picked up a third-place medal at 126 pounds, winning by an 8-0 major decision over Rigoberto Tellez of Oostburg and defeating Izaiah Sanchez of Shiocton 3-2.
Aaron Knetter (36-17) of Stratford placed sixth at 126. He lost to Sanchez in overtime 2-1 and to Tellez, 4-3, in the fifth-place match.
Stratford’s Noah Lucio finished fourth at 190 as he defeated Trevor Firari of Waterloo 4-3 before losing a third-place match to Wyatt Ahnen of Fennimore, 4-1.
Auburndale’s Derek Godard lost both of his consolation matches to finish sixth at 113 pounds. Godard (48-8) lost to Lukas Orloff of Pecatonia/Argyle 11-4 and in the fifth-place match to Gavin Slark of Markesan 4-3. Godard finished fifth at 106 pounds last year.
Local Matches
Saturday, Feb. 24
Boys
Division 1 Consolation
175: Owen Griesbach (40-3), Marshfield, def. Johnny Botsch (32-6), Brookfield East, 5-3.
Division 1 Third-Place Match
175: Owen Griesbach (41-3), Marshfield, def. Cayden Brandenburg (51-2), Janesville Parker, 7-5.
Division 3 Consolation
113: Lukas Orloff (45-7), Pecatonica/Argyle, def. Derek Godard (48-7), Auburndale, 11-4.
120: Trenton Cournoyer (44-9), Stratford, pinned Mason Dewing (42-6), Crandon, 0:34.
126: Zade Grassel (44-11), Auburndale, won major dec. over Rigoberto Tellez (41-5), Oostburg, 8-0; Izaiah Sanchez (38-5), Shiocton, def. Aaron Knetter (36-16), Stratford, 2-1 (TB-1).
190: Noah Lucio (41-8), Stratford, def. Trevor Firari (36-6), Waterloo, 4-3.
Division 3 Third-place Matches
120: Trenton Cournoyer (45-9), Stratford, def. Roger Fiege (39-9), La Crosse Aquinas, 4-3.
126: Zade Grassel (45-11), Auburndale, def. Izaiah Sanchez (38-6), Shiocton, 3-2.
190: Wyatt Ahnen (38-7), Fennimore, def. Noah Lucio (41-9), Stratford, 4-1.
Division 3 Fifth-place Matches
113: Gavin Slark (45-7), Markesan, def. Derek Godard (48-8), Auburndale, 4-3.
126: Rigoberto Tellez (41-5), Oostburg, def. Aaron Knetter (36-17), Stratford, 4-3.
Division 1 Finals
165: Liam Crook (39-0), Kaukauna, def. Caleb Dennee (53-1), Marshfield, 4-1.
Division 3 Finals
144: Ian Crapp (30-5), Fennimore, def. Colton Weiler (51-2), Auburndale, 3-2.
175: David Malin (42-2), La Crosse Aquinas, def. Carter Lueck (51-2), Stratford, 7-5.
Girls
Finals
100: Ava Gardner (27-1), Marshfield, won by major dec. over Brooke Corrigan (12-1), De Pere, 17-4.