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MADISON – Five wrestlers from Central Wisconsin earned state titles after winning championship bouts at the 2020 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center on Saturday night.
Stevens Point’s Justin Groshek, Stratford’s Gavin Drexler and Edgar’s Ethan Heil completed undefeated seasons with their first state titles.
Groshek (46-0) won a major decision over Alec Hunter (41-2) of Oshkosh West, 10-2, to win the Division 1 113-pound final. Groshek, a senior, won his fourth state tournament medal.
Drexler (50-0), a sophomore, pinned Bo Niewiadomski (41-5) of Rosholt at the 4:43 mark to take the Division 3 126-pound championship in his first state tournament appearance.
Heil, a senior who finished second at state last year, earned his first state title as he won the Division 3 220-pound final. Heil (31-0) pinned Aaron Ragels (34-4) of Fennimore in 1:38.
Trevor Dennee (49-1) repeated as a Division 3 state champion for Stratford. After winning the 170-pound title last year, Dennee captured the 195-pound final by beating Shamus Mclain (41-2) of Coleman, 9-2.
Dennee, a senior, pulled out to a 7-2 lead by the middle of the second period and finished off the win with a takedown in the third and held on for the final half-minute.
Medford senior Jake Rau repeated as Division 2 220-pound champion with a pin of Nick Roller of Antigo in 5:38. Rau finishes the season at 38-2.
Stratford senior Max Schwabe was unable to win his second-straight state title as he lost an 8-6 decision to Alex Birchman (38-11) of Fennimore in the Division 3 132-pound final. Schwabe finishes the season at 47-3.
Auburndale senior Dylan Baird lost his bid at a first career state title, falling in sudden-victory overtime to Karson Casper (43-4) of Coleman, 4-2, in the Division 3 138-pound final. Baird, who also lost to Casper in the sectional championship match, finishes the year at 34-12.
A total of 15 other area wrestlers earned state tournament medals with top-six finishes as they completed consolation-round competition earlier in the day on Saturday.
Earning third place were: Orion Boe (47-2 at 220) of D.C. Everest and Zach Irbarren (49-3 at 285) of Merrill in Division 1; Luke Dux (37-5 at 106) of Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal in Division 2; and Devin Dennee (49-3 at 160) and Connor Westfall (34-8 at 195) of Athens in Division 3.
Fourth-place finishers from the area are all from Division 1 schools. Preston Spray (45-5 at 106) of Wisconsin Rapids, Kale Roth (40-11 at 120) of Stevens Point, and Gabe Carter (43-3 at 170) of D.C. Everest all won consolation semifinals before losing their third-place matches.
Marshfield sophomore Keagan Cliver (31-9) finished fifth in Division 1 at 120 pounds, pinning Jacob Wisinski of Mukwonago in 2:02 of the fifth-place match.
Treyton Ackman, a sophomore from Spencer/Columbus Catholic, earned a fifth-place medal in Division 2 at 120 pounds. Ackman (43-7) lost his consolation semifinal before winning a major decision over Kaleb Mannel of Waupaca, 8-0.
Five other area wrestlers finished sixth: Brett Franklin (28-8 at 132) of Marshfield in Division 1; Gunner Hoffmann (39-5 at 220) of Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal in Division 2; and Peter Esser (27-16 at 106) of Pittsville, and Karter Stuttgen (25-8 at 113) and Jacob Heiden (41-11 at 152) of Stratford in Division 3.
Stratford will participate in the 2020 WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse in Madison next Saturday, March 7.
2020 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament
Feb. 27-29, at Kohl Center, Madison
Results of area wrestlers
Saturday, Feb. 29
Division 1 Consolation Semifinals
106: Preston Spray (45-4), Wisconsin Rapids, def. Joey Showalter (41-8), Elkhorn/Faith Christian, 4-3.
120: Kale Roth (41-10), Stevens Point, def. Keagan Cliver (30-9), Marshfield, 1-0.
132: Jake Stritesky (38-5), Lake Geneva Badger, pinned Brett Franklin (28-7), Marshfield, 3:00.
170: Gabe Carter (43-2), D.C. Everest, def. Lincoln Willett (34-9), Oconomowoc, 7-2.
220: Orion Boe (46-2), D.C. Everest, pinned Ben Kawczynski (43-4), Oak Creek, 1:00.
285: Zach Irbarren (48-3), Merrill, def. John Champe (40-4), Brookfield East, 6-1.
Division 2 Consolation Semifinals
106: Luke Dux (36-5), Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal, def. Easton Worachek (40-11), Luxemburg-Casco, 4-0.
120: Chandler Curtis (37-9), Lodi, def. Treyton Ackman (42-7), Spencer/Columbus, 6-2
220: Marcus Orlandoni (40-3), North Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs, def. Gunner Hoffman (37-4), Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal, 5-2.
Division 3 Consolation Semifinals
106: Mitch Anderson (40-7), Clear Lake, def. Peter Esser (27-15), Pittsville, 4-1.
113: Cole Slark (40-6), Markesan, def. Karter Stuttgen (25-7), Stratford, by forfeit.
152: Korben Brown (39-3), Parkview, pinned Jacob Heiden (41-10), Stratford, 0:23.
160: Devin Dennee (48-3), Stratford, pinned Tyler Lovejoy (43-8), Laconia, 0:35.
195: Conner Westfall (33-8), Athens, won major dec. over Dustin Wolf (42-8), Lancaster, 11-0.
Division 1 Third-Place Matches
106: Tyler Klein (47-5), Hartford, def. Preston Spray (45-5), Wisconsin Rapids, 7-2.
120: Alex Pellowski (37-5), Holmen, pinned Kale Roth (40-11), Stevens Point, 2:28.
170: Connor Ramage (43-2), Ashwaubenon, def. Gabe Carter (43-3), D.C. Everest, 6-1.
220: Orion Boe (47-2), D.C. Everest, def. Nathan Moynihan (41-5), Ashwaubenon, 12-9.
285: Zach Irbarren (49-3), Merrill, pinned Tyler Pitchel (42-10), Mukwonago, 2:48.
Division 2 Third-Place Match
106: Luke Dux (37-5), Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal, def. Parker Heintz (37-14), Lodi, 5-1.
Division 3 Third-Place Matches
160: Devin Dennee (49-3), Stratford, def. Nick Blaschke (29-21), Fennimore, 8-1.
195: Connor Westfall (34-8), Athens, pinned Isaac Banker (44-7), Bonduel, 4:21.
Division 1 Fifth-Place Matches
120: Keagan Cliver (31-9), Marshfield, pinned Jacob Wisinski (34-11), Mukwonago, 2:02.
132: Joshua Cherba (42-11), Waterford, def. Brett Franklin (28-8), Marshfield, 6-3.
Division 2 Fifth-Place Match
120: Treyton Ackman (43-7), Spencer/Columbus, won major dec. over Kaleb Mannel (39-14), Waupaca, 8-0.
220: Kyle Dietzen (38-11), Omro, def. Gunner Hoffmann (39-5), Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal, 4-1.
Division 3 Fifth-Place Matches
106: Jonah Dennis (43-14), Riverdale, def. Peter Esser (27-16), Pittsville, 10-6.
113: Grant Geiger (41-9), Brillion, def. Karter Stuttgen (25-8), Stratford, by forfeit.
152: Mason Haas (38-12), Amherst, pinned Jacob Heiden (41-11), Stratford, 1:35.
Division 1 Finals
113: Justin Groshek (46-0), Stevens Point, won major dec. over Alec Hunter (41-2), Oshkosh West, 10-2.
Division 2 Finals
220: Jake Rau (38-2), Medford, pinned Nick Roller (45-6), Antigo, 5:38.
Division 3 Finals
126: Gavin Drexler (50-0), Stratford, pinned Bo Niewiadomski (41-5), Rosholt, 4:43.
132: Alex Birchman (38-11), Fennimore, def. Max Schwabe (47-3), Stratford, 8-6.
138: Karson Casper (43-4), Coleman, def. Dylan Baird (34-12), Auburndale, 4-2 (SV-1).
195: Trevor Dennee (49-1), Stratford, def. Shamus Mclain (41-2), Coleman, 9-2.
220: Ethan Heil (31-0), Edgar, pinned Aaron Ragels (34-4), Fennimore, 1:38.
Click here to view all of the state meet results from the WIAA.