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WAUNAKEE WRESTLING

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27

Dec, 2018

Warrior wrestling places third at Badger State Invitational

There’s always plenty of competition at the Badger State Invitational.

This year was no different; the meet served as a great test for the Waunakee wrestling team, who stepped up to the challenge at the Alliant Energy Center.

Badger State

 

Invitational

“We wrestled against some of the top wrestlers in the state and had numerous guys that beat wrestlers that were ranked in the state,” said Waunakee’s Head Coach Mark Natzke. “Each of the guys gained some confidence knowing that they belong with some of the best wrestlers in the state and that they can compete on a high level with these wrestlers.”

Leading the way was Sam Lorenz, who was competing in his first meet of the season. He made it to the final the 120-pound weight class, pinning his first three opponents in the first period to earn his spot. Once there, he controlled the match against Weyauwega-Fremont’s Carter Greening – one of the top-ranked wrestlers in Division 3 – to place first.

“It almost seems like he hasn’t missed anything by being out early in the year,” Natzke said of Lorenz. “[He] is right where he left off last season.”

Waunakee had three more wrestlers make it to first-place matches: Colton Grindle at 170, Zach Marek at 182, and Reed Ryan at 220. Ryan earned his spot with three first-period pins in his first three matches. Marek and Grindle each won their semifinal matches in comeback fashion. Grindle wore his opponent down and was completely in control by the time the third period rolled around; he eventually won by a score of 8-5. Marek’s match was a nail-biter; he came back in the third to force overtime, and won in sudden victory to secure his spot in the final.

 

“It is a great confidence boost to know that they can still score no matter what,” added Natzke. “They are never out of the match, and as long as they continue to fight, they can still get the victory.”

Each of the three fell just short in their final matches and settled for second place.

Five more Warrior wrestlers placed in the top seven. Coming in fifth in their weight classes were Kolby Heinz at 113, Berhett Statz at 126, and Ty Miller at 152. Taking sixth was Braysen Ellis at 138, and Daniel Ford took seventh at 195. A pair of wrestlers – Brian Gittens at 132 and Kaden Hooker at 145 – contributed to the team score by taking second place in the consolation bracket.

It all added up to 194.5 points, good for a third-place finish at the 25-team event. Waunakee trailed only Stoughton and Fennimore, both of whom are ranked among the state’s top teams.

Waunakee’s wrestlers will have a small break for the holidays, then travel to La Crosse on Friday to compete in the Bi-State Classic. The two-day tournament features nearly 70 teams, and will be another big test for the Warriors.

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