Kaden Hooker had revenge on his mind.
After losing his first match of the season a week ago, the Waunakee 195-pounder swept through his weight class at Saturday’s Badger State Invitational and placed first.
“I think for him it was a nice bounce-back meet,” said Warrior Head Coach Mark Natzke. “It was a pretty dominant performance, with three first period pins. Sometimes, it takes a loss to get refocused.”
Hooker led a contingent of seven Waunakee boys’ wrestlers at the invite, which took place at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
After receiving byes in the first two rounds, Hooker went to work. First, he caught Stoughton’s John Harman, pinning him in 1:45. Darlington’s Brady Horne was next, as Hooker notched his second pin in 1:17.
Saving his best for last, Hooker won by fall in exactly one minute over Lake Mills’ Jordan Tindell, who had a record of 14-2 going into the meet.
At 220 pounds, Jack Schweitzer turned in a strong performance for Waunakee, taking third in what Natzke described as “maybe one of the toughest brackets” at the invite.
Two byes set Schweitzer up to face Stoughton’s Beckett Spilde in the third round, and Schweitzer pinned him in 43 seconds. Schweitzer lost in the semifinals to Aaron Botsch, of Brookfield East — who was 17-1 — but rallied to win the third-place match. Iowa-Grant’s Cal Dorota jumped out to an early lead, but Schweitzer got the last laugh. Dorota took second at state last year in Division 3.
“He caught the kid on his back and got him in his signature headlock, pinning him in the second period,” said Natzke.
Colton Nechvatal placed fourth for Waunakee at 132 pounds, winning 10-3 in the quarterfinals over Fennimore’s Nick Needham along the way. At 126 pounds, Jayden Freie took sixth, as Gabe Guralski ended up fifth at 138. Natzke said 126 pounds was also one of the meet’s deepest weight classes.
After losing in the quarterfinals, Guralski rebounded to get a 14-2 major decision over D.C. Everest’s Cameron Saari, and a pin in 1:38 over Badger’s Mason Smith.
Finishing seventh was Robert Lofreddo at 145 pounds, while Scott Jezik got an unknown place, despite pinning Milwaukee Ronald Reagan’s Dante Bolds in 1:05.
In the team standings, Waunakee was eighth with 120 points. Fennimore took the top spot with 246. A total of 10 teams finished behind the Warriors.
In the girls’ portion of the meet, Waunakee’s Madison Mercurio took fifth at 132 pounds, getting pins in her two matches following a defeat in the first round. She lost to the girl who ultimately finished second.
Waunakee welcomes Watertown on Tuesday night, before heading to the Lax La Crosse Center on Dec. 29 for an invitational.