This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MADISON – The 81st annual WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament got underway Thursday at the Kohl Center and a number of local wrestlers advanced in the three-day event.
Marshfield senior Caleb Dennee continued his undefeated season and advanced to the Division 1 semifinals with a pair of pins at 165 pounds.
Dennee took control of both matches from the get-go in earning pins over Kenny Vaughn of Kenosha Indian Trial in 1:14 in the preliminary round and Bryce Konwent of Waterford in 1:13 in the quarterfinals.
Dennee (52-0) will wrestle in the semifinals against Caleb Cady (54-2) of Pewaukee on Friday night.
Ava Gardner was just as dominant in the girls 100-pound bracket for Marshfield. She won her preliminary match with a 28-second pin of McKenzie Simonsen of McDonell/Elk Mound, then used a nine-point first period to go on to a 15-0 technical fall victory over Aini Anderson of Holmen in a quarterfinal.
Gardner (25-1) will take on Cadott’s Iszy Sonnentag (31-2) in a semifinal match Friday night.
Marshfield’s other four wrestlers suffered losses, with three moving in to the consolation bracket, which begins at 10 a.m. Friday.
Owen Griesbach won his 175-pound prelim win a first-period pin of Muskego’s Ryker Morgan, before suffering a hard-fought 12-9 loss to Benjamin Ott (55-3) of Glendale Nicolet.
Carter Williquette (106 pounds), Grayden Rode (157) and James Clements (215) all lost their first-round match. Rode (37-11) was eliminated, while Griesbach (37-3), Williquette (27-16) and Clements (22-8) will head to the consolation bracket.
In Division 3 action, six of Stratford’s seven wrestlers earned preliminary round victories to move into Friday’s quarterfinals.
Roman Schmidt (106), Aaron Knetter (126) and Mathais Kaiser (132) won by decision, Colin Cournoyer (113) earned a pin in 4:55 and Noah Lucio (190) had a pin in 3:08, and Trenton Cournoyer (120) had a dominating 15-6 major decision to advance for Stratford.
Kaleb Krummel lost his opener at 150 pounds, 9-3 to Marek Lisicki and if Lisicki wins his quarterfinal Friday, Krummel will move into the consolation bracket.
Stratford’s other qualifier, Carter Lueck (49-1), earned a first-round bye and will open his state tournament with a 175-pound quarterfinal against Coleman’s Isaiah Nowak (38-14) on Friday afternoon.
Auburndale’s Zade Grassel advanced at 126 pounds, improving to 42-10 this season after pinning Cade Sowis of Omro with 20 seconds left in the second period.
Wyatt Malsin (36-15) lost his 157-pound opener for the Eagles 17-12 to Nolen Waldner of Ithaca/Weston. Malsin will stay alive in the consolation bracket if Waldner wins his quarterfinal match.
Auburndale’s other two state qualifiers had byes into the quarterfinals. Derek Godard (47-5) wil take on Stratford’s Colin Cournoyer (40-9) in a 113-pound match, and Colton Weiler (49-1) will battle Briar Naglosky (32-10) of Shell Lake.
The Division 1 consolation matches kick off action Friday at 10 a.m., followed by the Division 2 and 3 quarterfinals and move consolation matches in all three divisions. Both the boys and girls semifinals in all three divisions start at 7 p.m. Friday night.
2024 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament
Feb. 22-24, at Kohl Center, Madison
Friday, Feb. 23
Girls and Division 1 boys consolations, 10 a.m.
Division 2 & 3 boys quarterfinals, approximately 11 a.m.
Girls and Division 1 boys consolation quarterfinals, approximately 1:15 p.m.
Division 2 & 3 boys consolation quarterfinals, approximately 2 p.m.
All boys and girls semifinals, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24
All boys and girls consolation semifinals, 10 a.m.
All boys and girls fifth-place and third-place matches immediately following
All boys and girls championship matches, 5:30 p.m.
Local Participants
Thursday, Feb. 22
Boys
Division 1 Preliminaries
106: William Du Chemin (48-1), Wilmot, pinned Carter Williquette (27-16), Marshfield, 1:25.
157: Bennett Weidman (43-6) Wisconsin Rapids, def. Grayden Rode (37-11), Marshfield, 3-1.
165: Caleb Dennee (51-0), Marshfield, pinned Kenny Vaughn (28-14) Kenosha Indian Trail, 1:14.
175: Owen Griesbach (37-2), Marshfield, pinned Ryker Morgan (36-11) Muskego, 1:28.
215: Lincoln McCarty (36-6), River Falls, def. James Clements (22-8), Marshfield, 8-4.
Division 1 Quarterfinals
165: Caleb Dennee (52-0), Marshfield, pinned Bryce Konwent (42-6), Waterford, 1:13.
175: Benjamin Ott (55-3), Glendale Nicolet, def. Owen Griesbach (37-3), Marshfield, 12-9.
Division 3 Preliminaries
106: Roman Schmidt (32-12), Stratford, def. Lincoln Beyer (40-13) Westfield, 10-4.
113: Colin Cournoyer (40-9), Stratford, pinned Sam Peterson (31-12) Lena, 4:55.
120: Trenton Cournoyer (42-8), Stratford, won major dec. over Lakota Brewer (43-7) Riverdale, 15-6.
126: Aaron Knetter (35-14), Stratford, def. Danny Finley (48-5) Parkview/Albany, 7-0; Zade Grassel (42-10), Auburndale, pinned Cade Sowis (24-14), Omro, 3:40.
132: Mathias Kaiser (32-12), Stratford, def. Tucker Cobb (36-5) Marshall, 10-6.
150: Marek Lisicki (44-10) Lomira, def. Kaleb Krummel (34-12), Stratford, 9-3.
157: Nolen Waldner (38-12), Ithaca/Weston, def. Wyatt Malsin (36-15), Auburndale, 17-12.
190: Noah Lucio (39-7), Stratford, pinned Noah Hanefeld (37-11) Markesan, 3:08.
Girls
Preliminaries
100: Ava Gardner (24-1), Marshfield, pinned McKenzie Simonsen (20-12), McDonell/Elk Mound, 0:28.
Quarterfinals
100: Ava Gardner (25-1), Marshfield, won by technical fall over Aini Anderson (24-9), Holmen, 15-0.
Friday, Feb. 23
Boys
Division 1 Consolation Quarterfinals
106: Carter Williquette (27-16), Marshfield, vs. Gavin Meinecke (42-15), Mukwonago
175: Owen Griesbach (37-3), Marshfield, vs. Mark Jeske (37-12), Wisconsin Rapids
215: James Clements (22-8), Marshfield, vs. Ayden Grulke (40-10), Hartford
Division 3 Quarterfinals
106: Roman Schmidt (32-12), Stratford, vs. Blake Underwood (51-1), Marathon
113: Colin Cournoyer (40-9), Stratford, vs. Derek Godard (47-5), Auburndale
120: Trenton Cournoyer (42-8), Stratford, vs. Roger Fiege (37-7), La Crosse Aquinas
126: Zade Grassel (42-10), Auburndale, vs. Izaiah Sanchez (36-4), Shiocton; Aaron Knetter (35-14), Stratford, vs. Rigoberto Tellez (40-3), Oostburg.
132: Mathias Kaiser (31-12), Stratford, vs. Roen Carey (30-6), Mineral Point
144: Colton Weiler (49-1), Auburndale, vs. Briar Naglosky (32-10) Shell Lake
175: Carter Lueck (49-1) vs. Isaiah Nowak (38-14) Coleman
190: Noah Lucio (39-7), Stratford, vs. Tyson Martin (39-3), La Crosse Aquinas
Division 1 Semifinals
165: Caleb Dennee (52-0), Marshfield, vs. Caleb Cady (54-2), Pewaukee.
Girls
Semifinals
100: Ava Gardner (25-1), Marshfield, vs. Iszy Sonnentag (31-2), Cadott.