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MADISON – Three local wrestlers came away with state titles as the 2025 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament concluded at the Kohl Center on Saturday.
Marshfield senior Ava Gardner won her second girls state title, defeating Lily Baker of Freedom with a 14-0 major decision in the 107-pound championship.
Gardner, who won the 100-pound title a year ago and placed third at that weight in 2023, finishes the season with a 37-2 record.
After finishing as the runner-up the past two years, Auburndale senior Colton Weiler (57-0) picked up his first state title and completed an undefeated season with a dominating 17-1 technical fall victory over Collin Hamm of Weyauwega-Fremont in the boys Division 3 150-pound title bout.
Stratford senior Carter Lueck also earned his first state championship, and third state tournament medal of his career, with a 7-4 win over William Becker of Pardeeville in the D-3 190-pound final.
Lueck, who placed second last year and fourth in 2023, improves to 48-1 heading into next Saturday’s WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament. Stratford will compete in a Division 3 semifinal at 10 a.m. March 8 at the UW Field House in Madison.
Eight other local wrestlers picked up medals at the state tournament as well, as the consolation brackets were concluded Saturday afternoon.
Marshfield’s Caleb Dennee, who finished second the past two seasons at state, placed third in the Division 1 175-pound weight class. Dennee (50-3), the all-time leader in wins at Marshfield, won 4-1 in sudden-victory overtime against Ryland Schneider of Oshkosh West.
Marshfield sophomore Erika Sleznikow (34-1) picked up a state medal her first trip to Madison as she won a girls 126-pound third-place match over Natalie Klavelier of Hudson with a pin in 3:42.
In Division 3, Stratford’s Trenton Cournoyer took third for the second year in a row as he defeated Auburndale senior Derek Godard 4-3 in a 120-pound third-place match.
Cournoyer ends the season 56-4, while Godard (48-12) medaled for the third-straight season.
Zade Grassl (45-8) of Auburndale took fourth at 126 pounds, losing a third-place match to Mason Dewing of Crandon, 6-5. Grassl took third last season.
Auburndale’s Carson Weiler and Stratford’s Aaron Knetter placed fifth, and Colin Cournoyer of Stratford finished sixth in Division 3 competition.
Weiler (49-12) pinned Holden Volkman of Shiocton in 4:27 to win a 113-pound fifth-place match, while Knetter (50-9) won the 132-pound fifth-place match with a 9-6 overtime win against Cooper Schramski of Cumberland.
Cournoyer (47-8) lost a tight 7-6 decision to Jack Wendling of Valders in the 126-pound fifth-place match.
2025 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament
Feb. 27-March 1, at Kohl Center, Madison
Saturday, March 1
Division 1
Consolation Semifinals
157: Nolan Owen (45-9), Baraboo, def. Grayden Rode (37-10), Marshfield, 10-4.
Third-place match
175: Caleb Dennee (50-3), Marshfield, def. Ryland Schneider (45-7), Oshkosh West, 4-1 (SV-1).
Division 3
Consolation Semifinals
113: Carson Weiler (48-12), Auburndale, won by major dec. over Jared Grimsled (49-10), North Crawford/Seneca, 11-0.
126: Colin Cournoyer (47-7), Stratford, def. Tyler Paulson (37-12), La Crosse Aquinas, 4-2.
132: Aaron Knetter (49-9), Stratford, won major dec. over Clayton Stenjern (45-13), Cambridge, 10-0.
150: Brock Hindeman (30-8), Iowa-Grant/Highland, pinned Mathias Kaiser (43-11), Stratford, 0:36.
285: Jovan Lopez (51-5), Ozaukee, pinned Drew Gage (45-11), Stratford, 2:50.
Fifth-place Matches
113: Carson Weiler (49-12), Auburndale, pinned Holden Volkman (45-14), Shiocton, 4:27.
126: Jack Wending (52-10), Valders, def. Colin Cournoyer (47-8), Stratford, 7-6.
132: Aaron Knetter (50-9), Stratford, def. Cooper Schramski (36-10), Cumberland, 9-6 (SV-1).
Third-place Matches
120: Trenton Cournoyer (56-4), Stratford, def. Derek Godard (48-12), Auburndale, 4-3.
126: Mason Dewing (40-4), Crandon, def. Zade Grassl (45-8), Auburndale, 6-5.
Championship Matches
150: Colton Weiler (57-0), Auburndale, won by technical fall over Collin Hamm (55-4), Weyauwega-Fremont, 17-1.
190: Carter Lueck (48-1), Stratford, def. William Becker (53-2), Pardeeville, 7-4.
Girls
Third-place Match
126: Erika Sleznikow (34-1), Marshfield, pinned Natalie Klavelier (43-3), Hudson, 3:42.
Championship Match
107: Ava Gardner (37-2), Marshfield, won by major dec. over Lily Baker (48-4), Freedom, 14-0.