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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WAUSAU – It took all Brad Dolezal had to stay undefeated and win his third Wisconsin Valley Conference wrestling title.
The Marshfield senior nearly lost in overtime in the 160-pound title match to Wisconsin Rapids’ Garrett Schilling, but Dolezal recovered and gained a takedown and a two-point nearfall with 15 seconds to go in the extra period to win 5-1 and capture his second-straight, and third overall, WVC title.
Dolezal, the defending WIAA Division 1 state champion at 152 pounds, led 1-0 before Schilling earned an escape with 1:15 to go in the third period and neither could gain another point in regulation.
With about 30 seconds to go in the 1-minute overtime period, Schilling grabbed one of Dolezal’s legs and nearly gained control before the two tumbled out of bounds. A few seconds after the restart, Dolezal gained control and got the nearfall to cement the win.
“It was definitely not my best match,” Dolezal said. “It’s the conference tournament and we’d knew it would be a tough match. I just need to move my feet a little more and I think I’ll be fine.
“He was in there deep on my leg, but I just kept wrestling. It was close.”
Dolezal, who has moved into first-place on the all-time wins list at Marshfield, was the Tigers’ only champion as three others – Daniel Barton at 135 pounds, Torin Boernke at 140 and Justin Sternweis at 171 lost narrow decisions in their championship matches.
“Brad’s a counter, he’s never going to give up,” Marshfield coach Don Lang said. “We tossed him with a little throw and took him to his back in overtime. I think it went well.”
The Tigers finished fourth in the team standings, the same place they finished during the regular-season dual meet schedule, with 118 points. Marshfield was short five wrestlers due to injuries and a variety of other reasons.
Wisconsin Rapids on its 17th WVC championship in the last 18 years, compiling 243 points on the strength of eight individual champions and two runners-up. Wausau West was a distant second (184 points) and Merrill was third (161).
“All-in-all, it was a fairly good day,” Lang said. “All of our guys are going down – Barton is going down to 130, Boernke is going down to 135, Shupe to 140, we have a good JV kid coming in at 152, so we’ll have a full team next week (at the Division 1 regional at D.C. Everest).”
Barton lost to D.C. Everest’s Josh Dupuis 4-0 and Sternweis dropped a 3-2 decision over Ryan Cone of Rapids 3-2.
Boernke (35-2) lost for just the second time this season, both coming to Wisconsin Rapids’ Rylan Lubeck. Lubeck won 6-3 with a late flurry in the final minute after the match was tied at 3-3.
“It was a great match,” Lang said. “Bottom line, those are two studs. That’s a 50-50 shot on who’s going to win that. We had two one-counts, and we get that nearfall (in the second period), we probably win that match.”
Wisconsin Valley Conference Tournament
Team scores: 1. Wisconsin Rapids 243; 2. Wausau West 184.5; 3. Merrill 161; 4. Marshfield 118; 5. D.C. Everest 111; 6. Stevens Point 101; 7. Wausau East 97.
Championship matches
103: Jason Munoz (WR) def. Nick Diny (WW) 6-3.
112: Joe Umlauf (WW) def. Garrett Schmelling (MER) 7-0.
119: Colin Blaine (WW) def. Jake Shumacher (WE) 7-0.
125: Nate Hettinga (WW) def. Jake Jarboek (WR) 2-1.
130: Alex Bessette (WE) def. Travis Hettinga (WW) 3-2.
135: Josh Dupuis (DC) def. Daniel Barton (MAR) 4-0.
140: Rylan Lubeck (WR) def. Torin Boernke (MAR) 6-3.
145: Kasey Einerson (WR) won major dec. over Ray Paul (MER) 8-0.
152: Zak Benitz (WR) def. Eric Kostroski (WW) 12-5.
160: Brad Dolezal (MAR) def. Garrett Schilling (WR) 5-1, OT.
171: Ryan Cone (WR) def. Justin Sternweis (MAR) 3-2.
189: Devin Peterson (WR) pinned Tyler Schmidt (MER) in 1:17.
215: Erik Vruwink (WR) def. Noah Lassa (MER) 3-2.
285: Curt Fuller (WR) def. Evan Knutson (WW) 3-2, 2 OT.
Other Marshfield results
112: Third-place match, Alex Spatz (DC) def. Toran Nieman (MAR) 10-5.
125: Fifth-place match, Eric Ball (MER) won major dec. over Ian Gaertner (MAR) 14-4.
145: Third-place match, Josh Shupe (MAR) def. Dylan Detert (WW) 3-1.
189: Fifth-place match, Robert Wille (MAR) won by injury default over Aaron Winch (SP).
215: Third-place match, T.J. Engle (SP) won by injury default over Ben Wartella (MAR).