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WAUSAU – Wisconsin Rapids won its 17th Wisconsin Valley Conference wrestling title in the last 18 seasons as it edged Wausau West and Merrill at the WVC Meet on Saturday at Wausau West High School.
Wisconsin Rapids won seven individual titles to take first place with 189.5 points, finishing just ahead of Wausau West (166) and Merrill (147).
Marshfield finished fourth with 120 points behind a pair of champions.
Mitch Hertel won the 132-pound title for the Tigers, beating Ben Kostroski of Wausau West 4-1 in the championship match.
Justin Sternweis also continued his strong season for Marshfield, taking first at 182 pounds. He needed overtime to knock off Noah Lassa of Merrill 9-7 in the title match.
The Tigers had five third-place finishers and two others that took fourth.
Devon Klement (113 pounds), Ian Gaertner (145), Brandon Baltus (152), Kane Seubert (170) and Mitch Zillman (195) won their third-place matches, while Aaron Sternweis (120) and Austin Mahoney (160) lost to finish fourth for Marshfield.
Marshfield will compete in a WIAA Division 1 regional tournament at Wausau West next Saturday. The top four finishers in each weight class will move on to the Division 1 sectional tournament at Eau Claire North on Feb. 18. The top team will wrestle at the team sectional at Merrill on Feb. 14. The WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 23-25 at the Kohl Center in Madison, and the WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament will be at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison on March 2-3.
2012 Wisconsin Valley Conference Wrestling Meet
Team scores: 1. Wisconsin Rapids 189.5; 2. Wausau West 166; 3. Merrill 147; 4. Marshfield 120; 5. Wausau East 108.5; 6. D.C. Everest and Stevens Point 81.
Final matches
103 pounds
First place: Bee Lor (WW) won major decision over Jack Freix (DC) 11-3.
Third place: Nathan Beyer (MER) pinned Cody Lutz (WR) in 1:05.
Fifth place: Patrick Witz (WE) pinned Ashlyn Tiegs (SP) in 4:46.
113 pounds
First place: Nick Diny (WE) def. Hunter Kuehl (WW) 1-0.
Third place: Devon Klement (MAR) pinned Don Veverka (DC) in 3:38.
Fifth place: Keegan Presley (SP) def. Killian Carter (WR) 2-0.
120 pounds
First place: Colin Baine (WW) pinned Terrance Simmons (WE) in 0:17.
Third place: Kolten Pope (SP) def. Aaron Sternweis (MAR) 7-0.
Fifth place: Hunter Welch (MER) pinned Nathan Fruend (WR) in 0:52.
126 pounds
First place: Joe Umlauf (WW) def. Alex Spatz (DC) 5-0.
Third place: Garrett Schmelling (MER) won major decision over Jacob Schumacher (WE) 11-3.
Fifth place: Ethan Mercer (WR) won major decision over Tyler Hall (SP) 14-3.
132 pounds
First place: Mitch Hertel (MAR) def. Ben Kostroski (WW) 5-3.
Third place: Joe ZIolkowski (DC) def. Brook Whitehead (WE) 5-0.
Fifth place: Marcus Reinhardt (MER) pinned Tyler Kiefer (SP) in 4:00.
138 pounds
First place: Keegan Einerson (WR) pinned Austin Helmer (DC) in 3:46.
Third place: Tyler Engle (SP) def. Matthew Reinhardt (MER) by forfeit.
Fifth place: Lance Daniel (WE) def. Carsten Lovstad (MAR) 9-5.
145 pounds
First place: Rylan Lubeck (WR) won major decision over Travis Hettinga (WW) 17-7.
Third place: Ian Gaertner (MAR) def. Howie Moua (WE) 10-9.
Fifth place: Eric Ball (MER) def. Mark Sebree (SP) 4-3.
152 pounds
First place: Kasey Einerson (WR) pinned Ray Paul (MER) in 5:57.
Third place: Brandon Baltus (MAR) pinned Nick Gore (DC) in 5:42.
Fifth place: Jacob Rusch (WW) pinned Dylan Heederick (WE) in 1:50.
160 pounds
First place: Jake Raflik (WR) won major decision over David Pophal (MER) 19-8.
Third place: Jared Mataczynski (WW) pinned Austin Mahoney (MAR) in 5:53.
Fifth place: Billy Dufert (SP) def. Rory Rusch (WE) 9-3.
170 pounds
First place: Zak Benitz (WR) def. Dylan Detert (WW) 3-1.
Third place: Kane Seubert (MAR) def. Nick Molski (SP) 7-5.
Fifth place: Ben Hintze (MER).
182 pounds
First place: Justin Sternweis (MAR) def. Noah Lassa (MER) 9-7 in OT.
Third place: Jake Stremkowski (SP) def. Jake Hansen (WR) 6-4.
Fifth place: David Lodahl (WW) pinned Kyle Schepp (DC) in 2:50.
195 pounds
First place: Ryan Cone (WR) pinned Richard Witz (WE) in 1;25.
Third place: Mitch Zillman (MAR) def. Ryan Boggs (SP) 3-2.
Fifth place: Schylur Seehafer (MER) pinned Brian Lenz (WW) in 3:04.
220 pounds
First place: Devin Peterson (WR) pinned Tyler Schmidt (MER) in 0:45.
Third place: River Judd (WW) def. Jace Klemm (DC) 3-1 in OT.
Fifth place: Tristan Wilson (MAR) pinned Brandon Wachholz (WE) in 4:54.
285 pounds
First place: Grant Collins (MER) def. Marcus Senn (WR) 3-1 in OT.
Third place: David Hamlin (WE) pinned Ryan Fay (WW) in 3:46.
Fifth place: Justin Pawlak (SP) pinned Brad Schroeder (MAR) in 0:38.