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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
EAU CLAIRE – Marshfield senior Justin Sternweis can now add sectional champion to his ever-growing resume.
Sternweis improved to 41-1 after sweeping through his three matches to claim the 189-pound championship on Saturday at the WIAA Division 1 Eau Claire North sectional.
Sternweis, along with Marshfield freshman Mitch Hertel, will be moving on to the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament next Thursday through Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Sternweis defeated Merrill’s Noah Lassa for the third straight week in a championship match, beating him 7-0 to add the sectional title to go along with his Wisconsin Valley Conference and regional titles.
Sternweis will face Adair Ebright of Baraboo (40-7) in a first-round match in the 182-pound bracket Thursday afternoon.
Hertel, a freshman, improved to 33-10 by winning the 132-pound championship. Hertel beat Joe Ziolkowski of D.C. Everest 5-3 to move on to the state tournament.
Hertel will take on Alex Kueck of Neenah (34-5) in a first-round matchup Thursday, with the winner moving on to a quarterfinal matchup Thursday night.
The other six Marshfield wrestlers who qualified for the sectional failed to finish in the top two and had their seasons come to an end.
Brandon Baltus took fourth at 152 pounds for the Tigers.
Austin Mahoney (160 pounds), Devon Klement (113), Aaron Sternweis (120), Kane Seubert (170) and Mitch Zillman (195) all failed to place in the top four for Marshfield.
First-round matches at the state tournament start at 3 p.m. Thursday, with quarterfinals taking place Thursday night. Consolation matches begin Friday morning, with semifinals on Friday night at 7 p.m. The championship matches are set to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday following the completion of the consolation bracket.
WIAA Division 1 Sectional
Feb. 18 at Eau Claire North
Top two qualify for state meet
103 pounds
Championship: Bee Lor (Wausau West) def. Nick Diny (Wausau East) 6-5.
113 pounds
Championship: Shane Blackman (New Richmond) def. Quinn Miracle (Chippewa Falls) 9-8.
Second-place wrestleback: Miracle (CF) def. Scott Arneson (Merrill) 6-3.
120 pounds
Championship: Izzy Balsiger (Chippewa Falls) def. Colin Baine (Wausau West) 13-6.
126 pounds
Championship: Joe Umlauf (Wausau West) won majority decision over Alex Spatz (D.C. Everest) 10-0.
Second-place wrestleback: Spatz (DC) def. Jacob Schumacher (Wausau East) 7-2.
132 pounds
Championship: Mitch Hertel (Marshfield) def. Joe Ziolkowski (D.C. Everest) 5-3.
Second-place wrestleback: Abram Anderson (New Richmond) def. Ziolkowski (DC) 8-3.
138 pounds
Championship: Nate Hettinga (Wausau West) def. Matthew Reinhardt (Merrill) 3-2.
Second-place wrestleback: Mackenzie Nutzmann (Chippewa Falls) def. Reinhardt (MER) 5-3.
145 pounds
Championship: Travis Hettinga (Wausau West) def. Mason Reinhardt (Merrill) 3-1, OT.
Second-place wrestleback: Reinhardt (MER) pinned Nick Kirchoff (Superior) in 3:21.
152 pounds
Championship: Ray Paul (Merrill) def. Kolya Hawksford (Hudson) 6-3.
Second-place wrestleback: Hawksford (HUD) pinned Richard Klaver (Rhinelander) in 2:41.
160 pounds
Championship: Tanner Owens (Hudson) def. Jared Mataczynski (Wausau West) 5-3.
Second-place wrestleback: David Pophal (Merrill) def. Mataczynski (WW) 5-1.
170 pounds
Championship: Dylan Detert (Wausau West) def. Eric Peissig (Menomonie) 6-1.
Second-place wrestleback: Peissig (MEN) def. Derek Schindler (Hudson) 8-4.
182 pounds
Championship: Justin Sternweis (Marshfield) def. Noah Lassa (Merrill) 7-0.
195 pounds
Championship: Alastair Keys (Eau Claire Memorial) won major decision over Tyson Bystrom (River Falls) 10-1.
Second-place wrestleback: Bystrom (RF) def. Alex Klug (Merrill) 3-1.
220 pounds
Championship: Tyler Schmidt (Merrill) def. Grant Schindler (Chippewa Falls) 3-1.
Second-place wrestleback: Schindler (CF) def. Ben Regner (Superior) 4-3.
285 pounds
Championship: Connor Hanson (Menomonie) def. Grant Collins (Merrill) 5-1.
Second-place wrestleback: Collins (MER) pinned David Hamlin (Wausau East) in 2:58.