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AUBURNDALE – The Stratford wrestling team will be sending two athletes to the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament next weekend in Madison after they placed in the top three Saturday at the WIAA Division 3 sectional at Auburndale High School.
Andrew Murdaugh pinned all three of his opponents to improve to 39-3 and win the 285-pound championship for the Tigers. Murdaugh, a senior, pinned Emerson Hegeman of Three Lakes 41 seconds into the title match to claim Stratford’s only sectional championship.
Stratford sophomore Alex Heiden finished third at 120 pounds to qualify for state. Heiden (32-9) lost the championship match to Justin Grzybowski of Coleman 20-5 and dropped a second-place wrestleback to Austin Riehl of Shicton 7-0.
Murdaugh earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of the match between Brad DenBoer of Oostburg (38-4) and Ben McFall (31-12) of Iowa-Grant in a Division 3 285-pound quarterfinal on Friday afternoon.
Heiden will take on Mark Meyer (38-8) of Random Lake in a first-round matchup Thursday night at 120 pounds.
Four of the five other Stratford wrestlers at the sectional won their quarterfinal match before losing in the semifinals and in the consolation bracket. Phil Sersch (126 pounds), Derek Dehlinger (170), Dondrick Tackes (182) and Caleb Braynt (220) each went 1-2 on Saturday. Kellen Bornbach lost both of his matches at 160.
Auburndale’s three sectional qualifiers didn’t manage a victory on Saturday.
Wyatt Weiler dropped a quarterfinal match at 132, and Paul Willfahrt (120) and Robert Wiskerchen (145) each went 0-2.
WIAA Division 3 Sectional
Feb. 18 at Auburndale
Top three qualify for state tournament
106 pounds
Championship: Devin Lemanski (Edgar) def. Dylan Willemssen (Athens) 4-0.
Third place: Luke Finnel (Mishicot) pinned Shawn Paulson (Florence) in 1:15.
Second-place wrestleback: Willemssen (ATH) pinned Finnel (MISH) in 2:27.
113 pounds
Championship: Judd Gross (Marathon) def. Jackson Margis (Coleman) 6-2.
Third place: Weston Cracraft (Mishicot) pinned Andrew Kelley (Florence) in 3:07.
Second-place wrestleback: Margis (COL) def. Cracraft (MIS) 2-1.
120 pounds
Championship: Justin Grzybowski (Coleman) won technical fall over Alex Heiden (Stratford) 20-5.
Third place: Austin Riehl (Shiocton) def. Dalton Tietsort (Three Lakes) 7-6.
Second-place wrestleback: Riehl (SH) def. Heiden (STR) 7-0.
126 pounds
Championship: Derek Liebergen (Bonduel) pinned Brandon Trost (Mishicot) in 1:48.
Third place: Brandon Manecke (Edgar) def. Morgan Krueger (Crandon) 8-3.
132 pounds
Championship: Mitch Mergener (Coleman) def. Jackson Brice (Brillion) 3-2.
Third place: Jared Greutzmacher (Weyauwega-Fremont) pinned Carter Shampo (Crandon) in 5:23.
138 pounds
Championship: Mason Mergener (Coleman) def. Brock Kasten (Brillion) 4-3.
Third place: Hayden Krueger (Crandon) won by injury default over Robert Rocole (Wabeno).
145 pounds
Championship: Mitch Champagne (Coleman) pinned Logan Hermsen (Amherst) in 3:01.
Third place: Trevor Potratz (Weyauwega-Fremont) won majority decision over Mason Cracraft (Mishicot) 10-1.
Second-place wrestleback: Potratz (WF) def. Hermsen (AM) 8-6.
152 pounds
Championship: Eric Hahn (PIT) def. Jake Engels (Coleman) 4-3.
Third place: Anthony Lemanski (Edgar) pinned Russell Carey (Tri-County/Almond-Bancroft) in 3:59.
160 pounds
Championship: Mike Mergener (Coleman) def. Matt Nowak (Edgar) 6-3.
Third place: Zech Riehl (Shiocton) pinned Cole Dollar (Florence) in 3:36.
Second-place wrestleback: Riehl (SHI) def. Nowak (ED) 5-3.
170 pounds
Championship: Luke Nowak (ED) pinned Taylor Kelley (Bonduel) in 1:32.
Third place: Jordyn Schaal (Coleman) pinned Joey Johnson (Elcho) in 1:15.
Second-place wrestleback: Schaal (COL) def. Kelley (BON) by injury default.
182 pounds
Championship: Lucas Markiewicz (Coleman) def. William Browning (Brillion) 8-5.
Third place: Tommy Johnson (Rosholt) def. Freddy Fielding (Shiocton) 3-1, OT.
Second-place wrestleback: Browning (BRI) pinned Johnson (ROS) in 5:09.
195 pounds
Championship: Isaac Nowak (Coleman) pinned Joey Tauchen (Bonduel) in 3:28.
Third place: Olie Voight (Pittsville) won major decision over Casey Johnson (Manawa) 12-0.
220 pounds
Championship: Jon Brendemuehl (Mishicot) def. Kollin Long (Coleman) 7-3.
Third place: Zachary Lemmer (Athens) def. Grant Murray (Crandon) 1-0.
285 pounds
Championship: Andrew Murdaugh (Stratford) pinned Emerson Hegeman (Three Lakes) in 0:41.
Third place: Mitch Franke (Marathon) pinned Donald Tourtillott (Menominee) in 5:54.