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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MERRILL – Marshfield will have four representatives at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Madison, including a pair of wrestlers who will be shooting for their second titles.
Marshfield juniors Torin Boernke (130 pounds) and Brad Dolezal (145) will be going for their second state titles at the Kohl Center after winning Division 1 sectional championships Saturday at Merrill High School. The state tournament begins Thursday and wraps up with championship matches Saturday night.
Also qualifying for the Tigers are 160-pounder Trenton Larson and 215-pounder Jordan Koranda.
Koranda followed his Wisconsin Valley Conference and regional titles with a sectional championship Saturday. Larson was trying to do the same, but lost in the 160-pound title match.
Larson will be making his second appearance at state, having lost in the first round last year. For Koranda (44-1), it will be his first shot a state title.
“I can’t look at anyone like they’re nothing because they’re down there for a reason, and I can’t look at anyone like I can’t beat them,” Koranda said. “I have to just go down there and wrestle my best.”
Koranda won with a major decision and two pins, including one in just 1:51 of the 215-pound championship match over Zach Wendorf of Merrill. At last week’s regional, Koranda also pinned Wendorf in the first period of the title match.
“I just overpowered him to his back,” Koranda said. “I’ve been working hard – not getting nervous is a big thing too. If you get nervous you could be a second slower, which could affect the whole way you wrestle. You have to wrestle hard and not worry about anyone, just get the job done.”
Boernke (31-2) dismantled his three opponents, pinning all of them. The defending 112-pound state champion beat Ray Paul of Merrill by pin with 19 seconds left in the first period of the 130-pound championship match.
Dolezal was just as dominant. The 2008 champ at 140 pounds and last year’s state runner-up at that same weight, pinned his first two opponents and beat Conner Monk of Wausau West 11-3 in the 145-pound championship match to improve to a perfect 44-0, one win shy of last year’s win total.
“I’ve made a goal of making it down (to state) all four years and hopefully make it to the end again and get in the final match,” Dolezal said. “This year my ultimate goal is having an undefeated season.”
All wrestlers try to wade through the long season and peak at the end of the season. Dolezal has made a habit of that during his three-year career by putting in some extra work.
“With extra (morning) practices and working on the little things,” Dolezal said. “Watching film and see what you’re doing wrong. Correct everything you’re doing wrong to make sure you have a good focus on the match and what you are doing right at the end of the year.”
“Right now they are both wrestling rock solid, the typical Boernke-Dolezal style of wrestling,” Marshfield coach Don Lang said. “It’s going to be fun to watch them in Madison.”
Larson (34-6) won his first two matches by decision but was handled by Nick Larson of Hudson 16-4 in the 160-pound championship match.
“(Larson) has had a great season,” Lang said. “We knew going into that championship match that (Nick Larson) was really good. We knew it was going to be a pretty tough match for him. Trenton’s been wrestling very well and hopefully we get in a nice bracket in Madison so he can get to the podium.”
Among the other seven Tigers at the sectional, Josh Shupe (135), Daniel Barton (125) and Cale Schliesman (285) all finished fourth
Toran Nieman (103), Justin Sternweis (152), Kody Wilson (171) and Robert Wille (189) lost their first matches Saturday and were eliminated.
Check throughout the week at MarshfieldAreaSports.com for coverage of the four Tigers wrestlers’ trip to the state, including coverage from Madison throughout the tournament.
Division 1 sectional at Merrill
Team scores: 1. Wausau West 119; 2. Merrill 99.5; 3. Marshfield 93; 4. Hudson 84.5; 5. D.C. Everest 70.5; 6. Chippewa Falls 58.5; 7. River Falls 55.5; 8. Eau Claire Memorial 28; 9. Rhinelander 19; 10. Antigo and Superior 18; 12. Wausau East 16; 13. Menomonie 12; 14. Lakeland 5; 15. Eau Claire North and New Richmond 0.
Finals and second-place wrestlebacks (top two qualify for state tournament)
103: Joe Umlauf (WW) def. Wyatt Booth (MER) 7-1.
112: Izzy Balsiger (CF) def. Gordon Johnson (HUD) 8-1; wrestleback – Johnson pinned Peter Wolff (RF) 2:59.
119: Logan Cudd (RF) won by major decision over Alex Parsons (DCE) 13-3.
125: Mitch Barnetzke (WW) won by major decision over Matthew Reinhardt (MER) 15-2; wrestleback – Tanner Owens (HUD) won by major decision over Reinhardt 11-2.
130: Torin Boernke (MAR) pinned Ray Paul (MER) 1:41; wrestleback – Josh Dupuis (DCE) def. Paul 6-0.
135: Jonah Gross (ECM) def. Connor Whitehead (WE) 8-4.
140: Cam Loomis (RF) def. Jake Tatro (ANT) 4-2; wrestleback – Logan Keding (DCE) pinned Tatro in 1:37.
145: Brad Dolezal (MAR) won by major decision over Conner Monk (WW) 11-3; wrestleback – Monk pinned Justin Bloch (MER) 1:35.
152: Kyle Crain (HUD) won by injury default over Seth Trulen (WW); wrestleback – Trulen won by major decision over Ethan Zastrow (DCE) 9-0.
160: Nick Larson (HUD) won by major decision over Trenton Larson (MAR) 16-4.
171: Mat Rieckhoff (DCE) def. Stuart Schindler (CF) 3-0.
189: Noah Lassa (MER) won by major decision over Luke Bowe (CF) 11-0; wrestleback – Tyson Bystrom (RF) def. Bowe 12-6.
215: Jordan Koranda (MAR) pinned Zach Wendorf (MER) in 1:51; wrestleback – Wendorf def. Randy Platek (RHI) 3-1 OT.
285: Nikola Bogojevic (SUP) def. Evan Knutson (WW) 2-1.
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
