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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield juniors Brad Dolezal and Torin Boernke are in a unique situation.
The two have wrestled in state and national tournaments together since the sixth grade, both have qualified for the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament for the third time in their three-year varsity careers and both have won state championships. The one thing that has eluded them is winning a WIAA state title in the same year.
That could change as Dolezal and Boernke head into the state meet as two of the favorites in their weight classes. The two, along with teammates Trenton Larson and Jordan Koranda, begin their quests for state championships Thursday afternoon with preliminary and quarterfinal matches.
“We’ve went to state tournaments and national tournaments and that has prepared us for this,” Dolezal said. “We’re really close friends. Talking to some people and they said that would be really cool if me and Torin would win it in the same year, that would be a really good goal. It would be exciting to do that this year.”
Dolezal, the 2008 Division 1 140-pound champ and the runner-up at the same weight last year, brings a 44-0 record into his 145-pound preliminary match against Brandon VanSchyndel (37-8) of Kaukauna on Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Marshfield coach Don Lang said it is going to be a big task to keep Dolezal from winning his second state title.
“If Brad just keeps wrestling the way he has this whole year, it’s going to take one solid effort from an individual to beat him,” Lang said. “If he keeps wrestling his style – high-energy wrestling, non-stop, go, go, go – no one’s going to stop him. But you always have to be on the top of your game, go into every match with the same mentality.”
Boernke briefly left the team in the middle of the season, but returned with a new outlook and mentality. He takes a 31-2 record into his first-round match against Taylor Wirtz (29-14) of Greenfield.
Boernke had three pins in Saturday’s sectional meet and feels like he is wrestling at his best as he strives for back-to-back state championships.
“After I came back, I definitely came back with a better mindset,” Boernke said. “I think that I have reached a peak now, and at a good time.”
The chance to win another title, and hopefully join Dolezal as a two-time state champion for Marshfield, has driven him.
“We have a lot of history and have become really close friends,” Boernke said. “We’d really like to see each other win and help each other get there. That opportunity is pretty amazing.
“It’s always going to be tough, there’s a lot of tough competitors. There’s always a lot of close matches that could go either way, but if we wrestle the way we can, I definitely think it’s possible.”
Larson feeling confident
Another wrestler who feels he is peaking at the right time is Trenton Larson, who won Wisconsin Valley Conference and Division 1 regional titles, before finishing second at the sectional last week.
Larson (34-6) will take on Justin McFarland (42-2) of Watertown in his opening match Thursday afternoon.
“The conference and regional tournaments gave me a good test to see where I was at heading into sectionals,” said Larson, who lost his first-round match at the state tournament last year. “That gave me a lot of confidence.”
Larson said he has been staying positive after losing 16-4 to Nick Larson of Hudson in the 160-pound sectional finals. Lang said he feels Larson has a great shot to earn a medal this year based on the way he has been competing recently.
“Trenton’s going to have to be on top of his game and be ready for some quick shots (against McFarland),” Lang said. “Regardless of what happens in that first match, we feel he has a good shot at getting to the podium (top-six finish), however it plays out.”
Larson said he learned a few things from last year’s trip to state.
“I think having the experience down there makes you more prepared, you know what’s coming,” he said.
Koranda looks to make most of first trip to state
Jordan Koranda came close to make the state tournament last year, but knowing this year was his last shot as a senior, he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him.
Koranda dominated his competition at 215 pounds in the regional and sectional tournaments and brings a 44-1 record into his first-round match against Kolby Knuth (33-3) of Appleton North on Thursday.
“I’m going to be really excited and nervous at the same time,” Koranda said. “Hopefully I can control both of them and wrestle the way I have been all year. I’ve watched tape from the beginning of the year until now and I have been doing a lot of stuff better. If I can keep that up, I’ll be fine.”
On the horizon is a potential semifinal match against undefeated Alex Polizzi (42-0) of Beloit Memorial, who finished second at state a year ago.
“It’s something I am looking forward to,” said Koranda, who is one pin shy of setting a new single season pin record at Marshfield. “I have to win every match, I have to take it one match at a time, but it’s definitely in the back of my head. If I win the first two, it’s definitely going to be a really tough one. The first two are the most important.”
Lang calls the potential semifinal a “marquee matchup” in the 215-pound division.
“Don’t count Koranda out. He’s wrestled really well this year,” Lang said. “His only loss came to a guy from Minnesota who was ranked No. 1 and he lost in overtime at Bi-State (La Crosse tournament in December). If it does happen, I would encourage everyone to come down and watch because that will be a fun one to watch.”
The Tigers wrestle in one of the best conferences in the state, evidenced by the success of Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau West in the past, and they don’t shy away from taking on tough nonconference competition in tournaments throughout the season as well. That only prepares Marshfield’s wrestlers for the state meet.
“I don’t think there will be anything out of the realm that we’ve seen all season,” Lang said. “If we can wrestle our style and get into the situations we want to get into, we have a good shot at getting to the podium with all four of our wrestlers.”
Check out continuous coverage of all the area wrestlers from the WIAA state tournament beginning Thursday at MarshfieldAreaSports.com.
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
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