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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MADISON – Indy Spindler came very close to being ousted from competition at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Friday, but the Stratford senior didn’t want his career to end quite yet.
Spindler was nearly pinned by Sam VanTatenhove of Oostburg in his consolation bracket semifinal match midway through the first period before turning the tables and earning a pin to guarantee himself a medal in the Division 3 285-pound competition at the Kohl Center.
“After the first match I felt down,” Spindler said. “(Coach Joe) Schwabe said, ‘This is going to be your last match of the day no matter what, either you are going to be wrestling tomorrow or you’re not, what do you want to do?’ He said, ‘If you want to go out there and you don’t care and want to leave early, then don’t go out. It’s up to you, I don’t care.’
“I wanted to do it.”
VanTatenhove took down Spindler 18 seconds into the first period and almost pinned him, but Spindler kicked his way off his back and in the closing seconds of the 1-minute period he flipped VanTatenhove on his back and earned the pin just before the buzzer sounded.
Spindler (42-5) is guaranteed at least a sixth-place medal and has a chance to finish third. He will wrestle Jordan Zeitler (41-3) of Coleman at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, with a third- or fifth-place match to follow later in the afternoon.
Spindler fell behind early in his quarterfinal match on Friday morning and never recovered, losing to Rance Nofsinger of Brookwood 10-3.
Spindler, who reached the quarterfinals with a first-round pin on Thursday, was taken down by Nofsinger and thrown on his back, falling behing 4-0 after a nearfall was called with 1:15 to go in the first period.
All three of Spindler’s points came on escapes, but he never could take Nofsinger (44-1) down. Nofsinger won his semifinal match and will face Matt Wyss of Boyceville (22-0) in the title match Saturday night. Wyss beat Spindler at last week’s Division 3 sectional.
Follow Spindler’s progress Saturday at MarshfieldAreaSports.com.
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
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