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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – The future of the Stratford wrestling program looks bright as three underclassmen will be making their first appearances at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament this week.
Freshman Anthony Gliniecki, sophomore Hunter Kauffman and junior Dondrick Tackes will compete at the state meet at the Kohl Center in Madison. The tournament begins Thursday and continues through Saturday.
Gliniecki (34-7) will take on Boyceville sophomore Austin Wolfe (33-10) in a Division 3 106-pound first-round match Thursday night. The winner gets Random Lake sophomore Jon Mudlaff (44-4) on Friday morning.
“I’ve always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid, ever since I started wrestling,” Gliniecki said. “I’m looking to get as far as I can. I will try to do my best and hopefully keep going. If I wrestle 100 percent the way that I can, I should do well.”
Kauffman improved to 35-4 on the season after taking second at the Bonduel Sectional last Saturday. He will battle Justin Peper (34-9), a senior from Unity, in a 220-pound first-round match Thursday.
For Kauffman, making it to the state tournament is exhilarating, but not necessarily a surprise.
“I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s a great feeling,” Kauffman said. “Everybody wants to be there by a senior, but being there as a sophomore, I can’t even wrap my mind around it.
“I knew how I could wrestle. I knew what I was capable of. I thought I could have been there last year.”
Tackes has been the Tigers’ most consistent wrestler all season, losing just once, to undefeated Luke Nowak of Edgar, in the teams’ Marawood Conference dual meet late in the regular-season. Nowak is wrestling at 182 pounds at state.
Tackes (34-1) earned a first-round bye based on his sectional title and will take on Devon Wendt of Cadott (34-6) or Austin Hoeg of Greendale Martin Luther (30-2) in a 195-pound quarterfinal Friday afternoon.
“I didn’t think I was going to lose any, but after the Luke Nowak match, it kind of opened my eyes,” Tackes said. “He’s not a bad kid, so I kind of realized what my true potential was and I wanted to build from there.
“Coming off last year from being upset in sectionals, I figured I had to do more. I put the time in in the offseason in the weight room and on the mat, and I definitely saw myself being there (in Madison).”
Co-coach Joe Schwabe said all three guys “have a chance to bring some hardware home” this weekend.
“Anthony’s a pretty experience kid coming in as a freshman. He’s a very strong kid and has really good hips for a little guy. That 106 weight class is wide open, no one is killer dominant and anyone has a shot to beat anybody.
“Dondrick has really come on strong. He came on strong last year and lost in a tough sectional – the top three guys in the sectional medaled at state. This year he’s been pretty dominant. He’s good on his feet, he doesn’t mind throwing and his hips are amazing.
“Hunter doesn’t lack confidence, which is good. He gets the job done. He’s been ranked pretty high all year, as have all three guys.”
2013 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament
Thursday, Feb. 21-Saturday, Feb. 23
Session 1 – Thursday
Division 1 Preliminaries – 3 p.m.
Division 1 Quarterfinals – Approximately 5:15 p.m.
Division 2 & 3 Preliminaries – 7:15 p.m.
Session 2 – Friday
Division 1 Consolations – 10 a.m.
Division 2 & 3 Quarterfinals – Approximately 11:15 a.m.
Division 1 Consolation Semifinals – Approximately 1:45 p.m.
Division 2 & 3 Consolation Semifinals – Approximately 2:45 p.m.
Session 3 – Friday
Division 1, 2 & 3 Semifinals -7 p.m
Session 4 – Saturday
Division 1, 2 & 3 Consolation Wrestlebacks, fifth-place and third-place matches – 11 a.m.
Division 1, 2 & 3 Fifth Place* (Div. 1 on mats 1 & 2; Div. 2 on mats 3 & 4; Div 3 on mats 5 & 6)
Session 5 – Saturday
Division 1, 2 & 3 Championships – 6 p.m.
*All matches can be seen live online at foxsportswisconsin.com and updates will be broadcast throughout all three days on WDLB-AM 1450 and WOSQ-FM 92.3.