LA CROSSE – Marshfield, Stratford, and Spencer/Columbus Catholic all had an individual champion, and Stratford won its sixth-straight Division 3 team title at the Bi-State Wrestling Classic on Dec. 28-29 at the La Crosse Center.
Freshman Gavin Drexler won the 113-pound title for Stratford, and the Tigers had three runner-up finishes as well as they racked up 299.5 points to easily win the D-3 title. Lancaster was a distant second with 165.5 points.
Auburndale did not have any finishers in the top 12 at any weight class and ended up in 17th place in Division 3 with 18 points.
A total of 69 teams competed at the two-day tournament, with Stoughton winning the Division 1 title and Luxemburg-Casco taking the Division 2 crown.
After both finished second at last year’s Bi-State Classic, Marshfield (Division 1) and Spencer/Columbus (Division 2) ended up with third-place team finishes.
Gavin Drexler won a major decision over Owen Heinz of Pulaski, 15-1, to improve to 23-0 this season and earn Stratford’s lone individual title.
Senior Manny Drexler (20-3) lost the 120-pound championship match to Jon Bailey of Sparta (19-0), 4-3, and junior Trevor Dennee (170 pounds) and senior Dylan Schoenherr (285 pounds) both suffered their first losses of the season, falling in their respective championship matches.
Dennee (22-1) lost to Kalyn Jahn of Holmen, 9-7, and Schoenherr (22-1) was pinned by Spencer/Columbus’ Logan Zschernitz in 4:14.
Zschernitz, the defending WIAA Division 2 state champion, is now 22-0 this season.
Max Schwabe (132) finished third after losing his first match of the season in the semifinals on Saturday, and is now 23-1 this season.
Marshfield had three wrestlers reach the championship round, with senior Sam Mitchell earning the Tigers’ lone title.
Mitchell, a senior, improved to 24-0 on the season with a 3-1 win over Jacob Bennett of Zumbrota-Mazeppa (Minn.) in the 195-pound championship match.
Nolan Hertel and Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann both suffered their first losses of the season, losing in the championship matches for Marshfield.
Hertel (23-1) lost to Nathan Ronsman of Luxemburg-Casco, 3-1, at 152 pounds, and Schwanebeck-Ostermann (23-1) fell to unbeaten Shane Liegel (24-0) of River Valley, 9-4, at 182.
Other place-winners for Stratford were Hunter Ford (160) and Devin Dennee (152), who each finished ninth.
Spencer/Columbus had three others place in the top 12 of their weight classes. Carson Hildebrandt took fifth at 160 pounds to move to 19-4, Treyton Ackman (20-4) was ninth at 113 pounds, and Ashton Ackman (20-4) ended up 12th at 120.
Marshfield had four other wrestlers finish in the top nine in their weight classes.
Gabe Pugh (22-3, 126) and Caden Pearce (21-5, 145) each finished fourth, Tanner Kanable (20-5) was seventh at 138, and Ryan Dolezal (12-4) took ninth at 132.
Marshfield, Auburndale and Stratford will all host conference matches on Jan. 3. Marshfield goes up against D.C. Everest, Auburndale will wrestle Marathon, and Stratford will take on Athens.
Spencer/Columbus returns to action Jan. 5 at the Lodi Invitational. Auburndale and Stratford will be at the D.C. Everest Invite on Jan. 5.
Bi-State Classic
Dec. 28-29, at La Crosse
Division 1 team scores: 1. Stoughton 356; 2. Stillwater (Minn.) 280.5; 3. Marshfield 261; 4. Waunakee 212; 5. Holmen and Pulaski 211.5; 7. Hastings (Minn.) 193; 8. New Prague (Minn.) 182.5; 9. Hudson 151.5; 10. Eastview (Minn.) 141.5; 11. D.C. Everest 119.5; 12. Orono (Minn.) 114; 13. Tomah 108; 15. Winona Cotter (Minn.) 83.5; 16. Portage 73; 17. Muskego 72; 18. Baraboo and Bloomington Kennedy/Jefferson (Minn.) 68; 20. Wausau West 49; 21. New Richmond 48; 22. West Allis Central 47; 23. Middleton 37; 24. Eau Claire North 23.5; 25. Verona 9.
Division 2 team scores: 1. Luxemburg-Casco 214.5; 2. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro 160; 3. Spencer/Columbus Catholic 126.5; 4. West Salem/Bangor 125; 5. Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson (Minn.) and Oconto Falls 122.5; 7. Viroqua 112.5; 8. River Valley 109; 9. Lodi 106; 10. Nekoosa/Assumption/Port Edwards 103.5; 11. Westby 75; 12. Cuba City/Benton/Southwestern 73; 13. Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee 70; 14. Prairie du Chien 68; 15. Belmont/Platteville 67; 16. La Crescent Hokah (Minn.) 57.5; 17. Monroe 57; 18. Medford 56; 19. Muaston 53; 20. Dodgeville 50.5; 21. Sheboygan Falls 47; 22. Richland Center 44; 23. Adams-Friendship 34; 24. Mount Horeb 31.
Division 3 team scores: 1. Stratford 299.5; 2. Lancaster 165.5; 3. Goodhue (Minn.) 164.5; 4. Caledonia/Houston (Minn.) 132.5; 5. Zumbrota-Mazeppa (Minn.) 125.5; 6. Athens 94; 7. Chatfield (Minn.) 91.5; 8. Iowa-Grant/Highland 85; 9. Boscobel 55; 10. Ithaca/Weston 54; 11. Riverdale and Royall 44; 13. New Lisbon 41; 14. Cashton and La Crosse Aquinas 28; 16. North Crawford/Seneca 21; 17. Auburndale 18; 18. De Soto 14; 19. Hillsboro 6; 20. Kickapoo/La Farge/Youth Initiative 0.
Championship matches, and Stratford, Spencer/Columbus, Marshfield, and Auburndale finishers through 12th place
106 pounds
Championship: Nicolar Rivera (STO) pinned Remington Bontreger (LAN), 2:28.
113 pounds
Championship: Gavin Drexler (STR) won major dec. over Owen Heinz (PUL), 15-1.
Ninth place: Treyton Ackman (SC) def. Joey Novak (NEWPR), 4-3.
120 pounds
Championship: Jon Bailey (SPAR) def. Manny Drexler (STR), 4-3.
11th place: Cael Bartels (CHAT) def. Ashton Ackman (SC), 4-1.
126 pounds
Championship: Reid Ballantyne (STIL) def. Jessie Tijerina (POR), 7-2.
Third place: Julian Purney (GETMM) won major dec. over Gabe Pugh (MARSH), 12-3.
132 pounds
Championship: Braeden Whitehead (STO) def. Garrett Moll (LODI), 12-7.
Third place: Max Schwabe (STR) def. Kieler Carlson (STIL), 6-4.
Ninth place: Ryan Dolezal (MARSH) def. Lowell Arnold (POR), 7-5.
138 pounds
Championship: Hunter Lewis (STO) pinned Dalton Schams (WSB), 3:45.
Seventh place: Tanner Kanable (MARSH) def. Eli Davidson (BAR) by medical forfeit.
145 pounds
Championship: Kyle Cavanaugh (CH) def. Aaron Bahr (WSB), 4-2.
Third place: Luke Mechler (STO) def. Caden Pearce (MARSH), 5-2.
152 pounds
Championship: Nathan Ronsman (LUXC) def. Nolan Hertel (MARSH), 3-1.
Ninth place: Devin Dennee (STR) def. Joe Jeans (BKJ), 3-0.
160 pounds
Championship: Cade Splide (STO) def. Antony Tuttle (STIL), 9-5.
Fifth place: Carson Hildebrandt (SC) def. Aden Elsen (NAPE) by medical forfeit.
Ninth place: Hunter Ford 9STR) def. Hunter Andersen (GETMM), 8-6.
170 pounds
Championship: Kalyn Jahn (HOL) def. Trevor Dennee (STR), 8-7.
182 pounds
Championship: Shane Liegel (RV) def. Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (MARSH), 9-4.
195 pounds
Championship: Sam Mitchell (MARS) def. Jacob Bennett (ZM), 3-1.
220 pounds
Championship: Danny Striggow (ORONO) def. Reed Ryan (WAUN), 14-10.
285 pounds
Championship: Logan Zschernitz (SC) pinned Dylan Schoenherr (STR), 4:14.
Author: News Desk
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