MONROE - There are 32 area wrestlers with their sights set Saturday on earning a state tournament berth to the Kohl Center.

Monroe has five sectional qualifiers. The trio of regional champions - sophomore Patrick Rielly (160), senior Sam Kind (170) and senior Dempzy Foley (182) - will be joined by sophomore Alex Witt (145) and senior Tyson Welsch (heavyweight).

"Everyone wants to get to the Kohl Center," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "I think once you get there (sectional), you are one step closer. No matter who you are, you can't take anyone lightly."

Kind (37-5), ranked No. 7 at 170 in the Division 2 Wisconsin Wrestling Online state poll, is looking to return to the Kohl Center for the second straight year.

Kind leads the team with 55 takedowns.

"He's not flashy and doesn't have any big types of moves," Witt said of Kind. "He just wears you down."

In 2017, Kind was a state qualifier at 160. He may have the toughest road to return to state with the state's top three ranked wrestlers in the same sectional in his weight class - and only the top three wrestlers in each weight class advance.

The 170-pound weight class includes top-ranked River Valley junior Shane Liegel (43-0), who was the state champion at 160 last year, No. 2-ranked Viroqua sophomore Tyler Hannah (43-3) and Wautoma-Wild Rose senior Dillon Martin (38-2), who ranks third.

Kind will get a second match in his first-round sectional match against Dodgeville's Joey Recob (33-8). He defeated Recob 9-2 earlier this year in the Sugar River Invitational.

Last year, Kind had to make sure he made weight at 160 each wrestling meet.

"He doesn't have to worry about losing any weight and that gives him more energy," Witt said of Kind this season at 170.

Alex Witt (16-10) is taking on Prairie du Chien senior Blake Garcia in the 145-pound bracket. If Witt wins, he could face top-ranked Mauston senior Teagen Miller (40-2) in a semifinal match.

"He's wrestled some comparable kids, and I think Alex can wrestle with him," Tom Witt said of Alex's first-round opponent in Garcia. "(Garcia is) a senior so he will be motivated."

Rielly (34-8), at 160, will wrestle West Salem-Bangor junior Joe Wopat in a first-round match. A win could bring him a faceoff with Dodgeville senior John Phelan (35-9, No. 7) in a semifinal match.

At 182, Foley (39-4, No. 9) will face Wautoma-Wild Rose's Andrew Henschel (36-4) in a first-round match.

Welsch (33-9) at heavyweight, will wrestle Wautoma-Wild Rose sophomore Damean Netzler (30-9) in the first-round. If Welsch makes a run to the title match, he could face fourth-ranked Albany junior Branden Lange. Welsch has lost three matches this season to Lange (37-5), a state qualifier last year.

"He's been a takedown away from beating him," Witt said of Welsch against Lange.

If a wrestler wins his first two matches, he will qualify for state.

"The semifinal matches are usually brutal and are dogfights because they know if they win, they have punched their ticket," Witt said.

One wrestler seeking redemption is Evansville-Albany senior Nolan Kicmol (152). Brodhead-Juda junior Jackson Hauri defeated Kicmol in a regional championship match 10-6 in overtime last week. Kicmol finished third at state at 145 last season. Hauri (152) is looking to make a third straight trip to the state tournament. He finished fifth at 106 as a freshman two years ago.



Division 3

In the WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional, 10th-ranked Black Hawk-Darlington has nine wrestlers who will compete, while Pecatonica-Argyle has five wrestlers looking to advance.

Both Black Hawk-Darlington junior Kolbe Ubersox, ranked No. 2 at 132 pounds, and senior Tyler Mosley (182) are looking to make return trips to state. Ubersox (33-2) took fifth at state last year at 132.

Mosley may have one of the toughest weight classes in the sectional with four wrestlers ranked in the top 12 of his weight class. That list includes Iowa-Grant-Highland senior Brady Peat, (38-3, No. 1), Royall senior Noah Friedl (36-2, No. 6), Lancaster junior Troy Klein (35-6, No. 7) and Parkview senior Gavin Brown (28-8, No. 11).

Two other area wrestlers looking to make their mark and breakthrough to state are Pecatonica-Argyle junior Lucas Gilbertson (32-8) at 195 and Black Hawk-Darlington senior Brody Milz (220). Milz (31-6), ranked No. 9, has played in the state championship football game in the fall, and he's looking to earn a berth to the Kohl Center for state in wrestling.

Gilbertson has a golden opportunity. In his sectional weight class, there is just one ranked wrestler - Riverdale's Caleb Johnson (42-2), who is ranked No. 3. Four of the wrestlers at 195 have at least nine losses this year.

All seven wrestlers in the 106-pound weight class are freshman. Pecatonica-Argyle's Dakota Doescher (25-9) could have a breakout performance and be in the mix for a trip to state. 

Black Hawk-Darlington senior Paul King (28-7) at 120 also could earn a state trip based on the field. Fennimore's Mason Lull, who is ranked No. 6 at 120, decided to drop down to 113, which likely opens up another state berth at the sectional.