MONROE - Dusty Burkhalter understands keeping the pressure on an opponent the entire match can make the difference in winning and losing.
The Monroe junior received some help in the third period, then executed a takedown in overtime to defeat Orfordville Parkview junior Justin Graham 6-4 to win the championship at 182 pounds in Saturday's Monroe Invitational.
"It's my first tournament win," Burkhalter said. "I came in as the No. 2 seed and I wanted to beat that. Even though we lost two state qualifiers, we can still compete with anybody."
The Cheesemakers had five wrestlers reach the finals. In addition to Burkhalter, juniors Aaron Hesgard (126) and Trevor Gorr (220) also won titles as Monroe finished third with 175 points. Lancaster won with 210 points, snapping the Cheesemakers' two-year run as champions. Whitewater (181) was second and Darlington (76) ninth.
Burkhalter (24-9) trailed 4-2 late in the third period, but Graham was called for stalling twice in the final 30 seconds to send the match to the extra session. Burkhalter finished the invite 3-0 with two pins and he was one of three unbeaten Monroe wrestlers.
"You can stall in a match, but you have to circle and not make it look so obvious," Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "You can't keep backing right off the mat. I'm not surprised by Dusty. I think he was surprised he was taken down earlier in the match and he realized he had to be more aggressive."
Monroe junior Kevin Klopfenstein (138) and sophomore heavyweight Brett Zimmerman each took second place while sophomores Ryan Hughes (160) and Troy Gorr (195) each finished third. Junior Jesse Keizer (120) and sophomore Austin Minder (170) both took fourth place.
Hesgard (25-6) scored on an escape late in the second period of the title match to beat Whitewater senior Nathan Wright 3-2.
"He wasn't tying up so I had to keep trying to get my shot on him," Hesgard said. "It feels good. We had a lot of fans who came to support us."
Hesgard pinned Darlington's Jordan Wang in 1 minute, 30 seconds. He then defeated Lancaster junior Joe Crosby 11-3 to reach the title match. In another championship match that came down to the wire, Trevor Gorr, who is ranked ninth in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 2 poll, scored on a takedown in overtime to defeat Belmont-Platteville senior David Stoney 3-1.
"Trevor needs to be a little more aggressive on his feet," Jackson said. "I think he always plays it too close to the vest in his matches. Trevor always waits for other people to shoot and because he is so strong he gets the takedown. For us as coaches not to have heart attacks, he needs to shoot and get a takedown."
Trevor Gorr (28-4), who was the No. 1 seed, wrestled like it early on. After a first-round bye, he pinned Big Foot's Will Utesh in 37 seconds.
"Coach never really talked about it," Gorr said of three-peating as champions. "I know it was in the back of everyone's mind."
Klopfenstein (27-7), who is ranked 10th at 138, lost the title match to Lancaster sophomore Trenton Cornell 9-4. He opened the tournament by pinning Parkview's Elliot Olsen in 1:19 and then he pinned Clinton junior Derek Forrest in 1:54.
Zimmerman (16-9) at heavyweight, was pinned in the championship match by Big Foot junior Garrett Cary, who is ranked No. 2 and finished fourth in the Division 2 state tournament last year.
Both Hughes and Troy Gorr finished 3-1 on the day. Hughes defeated Belmont-Platteville's Vinny Anderson 6-2 in overtime.
Darlington seniors Brady McDaniel (145) and Tyler Black (182) each took third place. McDaniel defeated Big Foot's David Guevara 6-4 in the third-place match. Black pinned Lancaster's Cody Glass in 1:43 in his third-place match. Darlington senior Eli Humphrey (195) finished fourth.
Monroe's Troy Gorr pinned Humphrey for the second time to lock up third place. Darlington senior Michael Sinclair (120), Monroe's Caleb Rupnow (152) and Darlington sophomore Hayden Black (285) each finished fifth.
"I was hoping to get six in the top five," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "We wrestled as I expected. We are basically an average to an above average team and we were going against above average to great wrestlers. It's been a tough season."
The season may get even tougher after senior Bo Brunkow (132) injured his left knee, had to scratch from wrestling in a fifth-place match and settled for sixth. Mathias said it could be a meniscus or bursa sac injury.
The Monroe junior received some help in the third period, then executed a takedown in overtime to defeat Orfordville Parkview junior Justin Graham 6-4 to win the championship at 182 pounds in Saturday's Monroe Invitational.
"It's my first tournament win," Burkhalter said. "I came in as the No. 2 seed and I wanted to beat that. Even though we lost two state qualifiers, we can still compete with anybody."
The Cheesemakers had five wrestlers reach the finals. In addition to Burkhalter, juniors Aaron Hesgard (126) and Trevor Gorr (220) also won titles as Monroe finished third with 175 points. Lancaster won with 210 points, snapping the Cheesemakers' two-year run as champions. Whitewater (181) was second and Darlington (76) ninth.
Burkhalter (24-9) trailed 4-2 late in the third period, but Graham was called for stalling twice in the final 30 seconds to send the match to the extra session. Burkhalter finished the invite 3-0 with two pins and he was one of three unbeaten Monroe wrestlers.
"You can stall in a match, but you have to circle and not make it look so obvious," Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "You can't keep backing right off the mat. I'm not surprised by Dusty. I think he was surprised he was taken down earlier in the match and he realized he had to be more aggressive."
Monroe junior Kevin Klopfenstein (138) and sophomore heavyweight Brett Zimmerman each took second place while sophomores Ryan Hughes (160) and Troy Gorr (195) each finished third. Junior Jesse Keizer (120) and sophomore Austin Minder (170) both took fourth place.
Hesgard (25-6) scored on an escape late in the second period of the title match to beat Whitewater senior Nathan Wright 3-2.
"He wasn't tying up so I had to keep trying to get my shot on him," Hesgard said. "It feels good. We had a lot of fans who came to support us."
Hesgard pinned Darlington's Jordan Wang in 1 minute, 30 seconds. He then defeated Lancaster junior Joe Crosby 11-3 to reach the title match. In another championship match that came down to the wire, Trevor Gorr, who is ranked ninth in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 2 poll, scored on a takedown in overtime to defeat Belmont-Platteville senior David Stoney 3-1.
"Trevor needs to be a little more aggressive on his feet," Jackson said. "I think he always plays it too close to the vest in his matches. Trevor always waits for other people to shoot and because he is so strong he gets the takedown. For us as coaches not to have heart attacks, he needs to shoot and get a takedown."
Trevor Gorr (28-4), who was the No. 1 seed, wrestled like it early on. After a first-round bye, he pinned Big Foot's Will Utesh in 37 seconds.
"Coach never really talked about it," Gorr said of three-peating as champions. "I know it was in the back of everyone's mind."
Klopfenstein (27-7), who is ranked 10th at 138, lost the title match to Lancaster sophomore Trenton Cornell 9-4. He opened the tournament by pinning Parkview's Elliot Olsen in 1:19 and then he pinned Clinton junior Derek Forrest in 1:54.
Zimmerman (16-9) at heavyweight, was pinned in the championship match by Big Foot junior Garrett Cary, who is ranked No. 2 and finished fourth in the Division 2 state tournament last year.
Both Hughes and Troy Gorr finished 3-1 on the day. Hughes defeated Belmont-Platteville's Vinny Anderson 6-2 in overtime.
Darlington seniors Brady McDaniel (145) and Tyler Black (182) each took third place. McDaniel defeated Big Foot's David Guevara 6-4 in the third-place match. Black pinned Lancaster's Cody Glass in 1:43 in his third-place match. Darlington senior Eli Humphrey (195) finished fourth.
Monroe's Troy Gorr pinned Humphrey for the second time to lock up third place. Darlington senior Michael Sinclair (120), Monroe's Caleb Rupnow (152) and Darlington sophomore Hayden Black (285) each finished fifth.
"I was hoping to get six in the top five," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "We wrestled as I expected. We are basically an average to an above average team and we were going against above average to great wrestlers. It's been a tough season."
The season may get even tougher after senior Bo Brunkow (132) injured his left knee, had to scratch from wrestling in a fifth-place match and settled for sixth. Mathias said it could be a meniscus or bursa sac injury.
