DODGEVILLE - In a testament to their perseverance, three Monroe wrestlers fought through wrestlebacks Saturday to punch their tickets to the WIAA Division 2 Richland Center Sectional and are one step closer to a state berth.

The Cheesemakers finished the WIAA Division 2 Dodgeville regional in third place as a team and qualified five wrestlers for the Richland Center sectional. Monroe senior Gavin Wels (35-3), ranked third in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, remained in contention for a second straight state trip after winning the 112-pound title match in a technical fall, 20-5, over Dodgeville sophomore Bruno Costa in 6 minutes.

"We weren't even thinking about vying for a team title," Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "We wanted to get as many into the top two and into the sectional as we could."

Wels received two byes before his championship match since Cuba City-Southwestern's Bob Donar was sidelined with a shoulder injury and a Belmont-Platteville wrestler didn't make weight. Despite the fact there was just one other wrestler in his weight class, Wels doesn't take his ticket to the sectional for granted.

"I'm just glad to be back at sectionals," Wels said. "It's not always easy to do. You have to work hard all year."

After finishing fifth at state last year at 103, Wels still is a contender at 112.

"I think I can make a run for the title," he said.

The most improbable comeback came at 140 pounds by Monroe junior Jack Deem (14-20), who battled his way through a 9-4 semifinal loss to Iowa Grant's Blake Welu. Deem won a second-place wrestleback match over Sugar River junior Tom Vetterli, 14-7.

In a thrilling title match, Monroe sophomore Dylan Schwitz (135) came within 1 minute, 13 seconds of defeating Dodgeville senior Andy Phelan (27-4), the No. 1 seed. Schwitz and Phelan entered the third period locked in a 2-2 tie. Phelan pulled off an escape with 1:13 left in the third period to cap a 3-2 win.

Schwitz bounced back in the second-place wrestleback to defeat Iowa Grant-Highland's Kyle Riemenapp, 8-2, to assure a berth in the Feb. 21 Richland Center sectional.

"He (Schwitz) has been getting better and better later in the year," Jackson said.

The other sectional qualifiers for Monroe included senior Michael Ingold (189) and senior Lucas Leu at heavyweight. Ingold and Leu were two of four Cheesemaker wrestlers to advance to title matches.

Iowa Grant Highland senior Cody Halverson (23-11) pinned Ingold in 3:36 to win the championship. Ingold finished second by virtue of his 15-2 win over Mount Horeb-Barneveld's Trent Zander in the semifinals.

Leu, ranked 11th in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, faced a familiar opponent in his title match in Cuba City-Southwestern's Austin McCarthy (38-3), who is ranked seventh. McCarthy defeated Leu, 6-2, for the third time in four meetings this year. Leu (35-9) received a first-round bye, then defeated Mount Horeb-Barneveld senior Joe Klopotic, 7-4, fueled by a pair of takedowns.

Jackson said Leu was more aggressive in the second and third periods.

"That is what allowed him to get that first takedown and the second takedown to win it," Jackson said.

Leu secured a sectional bid by pinning Iowa Grant's Trevor Trace in the second-place wrestleback in 3:13.

Sugar River, a co-op comprised of Belleville, New Glarus and Monticello, finsished sixth overall with 111 points, and qualified two wrestlers for the sectional in senior Kalvin York (145) and Dylan Riley (125), who took second.

York (35-0), a University of Wisconsin recruit who was the state runner-up the past two years, defeated Iowa Grant-Highland senior Justin Washburn, 6-3, in the title match. York, ranked No. 1 at 145 in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, has won four regional titles and has a fourth straight trip to state within reach. York didn't take anything for granted and is primed to win that elusive first state title.

"I have been in this position before," he said. "In the postseason, you have to take it one match at a time. You start out 0-0. It doesn't matter what happened before. It just matters what happens when you come out there that day.

"I'm expected to win. I don't feel that much pressure because I just go out and do my thing. I gave up three escapes, but I pretty much dominated the match on my feet."

Monroe junior Cory Kundert (215) and sophomore Steven Steiner (152) each finished in third place. Kundert pinned Mount Horeb-Barneveld's Seth Killkelly in 3:07 in a third-place match and Steiner defeated Sugar River's Nick Gunkel, 9-3.

Monroe junior Dillon Weckerly (171) finished fourth and Cody Stamm (119) took fifth. Weckerly (29-16) lost a semifinal match, 3-0 to Belmont-Platteville freshman Dusty Jentz, who is ranked ninth. In the third-place match, Sugar River sophomore Mike Nolden led Weckerly 3-2 going into the third period. Weckerly came up with an escape in the final 44 seconds to tie the match at 3. However, Nolden came through with a clutch takedown in the final four seconds to cap a 5-3 win.

"He (Weckerly) kept looking over at the other match to see if he could get a wrestleback," Jackson said.

A wrestleback wasn't in the cards as Iowa Grant-Highland senior Keegan Kite (29-3), who is ranked fifth, defeated Jentz, 9-3, for the title.

"He (Weckerly) had a good year," Jackson said. "You have three tough kids. Unfortunately only two can go."