MINERAL POINT - Darlington junior Devin Malott continued to rewrite the record books as he wrestled his way back to third place at the WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional Saturday and locked up a state tournament bid.
Malott (38-7) at 119 pounds defeated Westby junior Jacob Bakkum, 6-1, to win the third-place match and secure a third straight state trip. Malott is just the second wrestler in Darlington's school history to become a three-time state qualifier, joining Doug Chellevold. Malott holds the school record for most career pins, pins in a season and he eclipsed 100 career wins earlier this year.
"It has always been one of my goals to be a four-time state qualifier," Malott said. "My ultimate goal is to win a state championship. My goal is to be the best wrestler in Darlington. I just want to win a medal."
Malott, ranked seventh at 119 in the Division 3 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, won't be making the trip to the Kohl Center for the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament alone. Darlington junior Mark Brugger (22-11) finished third place at heavyweight by defeating DeSoto junior Frank Ames, 5-3. In a second-place match, Brugger was pinned by Waterloo senior Barney Bergan in 3:40.
"I think if they come out of here after a battle tested day, they are capable of placing at state," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "If you come out of here, you have done some battles."
Brugger won a quarterfinal match 7-6 over Deerfield junior Jaroch Walker.
"The key there was being able to get some takedowns," Mathias said. "He was better on his feet. It was just not quitting and working hard until the end."
In a semifinal match, top-ranked and sectional champion Taylor Henry of Viroqua pinned Brugger in 31 seconds. Brugger rebounded in a wrestleback by pinning Cashton junior Loren Schendel in 1 minute, 50 seconds.
"He's a monster of a kid," Mathias said of Henry.
Brugger's availability to wrestle in the postseason was in doubt after he recovered from a concussion and practiced three days before the regional. Mathias said the team didn't think Brugger would be able to wrestle in the regional, before he received some tests and was cleared to compete.
Malott lost a sectional quarterfinal match to New Lisbon sophomore Eric Oleson, who is ranked third, 14-4. He bounced back in the wrestleback by pinning Kickapoo-LaFarge junior Cameron Segura in 2:53. With the victory, Malott avenged a loss to Segura from his freshman year and he kept his state hopes alive.
Several takedowns fueled Malott in the championship match.
"All this week I have practiced takedowns with my cousin, Josh," he said. "It really showed today. I had to really be shooting and aggressive to take away his offense."
Darlington had two other wrestlers at the sectional, including freshman Bo Brunkow (103) and senior Dylan McGuire (152), but neither qualified for state. Brunkow was pinned by DeSoto's Evan Miller in 1:12 and McGuire was pinned in 32 seconds by New Lisbon's Cobretti Forsythe, who is ranked fourth
Pecatonica-Argyle senior Joe Rolfsmeyer just missed qualifying for state after being pinned by Viroqua junior Andrew Strachan in 3:04. Rolfsmeyer lost a sectional quarterfinal match to River Ridge-Cassville junior Ryan Vogt, 8-1.
"I don't know if he was mentally in it," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Ike Campbell said of Rolfsmeyer's quarterfinal match. "The first match, he just didn't have that fire.
"He's a very strong, physical and athletic kid," Campbell said of Rolfsmeyer. "When he puts his mind to it, he can wrestle with the best of them."
He bounced back winning a wrestleback after pinning Riverdale's Alex Beckius in 1:20.
"I went into that match really psyched," Rolfsmeyer said. "I knew I wanted it more than that kid. When it came down to whether I won or lost, I wanted it to be a great match. I wanted to put all my energy into that and it showed."
Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Chris James lost his first match to Riverdale's Chris Bart, 13-7, and didn't get a wrestleback.
Black Hawk had four wrestlers at the sectional, including junior Isaac Sigafus (112), senior A.J. Meligan (130), junior Jiri Benda (152) and senior Carl Ruegsegger (189), but none qualified for state.
Sigafus won his quarterfinal match over Lancaster senior Nick Wepking, 7-5.
"That first match was critical," Black Hawk coach Jim Seffrood said.
New Lisbon sophomore Zachary Oleson, who is ranked fourth, then pinned him in the semifinals in 1:25. In the wrestleback, Sigafus was pinned by Kickapoo-LaFarge's Dustin Clements in 3:17.
Mineral Point junior Trevor Yager, who is ranked third, pinned Meligan in 47 seconds in a quarterfinal match. Meligan then lost a wrestleback to Strachan, who is ranked sixth, by pin in 1:27.
Benda, a foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic, was pinned by Riverdale's Andy Chitwood in 2:30 in the quarterfinals. Forsythe pinned Benda in 41 seconds in the wrestleback.
"(Benda) didn't know a thing when he stepped on the mat," Seffrood said. "He's a boxer. That is what is helping him out. It makes a coach feel good when kids are learning and you can get that done."
DeSoto junior Andy Lee pinned Ruegsegger in 1:24. In the wrestleback, Ruegsegger was pinned by La Crosse Aquinas senior Matthew Gordon, who is ranked third, in 2:38.
"I was hoping for a win there," Seffrood said of Ruegsegger's quarterfinal match against Lee. "(Lee) wrestles the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state at 215 every day in practice."
Malott (38-7) at 119 pounds defeated Westby junior Jacob Bakkum, 6-1, to win the third-place match and secure a third straight state trip. Malott is just the second wrestler in Darlington's school history to become a three-time state qualifier, joining Doug Chellevold. Malott holds the school record for most career pins, pins in a season and he eclipsed 100 career wins earlier this year.
"It has always been one of my goals to be a four-time state qualifier," Malott said. "My ultimate goal is to win a state championship. My goal is to be the best wrestler in Darlington. I just want to win a medal."
Malott, ranked seventh at 119 in the Division 3 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, won't be making the trip to the Kohl Center for the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament alone. Darlington junior Mark Brugger (22-11) finished third place at heavyweight by defeating DeSoto junior Frank Ames, 5-3. In a second-place match, Brugger was pinned by Waterloo senior Barney Bergan in 3:40.
"I think if they come out of here after a battle tested day, they are capable of placing at state," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "If you come out of here, you have done some battles."
Brugger won a quarterfinal match 7-6 over Deerfield junior Jaroch Walker.
"The key there was being able to get some takedowns," Mathias said. "He was better on his feet. It was just not quitting and working hard until the end."
In a semifinal match, top-ranked and sectional champion Taylor Henry of Viroqua pinned Brugger in 31 seconds. Brugger rebounded in a wrestleback by pinning Cashton junior Loren Schendel in 1 minute, 50 seconds.
"He's a monster of a kid," Mathias said of Henry.
Brugger's availability to wrestle in the postseason was in doubt after he recovered from a concussion and practiced three days before the regional. Mathias said the team didn't think Brugger would be able to wrestle in the regional, before he received some tests and was cleared to compete.
Malott lost a sectional quarterfinal match to New Lisbon sophomore Eric Oleson, who is ranked third, 14-4. He bounced back in the wrestleback by pinning Kickapoo-LaFarge junior Cameron Segura in 2:53. With the victory, Malott avenged a loss to Segura from his freshman year and he kept his state hopes alive.
Several takedowns fueled Malott in the championship match.
"All this week I have practiced takedowns with my cousin, Josh," he said. "It really showed today. I had to really be shooting and aggressive to take away his offense."
Darlington had two other wrestlers at the sectional, including freshman Bo Brunkow (103) and senior Dylan McGuire (152), but neither qualified for state. Brunkow was pinned by DeSoto's Evan Miller in 1:12 and McGuire was pinned in 32 seconds by New Lisbon's Cobretti Forsythe, who is ranked fourth
Pecatonica-Argyle senior Joe Rolfsmeyer just missed qualifying for state after being pinned by Viroqua junior Andrew Strachan in 3:04. Rolfsmeyer lost a sectional quarterfinal match to River Ridge-Cassville junior Ryan Vogt, 8-1.
"I don't know if he was mentally in it," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Ike Campbell said of Rolfsmeyer's quarterfinal match. "The first match, he just didn't have that fire.
"He's a very strong, physical and athletic kid," Campbell said of Rolfsmeyer. "When he puts his mind to it, he can wrestle with the best of them."
He bounced back winning a wrestleback after pinning Riverdale's Alex Beckius in 1:20.
"I went into that match really psyched," Rolfsmeyer said. "I knew I wanted it more than that kid. When it came down to whether I won or lost, I wanted it to be a great match. I wanted to put all my energy into that and it showed."
Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Chris James lost his first match to Riverdale's Chris Bart, 13-7, and didn't get a wrestleback.
Black Hawk had four wrestlers at the sectional, including junior Isaac Sigafus (112), senior A.J. Meligan (130), junior Jiri Benda (152) and senior Carl Ruegsegger (189), but none qualified for state.
Sigafus won his quarterfinal match over Lancaster senior Nick Wepking, 7-5.
"That first match was critical," Black Hawk coach Jim Seffrood said.
New Lisbon sophomore Zachary Oleson, who is ranked fourth, then pinned him in the semifinals in 1:25. In the wrestleback, Sigafus was pinned by Kickapoo-LaFarge's Dustin Clements in 3:17.
Mineral Point junior Trevor Yager, who is ranked third, pinned Meligan in 47 seconds in a quarterfinal match. Meligan then lost a wrestleback to Strachan, who is ranked sixth, by pin in 1:27.
Benda, a foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic, was pinned by Riverdale's Andy Chitwood in 2:30 in the quarterfinals. Forsythe pinned Benda in 41 seconds in the wrestleback.
"(Benda) didn't know a thing when he stepped on the mat," Seffrood said. "He's a boxer. That is what is helping him out. It makes a coach feel good when kids are learning and you can get that done."
DeSoto junior Andy Lee pinned Ruegsegger in 1:24. In the wrestleback, Ruegsegger was pinned by La Crosse Aquinas senior Matthew Gordon, who is ranked third, in 2:38.
"I was hoping for a win there," Seffrood said of Ruegsegger's quarterfinal match against Lee. "(Lee) wrestles the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state at 215 every day in practice."
