LA CROSSE - Both Monroe junior Traiten Gorr and sophomore Cole Murray medaled at the Bi-State Classic Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Gorr (22-2), ranked 10th in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, finished fourth place at 220 pounds and Murray (126) took sixth place in the 54-team tournament.
In the semifinals, Gorr lost to eventual champion Stratford senior Hunter Kauffman 9-3. Gorr trailed by just two points with about 6 seconds to go in the third period. He tried to throw Kauffman and got taken down to his back. Kauffman improved to 18-0 and is ranked No. 5 in Division 3. Gorr rebounded to beat Burlington's Hegeman Tiedt 6-3. Gorr then lost a third-place match to Lakeville South's Adam Lucast 3-2 in triple overtime. It was a heartbreaker. Gorr scored on an escape with about 30 seconds to tie the match at 2. In the same sequence it turned into a scramble and Gorr went for a takedown that would have given him a two-point lead. However, an official called Gorr for a technical violation for grabbing Lucast's singlet.
"In a match like that, losing it on a violation is tough to take," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "The competition he saw here will prepare him for conference, regionals and sectionals. He had an opportunity to finish better than his seed."
Murray (19-6) scored on a reversal with 14 seconds to go to win a thriller 5-4 over Ellsworth's Cole Skelton. He then used a takedown early to defeat Marshfield's Anthony Kanable 2-1. Luxemburg-Casco's Josh VandeHei knocked off Murray 3-0. In a fifth-place match, La Crosse Central's Jake Obert scored on an escape in the third period to beat Murray in a nail-biter 1-0.
"In the second period, I think he (Obert) should have been dinged a point for stalling and the match probably should have went overtime," Witt said. "It's a huge accomplishment. He came in as the 10th seed and finished sixth."
Gorr (22-2), ranked 10th in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, finished fourth place at 220 pounds and Murray (126) took sixth place in the 54-team tournament.
In the semifinals, Gorr lost to eventual champion Stratford senior Hunter Kauffman 9-3. Gorr trailed by just two points with about 6 seconds to go in the third period. He tried to throw Kauffman and got taken down to his back. Kauffman improved to 18-0 and is ranked No. 5 in Division 3. Gorr rebounded to beat Burlington's Hegeman Tiedt 6-3. Gorr then lost a third-place match to Lakeville South's Adam Lucast 3-2 in triple overtime. It was a heartbreaker. Gorr scored on an escape with about 30 seconds to tie the match at 2. In the same sequence it turned into a scramble and Gorr went for a takedown that would have given him a two-point lead. However, an official called Gorr for a technical violation for grabbing Lucast's singlet.
"In a match like that, losing it on a violation is tough to take," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "The competition he saw here will prepare him for conference, regionals and sectionals. He had an opportunity to finish better than his seed."
Murray (19-6) scored on a reversal with 14 seconds to go to win a thriller 5-4 over Ellsworth's Cole Skelton. He then used a takedown early to defeat Marshfield's Anthony Kanable 2-1. Luxemburg-Casco's Josh VandeHei knocked off Murray 3-0. In a fifth-place match, La Crosse Central's Jake Obert scored on an escape in the third period to beat Murray in a nail-biter 1-0.
"In the second period, I think he (Obert) should have been dinged a point for stalling and the match probably should have went overtime," Witt said. "It's a huge accomplishment. He came in as the 10th seed and finished sixth."
