DARLINGTON - The WIAA Division 6 state championship football game couldn't have ended in a worse way for Darlington High School senior Taylor Evenstad. Evenstad dislocated his shoulder, and he was forced out of the title game and missed one month of the wrestling season.
Fast forward three months and Evenstad is back on the mat and chasing a state tournament berth with the Black Hawk-Darlington wrestling team. Evenstad (17-3), ranked third at 220 pounds in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 3 state poll, is one of the favorites to win a championship in the Parkview regional Saturday. The top two wrestlers from each weight class advance to the Mineral Point sectional.
Evenstad wasn't going to let his injury at the start of the season sabotage his chances to compete for a state berth.
"It was tough," Evenstad said of dealing with his injury early on. "I'm a competitive person. I'm not the type of person who likes to sit in the stands and watch. It's my senior year, and I wanted to spend as much time on the mat as I could and make a run."
Evenstad missed two tournaments and two dual matches before making it back.
"I sat out one month and wrestling shape is a lot different shape than football," he said. "When I started wrestling my shoulders were sore. I'm getting closer to 100 percent. Hopefully, I can make it to the state tournament and get in more shape over the next two weeks. Every week I feel like I'm getting better. Everything is starting to come together now. I'm peaking at the right time."
Evenstad is looking forward to starting the postseason on the mat. He is focused on earning a trip to the Kohl Center. Evenstad doesn't allow the pressure of being one of the state's top-ranked wrestlers rattle him.
"There is no extra pressure," he said. "You still have to go out and wrestle. You have to get first or second, or you go home. I'm just excited to get into the tournament series because it's what I have been working for. It's exciting for any wrestler or athlete."
Evenstad has lost just three matches this year and they all were to wrestlers who medaled at state last year, including Monroe senior Traiten Gorr, who is ranked fifth in Division 2, and second-ranked Brady Wetter of Dodgeville.
"I have lost to three quality wrestlers," he said.
Evenstad is one of two ranked wrestlers for Black Hawk-Darlington. Senior Conrad Blosch is No. 12th at 182.
Black Hawk-Darlington is expected to contend for a regional team championship and a sectional berth. The Warrior-Redbirds are not in the Riverdale regional that has three of the state's top teams, No. 3 Fennimore, No. 4 Mineral Point and Iowa-Grant, which like Black Hawk-Darlington has garnered honorable mention rankings.
The Pointers have five wrestlers ranked and two who have garnered honorable mention.
"You could have two of the top three wrestlers in the state and only two make it out," Evenstad said of the situation Black Hawk-Darlington faced in previous years going up against conference rival wrestling powers Fennimore, Mineral Point and Iowa-Grant. "We have a lot better chance of getting more guys through the regional to the sectional. It helps out the younger wrestlers because they can build some confidence if they get to the sectional."
Fast forward three months and Evenstad is back on the mat and chasing a state tournament berth with the Black Hawk-Darlington wrestling team. Evenstad (17-3), ranked third at 220 pounds in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 3 state poll, is one of the favorites to win a championship in the Parkview regional Saturday. The top two wrestlers from each weight class advance to the Mineral Point sectional.
Evenstad wasn't going to let his injury at the start of the season sabotage his chances to compete for a state berth.
"It was tough," Evenstad said of dealing with his injury early on. "I'm a competitive person. I'm not the type of person who likes to sit in the stands and watch. It's my senior year, and I wanted to spend as much time on the mat as I could and make a run."
Evenstad missed two tournaments and two dual matches before making it back.
"I sat out one month and wrestling shape is a lot different shape than football," he said. "When I started wrestling my shoulders were sore. I'm getting closer to 100 percent. Hopefully, I can make it to the state tournament and get in more shape over the next two weeks. Every week I feel like I'm getting better. Everything is starting to come together now. I'm peaking at the right time."
Evenstad is looking forward to starting the postseason on the mat. He is focused on earning a trip to the Kohl Center. Evenstad doesn't allow the pressure of being one of the state's top-ranked wrestlers rattle him.
"There is no extra pressure," he said. "You still have to go out and wrestle. You have to get first or second, or you go home. I'm just excited to get into the tournament series because it's what I have been working for. It's exciting for any wrestler or athlete."
Evenstad has lost just three matches this year and they all were to wrestlers who medaled at state last year, including Monroe senior Traiten Gorr, who is ranked fifth in Division 2, and second-ranked Brady Wetter of Dodgeville.
"I have lost to three quality wrestlers," he said.
Evenstad is one of two ranked wrestlers for Black Hawk-Darlington. Senior Conrad Blosch is No. 12th at 182.
Black Hawk-Darlington is expected to contend for a regional team championship and a sectional berth. The Warrior-Redbirds are not in the Riverdale regional that has three of the state's top teams, No. 3 Fennimore, No. 4 Mineral Point and Iowa-Grant, which like Black Hawk-Darlington has garnered honorable mention rankings.
The Pointers have five wrestlers ranked and two who have garnered honorable mention.
"You could have two of the top three wrestlers in the state and only two make it out," Evenstad said of the situation Black Hawk-Darlington faced in previous years going up against conference rival wrestling powers Fennimore, Mineral Point and Iowa-Grant. "We have a lot better chance of getting more guys through the regional to the sectional. It helps out the younger wrestlers because they can build some confidence if they get to the sectional."
