RICHLAND CENTER — The Cheesemakers are sending two wrestlers to the WIAA Division 2 Individual State meet, slated for Feb. 24-26 at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Reaching the pinnacle of high school wrestling in America’s Dairyland are senior Brady Schuh (145 pounds) and junior heavyweight Isaac Bunker (285). This is Schuh’s third trip to state, and Bunker’s first. Bunker is trying to match Phil Austin’s mark in 1971 of placing as a heavyweight for Monroe. While many have tried, Austin’s run 51 years ago was the last time a Cheesemaker reached podium at state. Coincidentally, one of Austin’s sparring partners was Ed Anderson — Schuh’s grandfather and another former state wrestler for the Cheesemakers.

Bunker (37-6) went 4-1 at the Richland Center sectional, with each match ending in a pin. His lone blemish was in the semifinal, where he lost to Belmont-Platteville’s Porter Mandurano (33-9) in the second round. Mandurano would go on to beat Lodi’s Brock Beyer (32-12) in the championship. Bunker had to work his way back into the mix. He beat River Valley’s Brett Bindle (19-14) in third-place match with a first-round pin in just 35 seconds. In the second-place match, Bunker bested Beyer via pin in 1:52. All four of Bunker’s pins were in the first period.

Schuh (38-5), ranked fourth in the state, took care of Prairie du Chien’s Luke Kramer (8th-ranked, 40-10) by a 5-4 decision in the quarterfinal. In the semis, Schuh pinned Lodi’s Kylar Clemens (13-12) at the 2:26 mark. In the final against River Valley’s Landon Radtke (7th-ranked, 41-6) by major decision 14-4.

Schuh will face Kewaskum’s Nic Deheck (34-16) in the opening match at approximately 7:15 on Thursday, Feb. 24. The winner will face Wrightstown’s Nick Alexander (4th-ranked, 32-8) the next morning. 

Bunker (No. 5) gets a rematch of Mandurano (No. 8) right away Thursday night. The winner moves on to face Amery senior Robert Beese (47-4), the state’s No. 1-ranked wrestler in D2.

At 138 pounds, Brodhead-Juda’s Marcus McIntyre reached the state meet, finishing as sectional champion. McIntyre (39-3) won his opening match by technical fall 17-1. In the semifinal against PDC’s Drew Hird (33-12), McIntyre won by a 5-2 decision. He then edged Belmont-Platteville’s Tanner Paulson (32-14) 8-5 in the championship. 

McIntyre, ranked 10th, earned a bye in the state meet and will face the winner of Paulson and third-ranked Ayden Hart (43-5), a junior from Winneconne.

At 126 pounds, Sugar River’s Mason Mau finished second, punching his second trip to the state meet. Mau (38-7) won his quarterfinal match over River Valley’s Noah Radtke (17-11) 9-4 and then the semifinal against Lodi’s Owen Breunig (33-18) 4-3. In the championship against Portage’s Chase Beckett (42-3), Mau lost by pin at 4:56. In the second place match, Mau defeated PDC’s Ryder Koenig (33-15) by major decision, 13-3.

Mau will face GET/MM (34-16) in the opener, with the winner reaching Ashland’s Austin Defoe (40-2) in the second round Friday morning.

One of the top-performing teams at Richland Center was Darlington-Black Hawk. The Warbirds traveled six wrestlers to the sectional, and left with five qualifying for the state meet, finishing third-place or better.

At 195 pounds, Brady Horne (26-6) picked up initial bracket wins over Portage’s Jack Callen (38-9) and Evansville’s Liam Speich (36-15). Horne pinned Callen at 3:34 in the quarterfinal, and then picked up a 9-7 decision over Speich in the semifinal. In the championship, PDC’s Blake Thiry (38-7) edged Horne 5-2. IHorne won the no-contest second-place match over Callen.

Horne faces Winneconne’s Dylan Krings (39-8) in the opener at state, with the winner reaching Baldwin-Woodville’s Max Ramberg (41-3) in the second round.

Senior Owen Huschitt, wrestling at 182, also lost in the championship match in his weight class. Huschitt (38-2) fell to Delavan-Darien’s Cole Hanson (44-2) by an 8-3 decision. To get there, Huschitt had to beat Lake Mills’ Ben Buchholz (18-14, quarterfinal pin) and Beloit Turner’s Cal Ries (42-5, semifinal, 7-2 decision). Huschitt took second place by no contest over Ries.

Huschitt will face Brillion’s Damon Schmidt (39-7) in the first round at state, with the winner getting Northwestern’s Ian Smith (49-2).

Owen Seffrood (31-3) was second at 132-pounds, losing in the championship to PDC’s Rhett Koenig (47-2) by a 6-5 decision. Seffrood took second place via no contest over Lodi’s Chandler Curtis (44-6), who Seffrood had defeated in the semifinal by pinfall with just 16 seconds left in the match. In the quarterfinal, Seffrood beat Big Foot/Williams Bay’s Ashton Robinson (28-10) by 16-3 major decision.

Seffrood will face New London’s Austin Schmallenberg (30-17) in the first round, with Curtis facing the winner on Friday.

At 106, Ethan Aird (35-5) lost to Dodgeville’s Charlie Meudt (32-2) in the finals 10-1. Aird beat Evansville’s Gunner Katzenmeyer (38-9) in sudden victory overtime 11-9 in the quarterfinal. In the semis he knocked off Whitewater’s Jarvis Porcaro (18-9) by pin at 2:35. Katzenmeyer worked his way back in the consolation bracket to finish third.

Aird will face Winneconne’s Chase Sternard (41-9) in the first round, with the winner getting to face Meudt in the second round.

Breylin Goebel (29-4) was third at 160 pounds. He went 3-2 on the day, losing in the semifinal 5-3 to Delavan-Darien’s Owen Chelminiak (34-7). Chelminiak then lost in the championship to win the second-place match by no contest.

Breylin Goebel will face Ivan Veenendall (32-12) in the opener, with unbeaten Braeden Scoles (51-0) waiting in the second round.

Maddox Goebel (36-7) was fourth at 152 pounds, just missing out on state. He lost in the semifinal by pinfall, then fell to PDC’s Maddox Cejka (35-9) by a 6-3 decision in the third-place match.

Elsewhere at the sectional, Monroe senior Garrett Voegeli (21-9) lost both of his matches at 120 pounds by two-points each decision, 7-5 and 9-7. Brady Schuh’s younger brother, sophomore Christian Schuh (23-15), lost his opening match at 132 pounds by pin in 29 seconds, ending his season.

For Brodhead-Juda, Jacob Lohmar (27-14) had his season end in the 113-pound third-place match via first-round pin. Joe Lohmar (20-9) lost in the third-place match at 132 pounds, finishing 2-2 on the day. Both of his losses were by pin, while he won a 4-3 decision in the opening round and was pinned in the semifinal.

Sugar River’s Blake Endres (30-13) finished fourth, getting pinned in the third-round match. At 152-pounds, Ryker Swenson (25-12) lost both of his matches. Carson Loshaw (17-10) won his opener 8-4 before losing in the semifinal by tech fall. He then won his consolation semifinal by third-round pin, but lost in the third-place match by a 10-0 major decision.

At the Division 3 Westby Sectional, Pecatonica-Argyle’s Aidan Gruenenfelder (40-7) placed fourth at 106. Jakob Orloff (32-8, 113 pounds), Kristian Orloff (31-9, 145-pounds), Drew Hendrickson (4-18, 160-pounds) and Tayte Hirsch (28-15, 182-pounds) all competed but did not place.

Parkview-Albany sent three wrestlers to the sectional — Sam Schwengels (14-9, 170-pounds), Wesly Egan (31-9, 220-pounds) and Brennen Brewster (11-9, 285) — but all three missed the podium, ending their season.