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Cheesemakers, Vikings, Raiders, Warbirds send six to sectionals
M-Connor-Eckdahl2WM

BELLEVILLE — The Sugar River Raiders hosted the Division 2 wrestling regional on Saturday, Feb. 11, sending six of their own on to sectionals. The top two teams and top four individuals in each bracket advanced.

Evansville (183.5) and Belmont-Platteville (171) advanced to the team sectional in Evansville on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Individually for the Raiders, Blake Endres (113), Mason Mau (126), Eli Leonard (152), Ryker Swenson (160), Alex Zielinski (170) and Carson Loshaw (195) advanced to the individual sectionals in Evansville on Saturday, Feb. 18.

After a first-round bye, Endres pinned Race Howlett of Evansville in 26 seconds. In the semifinals, he defeated Garrett Minder of Monroe by a 12-2 major decision. Endres then lost to Ethan Aird of Darlington-Black Hawk by a 10-0 major decision. Because Endres previously defeated Minder, their true second match was a no contest.

Mau pinned both of his opponents on his way to the championship match. There, he won in sudden victory 9-4 over Christopher Karbash of Delevan-Darien. 

Like Mau, Leonard pinned his way to the championship match, where he faced off against Breylin Goebel of Darlington-Black Hawk. Leonard prevailed with a 7-2 decision.

Swenson received a first-round bye before defeating Carlos Ramirez of Turner by an 11-1 major decision. He then fell to Nathan Huff of Delevan-Darien by a narrow 4-0 decision. To wrestle for second, Swenson pinned Landon Busch of Cuba City. Because Huff previously defeated Swenson, the true second match was a no contest in favor of Huff.

After a first-round bye, Zielinski advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3 decision over Eric Halon of Turner. Zieklinski then lost his next two matches but pinned Will Wojcik of Big Foot to secure fourth place and a trip to sectionals.

Loshaw pinned his first opponent in the first period but fell 8-3 to eventual champion Ross Crist in the semifinals. Loshaw bounced back with a pin of CJ Streuly from Brodhead-Juda to wrestle for second. There, he edged Wyatt Egan 6-2 for true second.

Monroe also advanced six wrestlers in Owen Voegeli (106), Minder (113), Carson Menehan (132), Jack Dubach (145), CJ Schuh (152) and Isaac Bunker (285).

Voegeli never faltered, as he pinned his first opponent before a pair of 6-3 and 6-2 decisions. 

In his first match, Minder defeated Connor Flippin of Parkview-Albany by tech fall 15-0. He then fell to Endres by 12-2 major decision. Minder bounced back with an 8-5 decision over Alborz Dehnavi of Belmont-Platteville before a no contest to Endres in the true-second match.

Menehan advanced to the semifinals with a 10-5 decision over Carter Spensley of Belmont-Platteville. There, he fell to eventual champion Danny Hesier of Evansville by a 17-1 tech fall. For true second, Menehan pinned D’Angelo Vernon of Clinton and edged Zack Ries of Tuner 8-2. 

With two pins, Dubach advanced to the championship match against Marcus McIntyre of Brodhead-Juda. There, Dubach prevailed 7-0 to become Monroe’s second regional champ.

Schuh won his first two matches by pin before running into Crist. He lost by an 18-5 decision. In the consolation bracket, Schuh fell to Cody Sullivan of Clinton with short time in the second period. In the fourth-place match, Schuh won by no contest over Brenden Pickel.

Bunker added two more first-round pins to his resume before falling to eventual champion Porter Mandurano of Belmont-Platteville. Bunker then received true second with a forfeit from Kaden Lofy of Delevan-Darien.

Regular-season conference champs Parkview-Albany will send six of their wrestlers to sectionals: Slater Valley (106), Danny Finley (120), Evan Suer (138), Sam Schwengels (182), Wyatt Egan (195) and Wes Egan (220).

After a first-round bye, Valley pinned his opponent in the first period to face off against Minder. Valley fell 6-3 but rebounded to pin Garrett Cotnour of Edgerton with six seconds left in the second period. In the true second match, Valley fell to Blake Frey of Evansville in the opening seconds of the second period.

After a 7-2 decision over Sugar River’s Ashlin Mihlbauer, Danny Finley fell to eventual champion Dylan Weigel of Belmont-Platteville. Although Finley lost his subsequent match 13-1, he secured fourth place with a no contest over Mihlbauer.

Suer, too, fell to eventual champion Owen Seffrood of Darlington-Black Hawk in the semifinals. After Mason Oellerich pinned Suer, he rebounded with a pin of Carter Ries for fourth place.

With an 11-2 major decision and 4-1 decision, Schwengels advanced to the championship match against Owen Hesier of Evansville. There he fell, but Schwengels remained strong, defeating Kaydn Davis of Belmont-Platteville with one second left in the first period for second.

Wyatt Egan advanced to the championship match against Crist with two pins. Egan dropped his next two matches, however, 7-5 and 6-2 to take third.

Like Wyatt, Wes Egan defeated his first two opponents to advance to the championship match against John Wackershauser of Cuba City. The two nearly wen the full six minutes, but Wackershauser prevailed with a pin. Wes Egan responded with a pin of Jacob Wienke of Edgerton with five seconds left in the period to take second.

The Warbirds were the final team to send six wrestlers to sectionals, including four regional champions in Aird (113), Seffrood (138), Maddox Goebel (160) and Crist (195).

After a 17-0 tech fall, Aird defeated his next two opponents by 12-3 and 10-0 major decisions.

Seffrood also dominated in his three matches, pinning all opponents — two in the first period and one in the second. 

Breylin Goebel advanced to the championship match with a pin and 18-5 major decision. There he fell to Leonard 7-2 but rebounded to take second with a pin of Sullivan.

Maddox Goebel won out, despite each match getting increasingly difficult. He pinned his first opponent in the second period, then followed with a 16-3 major decision and 5-3 decision.

After a first-round bye, Crist pinned his first opponent in the first period. He then won his next two matches by a combined seven points, 8-3 and 7-5.

Bunker sent Bryan Lazaro to the consolation bracket with a quick pin. After yet another pin, Lazaro responded with a pin of his own over Oswaldo Mendoza-Cruz of Edgerton for fourth.

Brodhead-Juda also participated in the regional, with three individuals moving on to the next round.

Joe Lohmar (138) wrestled his way to the championship with a pin and 7-1 decision. There, he fell to champion Seffrood. Having defeated Oellerich already, Lohmar took second with no contest.

McIntyre (145) dominated in his first match, taking down Max Kaether of Evansville 14-8. He then advanced to the championship match with a pin. There, Dubach prevailed 7-0. McIntyre took second with no contest.

Streuly pinned his first two opponents — the quickest in 50 seconds — before falling in the semifinals. Although Loshaw pinned him, Streuly took fourth with a pin of Dylan Beighton from Delevan-Darien. 

In the Division 3 regional at Mineral Point, Pecatonica-Argyle finished sixth with three moving on to sectionals.

Aidan Gruenenfelder (106) pinned his way to a regional title, the quickest occurring in 53 seconds.

Lukas Orloff (113) advanced to the semifinals with a pin of Chris Halvorson from Mineral Point. There, Orloff narrowly fell to Brody Miess 5-4. Orloff rebounded with a pin of Ryan Hawkins from Westby but took third with a no contest to Miess.

Jakob Orloff (120) took third, too. He pinned Carson Knight of Riverdale in 58 seconds before falling to eventual champion Amryn Nutter of Fennimore. After a pin of Ethan Stowell from Ithaca-Weston, Jakob Orloff fell 9-1 to Roen Carey of Mineral Point.

Gruenenfelder and the Orloffs will wrestle in the individual sectionals on Saturday, Feb. 18 in Richland Center.

Sectional Qualifiers

106- Owen Voegeli (Monroe), Slater Valley (Parkview-Albany), Aidan Gruenenfelder (Pecatonica-Argyle)

113- Eli Aird (Darlington-Black Hawk), Blake Endres (Sugar River), Garrett Minder (Monroe), Lukas Orloff (Pecatonica-Argyle)

120- Danny Finley (Parkview-Albany), Jakob Orloff (Pecatonica-Argyle)

126- Mason Mau (Sugar River)

132- Carson Menahan (Monroe)

138- Owen Seffrood (Darlington-Black Hawk), Joe Lohmar (Brodhead-Juda), Ian Suer (Parkview-Albany)

145- Jack Dubach (Monroe), Marcus McIntyre (Brodhead-Juda)

152- Eli Leonard (Sugar River), Breylin Goebel (Darlington-Black Hawk), CJ Schuh (Monroe)

160- Maddox Goebel (Darlington-Black Hawk), Ryker Swenson (Sugar River)

170- Alex Zielinski (Sugar River)

182- Sam Schwengels (Parkview-Albany)

195- Ross Crist (Darlington-Black Hawk), Carson Loshaw (Sugar River), Wyatt Egan (Parkview-Albany), CJ Struely (Brodhead-Juda)

220- Wes Egan (Parkview-Albany)

285- Isaac Bunker (Monroe), Bryan Lazaro (Darlington-Black Hawk)