WISCONSIN DELLS — Twelve local male wrestlers punched their tickets to the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at the Kohl Center Feb. 22-24. Five of those 13 were sectional champions on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Monroe’s Carson Menehan was the lone male Cheesemaker state-qualifier. Darlington-Black Hawk sends five to state — Owen Seffrood, Breylin Goebel, Maddox Goebel, Ethan Aird and Ross Crist. Four from Sugar River punched their ticket to state — Blake Endres, Mason Mau, Ryker Swenson and Carson Loshaw — and Brodhead-Juda’s Marcus McIntyre and Joe Lohmar are repeat state qualifiers. 

MENEHAN PUNCHES TICKET

Carson Menehan (34-8, 132) was a sectional qualifier last season and got over the hump to punch his first state tournament ticket. Menehan, who is unranked, won his quarterfinal match 7-2. He then fell 5-1 to Dylan Wiegel of Belmont-Platteville. In wrestle-backs, Menehan edged Alex Suhr 7-4 and Nathan Johnson 10-4. The second-place match was no contest, as Wiegel previously defeated Menehan.

Menehan received the No. 9 seed and will wrestle Jake Shaver (27-4) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

“When Carson decides to be aggressive and push to score points, he is very good and can wrestle with anyone,” Monroe head coach Tom Witt said. “He has also had some very close 1-point wins or 1- to 2-point losses where he wrestled very passive — some would say wrestling not to lose rather wrestling to win. If aggressive Carson shows up Thursday night, I like his chances of winning and wrestling on Friday.”

FIVE WRESTLE, FIVE MOVE ON

Darlington-Black Hawk brought five wrestlers to sectionals and finished second as a team with 99.5 points behind state-qualifying Prairie du Chien (118 points). Although team points hold no weight at individual sectionals, the Warbirds challenged the Blackhawks, who brought 11 wrestlers.

All five Warbirds punched their ticket to state as either sectional champions or runners-up. 

“This is a great group of kids,” Darlington-Black Hawk co-head coach Jim Wolf said. “They are self-motivated and always willing to do extra work. We are going to treat this as a business trip. We still have goals to reach. I expect to see these giving everything they have.”

Owen Seffrood (46-0, 144 lbs), ranked No. 1, collected three technical falls for the title. Each occurred in the second period. Seffrood and Lodi’s Braedon Dorshorst met in the championship for the second straight weekend, and Seffrood prevailed once again 20-5. 

Seffrood punched his third straight ticket to the state tournament and is one of 24 undefeated wrestlers across all divisions and weight classes. As a freshman, Seffrood finished second and last season took third. In the 2024 state tournament, Seffrood earned a No. 1 seed and will not wrestle until Friday, Feb. 23. 

Breylin Goebel (43-3, 157), ranked No. 5, earned two falls for a spot in the sectional championship. There, he edged Bryce Lenzendorf of Prairie du Chien 7-3. Lenzendorf, ranked No. 7, was a Richland Center regional champion.

Breylin Goebel received a No. 3 seed and will not wrestle until Friday, Feb. 23. He has qualified for state the past two years but not made the podium.

Maddox Goebel (26-4, 165), ranked No. 3, won his first match by tech fall. For his 100th career win, Maddox Goebel beat Wyatt Moses of Black River Falls 12-6. In the championship, Maddox Goebel edged Jeremiah Avery of Prairie du Chien, ranked No. 4, 5-4. Avery took fifth at last year’s state tournament.

“Getting 100 wins has always been a goal of mine, especially as a junior,” Maddox Goebel said. “I hope to extend those wins at state. Being able to beat a wrestler like Avery will really boost my confidence going into state.”

Maddox Goebel also received a No. 3 seed at state and will not wrestle until Friday, Feb. 23. This is his second trip to state.

Ethan Aird (39-3, 126), ranked No. 2, was a runner up to Reid Spurley of Dodgeville. Spurley, who took the top rank from Aird in the latest Wisconsin Grappler rankings, defeated Aird 6-4. For second place, Aird pinned Sawyer Ostrum of Nekoosa. 

Aird received the No. 2 seed and will not wrestle until Friday, Feb. 23. He finished fourth at state as a sophomore and second as a junior.

Ross Crist (44-5, 190), ranked No. 8, pinned his quarterfinal opponent in just 50 seconds. He then earned a narrow 6-4 decision in semis before falling to Hayden Gyllin in the championship. Gyllin, ranked No. 6, was a Richland Center regional champion. Crist earned second with a medical forfeit from Sugar River’s Carson Loshaw.

Crist received a No. 10 seed and will wrestle Dane Luchterhand (40-11) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

MAU TO MAKE RARE FOURTH APPEARANCE AT STATE

Sugar River’s Mason Mau (42-4, 138) and Blake Endres (44-8, 120) look to finish stronger at this year’s state tournament. The pair finished fifth at state last year at 126 and 113, respectively. Additionally, newcomers Ryker Swenson (43-8, 165) and Carson Loshaw (43-10, 190) hope to find success.

“Blake and Mason know what to expect and are hungry to place higher than last year,” Sugar River head coach Peter Swenson said. “Ryker and Carson know the competition will be stiff, but they will just have to continue what has worked to make them successful up to this point.”

Mau, ranked No. 3, fell to Marcus McIntyre for the second time in as many weeks — this time 6-4. As Mau previously defeated Mason Baumgartner of Prairie du Chien by a 15-3 major decision, he took second with no contest.

Mau, now a four-time state qualifier, earned the No. 3 seed. He will wrestle his first match on Friday, Feb. 23, potentially against McIntyre, the No. 6 seed.

“I have put in many hours with my team and at RT Elite through the years,” Mau said. “I hope to reach the finals this season. I know I can make it and have the ability to do so.”

Endres, ranked No. 4, fell 5-1 to top-ranked Charlie Meudt for the second straight week. Having previously defeated Drake Gosda by a 14-5 major decision, Endres took second with no contest.

Endres earned the No. 6 seed and will wrestle Lane Andersen (37-9) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Swenson, ranked No. 5, pinned his quarterfinal opponent in just 52 seconds. He then ran into Jeremiah Avery, falling 4-1. Swenson worked his way through wrestle-backs, pinning Joe Rufenacht of Monroe and defeating Anthony DiPietro 8-2. Swenson finished third with no contest to Avery.

Swenson received the No. 7 seed and will wrestle Sam Schmidt (42-12) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Loshaw, ranked No. 9, pinned his quarterfinal opponent with just 13 seconds left in the match. He then ran into eventual champion Hayden Gyllin, falling in the second period. In wrestle-backs, Loshaw pinned Austin Fox and edged Kole Breininger 6-3. Loshaw medically forfeited to Ross Crist, taking third.

Loshaw earned the No. 8 seed and will wrestle Deangelo Sardina (38-11) on Thursday, Feb. 22. 

MCINTYRE, LOHMAR READY FOR REVENGE

Brodhead-Juda’s Marcus McIntyre and Joe Lohmar (38-5, 150) return to the state tournament this year, ready to improve upon last season’s performances. Both lost their opening matches and did not wrestle on Day 2.

“Hopefully they learned that every point matters at this juncture of the season and not to give any easy ones up,” Brodhead-Juda head coach Chris Hoesly said. “That it is a big event and arena, but when it comes down to it, the size of the mat and circle is the same as anywhere else.”

McIntyre (39-2, 138), ranked No. 4, pinned his way to the championship, where he defeated Sugar River’s Mason Mau 6-4. McIntyre has defeated Mau for both the regional and sectional title, evening out his two losses to Mau during the regular season.

“Marcus has finally realized that wrestling at a faster pace makes a big difference,” Hoesly said. “He has a tempo that I feel many wrestlers aren’t able to keep up with, and if he doesn’t allow you any room to breathe, it makes a difference in the later match.”

Despite recent success, McIntyre received the No. 6 seed and will wrestle on Thursday, Feb. 22 against Joey Williams (20-2). If McIntyre wins his first match, he would see Mau, again, on Friday, Feb. 23. 

In year’s past, being a sectional champion meant a wrestler earned a top-four seed and would not wrestle until Day 2. In the 2023-24 WIAA regulations, five criteria are considered before sectional champion — head-to-head competition, competition against common opponents, returning state champions, returning second- or third-place finisher in previous seasons and returning fourth- through sixth-place finisher in previous season. 

McIntyre could use the slight in seeding as added motivation. Hoesly said McIntyre wrestles better when he’s angry, anyway. 

Lohmar, ranked No. 3, was a runner-up to Danny Heiser of Evansville. Top-ranked Heiser still defeated Lohmar by tech fall, but Lohmar scored one more point and lengthened the time of the match. Because Lohmar previously defeated Wyatt Nachreiner 3-1, Lohmar took second with no contest. 

During sectionals, Lohmar picked up this 100th career win.

“100 wins for anybody is a huge accomplishment, especially because my freshman year there was COVID, so we were limited to 15 matches,” Lohmar said. “My motivation (for state) comes from the practice room, where Marcus and I push each other to get better. It’s just one more step in life that I could check off on the list.”

Lohmar received the No. 5 seed and will wrestle on Thursday, Feb. 22 against Brody Berg (30-18). 

DIVISION 3

MINERAL POINT — Sectional champion Aidan Gruenenfelder punched his second straight ticket to the WIAA Division 3 individual tournament at the Kohl Center Feb. 22-24. Gruenenfelder (50-1, 106 lbs) was one win shy of a perfect season and state title last year, but this season, he’s already got that loss out of the way.

“I’m thrilled to be back at the Kohl Center,” Gruenenfelder said. “After my season didn’t end the way I wanted it to last year, I’ve been staying laser focused, committed to my training, and I’m going to show up and give it everything I have. I feel as if my loss earlier this season has most definitely prepared me for the 2024 state tournament. It’s better to take a loss during the season instead of when it really matters at the Kohl Center.”

Gruenenfelder, ranked No. 1, recorded three tech falls at sectionals. In the championship, he faced Parker Mlsna of Cashton, who is ranked No. 10. With a sectional championship title and just one loss on the season, Gruenenfelder earned the No. 1 seed. He will not wrestle until Friday, Feb. 23 against either the No. 8 or No. 9 seed.

Pecatonica-Argyle’s Lukas Orloff (42-6, 113), ranked No. 6, was a sectional runner-up to Jake Fitzpatrick of Aquinas. Fitzpatrick, ranked No. 1 and committed to Minnesota State-Mankato, earned a 10-2 major decision over Orloff in the sectional championship. Fitzpatrick is a four-time state qualifier, 2022 state champion and is one of 24 undefeated wrestlers at the 2024 state tournament.

Orloff bounced back for second place, pinning Elliot Kite of Mineral Point. Orloff earned the No. 8 seed and will wrestle Josue Azuara (39-13) on Thursday, Feb. 22. If Orloff wins his first match, he would face Fitzpatrick on Friday, Feb. 23.

“As long as they (Gruenenfelder and Orloff) stay true to who they are, like they have all season long, I believe we will have a lot to cheer about Saturday night,” Pecatonica-Argyle head coach Grant Sutter said. “I know both of these guys have high expectations for themselves. So as a coach, I just do everything I can to prepare them, both physically and mentally, to achieve their goals.”

PARKVIEW-ALBANY SETS PROGRAM RECORD

With one female and three male wrestlers qualifying for state, Parkview-Albany set a program record for state qualifiers. Twice before, the Vikings have sent three wrestlers to state.

Danny Finley (48-4, 126) was one match shy of qualifying for state in 2023, but he punched his ticket to state for his senior season. Finley, ranked No. 9, pinned his quarterfinal opponent. He then fell 10-5 to Alexander Radavich. In wrestle-backs, Finley bested Jamin Crapp 11-6 and pinned Colton Tollefson. Finley took third by no contest to Radavich.

Finley earned the No. 6 seed and will face Aaron Knetter (34-14) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Sam Schwengels (49-3, 190), ranked No. 5, punched his second straight ticket to state. He pinned his quarterfinal opponent before running into Wyatt Ahnen of Fennimore, who is ranked No. 3. Ahnen beat Schwengels by a 16-1 tech fall. In wrestle-backs, Schwengels pinned Jackson Duerr and edged Kadin Rynes 5-2. Schwengels took third to Ahnen by no contest. 

Schwengels earned the No. 6 seed and will wrestle Tellyer Aliz (40-13) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Wes Egan (49-4, 215), ranked No. 4, pinned his quarterfinal opponent. He then ran into two of the three wrestlers ranked higher than him — No. 1 Jackson Shramek and No. 3 Bode Brokopp — to take third. Egan earned his spot at state with two pins in wrestle-backs.

Egan received the No. 9 seed and will wrestle Devin Otto (34-12) on Thursday, Feb. 22. If Egan wins his first match, he will face Shramek on Friday, Feb. 23.

GIRLS

MONROE — In the third year of the WIAA all-girls state wrestling tournament, two local wrestlers cemented their names into history as their programs’ first female state-qualifying wrestler.

Althea Eckdhal (25-9, 120), ranked No. 14, is Monroe’s first female to qualify for state, but the name should be no surprise to Cheesemaker fans. Eckdhal is the daughter of Janelle and Eric and sister to Connor. Both of Eckdhal’s parents wrestled at Knox College, and her brother is a sophomore on the team. She drew inspiration from her family to begin her wrestling career and continue to find success.

“My mom showed me that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to, and gender doesn’t matter,” Eckdhal said. “I have wrestled boys since I started, without thinking about gender.”

Eckdhal pinned Siena Brown in the semifinals, and, with just seven seconds left in the championship match, Eckdhal pinned Shae-Ella Clark. 

Eckdhal earned the No. 10 seed in a field of 16. She will wrestle Kylee Firari (24-6) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Parkview-Albany’s Sydney Coyne (23-5, 235) overcame adversity to earn her sectional title and spot at state. In the championship, Coyne pinned Kaylee Manning of Ithaca-Weston, who is ranked No. 9. Coyne, who is unranked, had fallen to Manning thrice during the regular season.

“We talked about it all week and what she had to do to win,” Parkview-Albany head coach Joel Steinmann said. “She did what we worked on.”

Coyne earned the No. 8 seed and will face Allison Abel (28-9) on Thursday, Feb. 22.

“I’m on top of the world right now, but there is more work to be done,” Coyne said. “I’m not done yet. I’ve got more work to do this week. I absolutely would love all of the little Vikings/Comets to follow in my footsteps and get them to the level I am at right now.”