MONROE — The Cheesemakers are sending seven wrestlers to the WIAA Division 2 Adams-Friendship Sectional — an impressive feat considering neither of the teams two seniors will be in action.

“Stay in the moment and find a way to win,” Monroe coach Tom Witt said of his team’s preparations for the postseason. “I didn’t want them thinking about bonus points or pins — because right now it’s just finding a way to win.”

At 170 pounds, junior Alex Witt (38-6) swept through regionals. The son of head coach Tom Witt, Alex has his eyes on following in his father’s footsteps. Tom was a 1989 state champion.

“Go to state, that’s the goal — that’s always the goal,” Alex Witt said.

During Senior Night in January, Alex honored his father by wearing the singlet Tom won the state title with. Just a few wins away from reaching the highest stage for Wisconsin prep wrestlers, Alex said he is as focused now as ever.

“In the postseason, the only thing that matters is winning. Find a way to win to move on,” Alex said. “Every match my goal is to go out there and just pummel them, no matter how hard they are or where they are from. It’s the same mindset every time of the grind — just keep grinding at them.”

Alex will face Westby’s Grant Fremstad (29-8) in the first round, with Sawyer Helmbrecht of Lodi (24-2) or Bradley Goffinet (27-12) of Cuba City-Benton-Shullsburg waiting in the next round.

“Since I won regionals, I know that I have a kid that took second in another regional. The thing about regionals is winning your first match, because that gets you into the semis,” Alex said.

Joining Alex Witt at sectionals for Monroe are freshmen Brady Schuh (26-10, 106 pounds) and Garrett Voegeli (13-6, 113); and juniors Patrick Rielly (28-4, 160), Julian Gruber (32-12, 182), Kelsey Domingez (18-7, 195) and Bodie Minder (36-8, 220).

“I would say our junior class is our stronghold. We all come together as a class and work hard together,” Rielly said. “This is a milestone for us.”

Minder, ranked 10th in the most recent Wisconsin Wrestling online rankings and the Evansville Regional champion, faces Westby freshman Dylan Nottestad (25-11). In the second round, either Damean Netzler (33-10) of Wautoma-Wild Rose or Richland Center’s Alex Peters (17-4) await. Peters and Beloit Turner’s Cody Krueger (31-7), who Minder beat in the regional final, are rated as honorable mention in the most recent rankings.

At 195, Dominguez faces Wisconsin Dells senior Kayleb Galloway in the first round, with either River Valley’s Brock Mahoney (28-12) or Viroqua’s Tyler Hannah (35-2) waiting in Round 2. Hannah is ranked second in the state, while Mahoney is 12th.

Gruber narrowly lost his regional championship match, allowing a takedown in the final minute. In the first round at sectionals, Gruber will face off against River Valley’s Shane Liegel (41-0), the state’s top-ranked wrestler in the 182-pound weight class. Landon Lockington (28-13) of Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau/Melrose-Mindoro and Langston Brown (26-4) of Wisconsin Dells await in Round 2. Lockington is ranked as an honorable mention wrestler in the state, while Westby’s Conor Vatland (38-6), Clinton’s Zach Wynstra (35-2) and Dodgeville’s Joey Recob (29-9) are each top-12 wrestlers on the flip side of the bracket. Wynstra defeated Gruber in the regional final.

Rielly faces Lodi’s Jack Hansen (17-13) in the first round, with River Valley’s Cayden Robson (32-5) or GETM’s Hunter Anderson (33-10) settling waiting the next match. Robson and Anderson are each honorable mention in the state rankings.

“I can’t give up. I just have to keep on pushing through and conditioning and getting ready,” Rielly said.

Voegeli had was the only Monroe grappler who had to wrestle-back to reach sectionals. Usually Schuh’s 106 alternate, Voegeli bumped up to 113 with a wrestle-off against teammate Kyle Haldiman before the conference championship at the beginning of February. Voegeli faces River Valley’s Jimmy Jennings (29-12) in the first round, while Carlyle Lyga (29-13) of WSB and Chandler Curtis (34-9) of Lodi await in Round 2. Curtis is ranked ninth in the state at 113.

Schuh, who was second at regionals, faces Viroqua’s Cale Anderson (41-2) in the first round. Anderson, a sophomore, is the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the state at 106. A second-round match would be against either Mount Horeb’s Jaxon Pernot (26-12) or Wisconsin Dells sophomore William Van Dinter (16-12).