MONROE - Southern and southwest Wisconsin remained a hot bed for football players, wrestlers and track athletes. There were many magical sports moments in Green and Lafayette counties in 2015, from the gridiron to the track, wrestling mat and diamond.
There are many local sports stories that captivated the hearts and minds of fans in 2015. Below is the first part of a two-part series on the top sports stories of the year.
The list is just a snapshot of the most thrilling moments with the biggest impact. While you are eating leftover Christmas cookies, you can ponder what top sports stories are on your list.
The second part will run in Thursday's paper.
Vikings football runs table in regular season
The Pecatonica-Argyle football team went unbeaten in the regular season and won the Six Rivers Conference for the first time since 2008. The Vikings made a run to the state quarterfinals of the WIAA Division 6 playoffs, but lost a heartbreaker 21-17 to Melrose-Mindoro when quarterback Sam Boone tossed the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds to go.
Pecatonica-Argyle finished the season 11-1 and was ranked as high as second in the WisSports.net Division 6 coaches poll. It was the deepest run the Vikings have made in the playoffs since 2006. The Vikings won conference games by an average of 45.3 points per game and had five players named first-team all-conference, including Tyler Wahl who was named the Six Rivers Conference Lineman of the Year.
Brodhead-Juda strong man brings home two medals
Brodhead-Juda's Logan Maurer walked away from the ring for the last time with two more medals around his neck after the WIAA Division 2 state track meet.
Maurer won six medals in his prep career in track and wrestling. Maurer closed out a stellar career on the biggest stage by taking second place in the WIAA Division 2 state meet in the shot put (54 feet, 1/4 inch) and third in the discus with a throw of 165-5. He came just two inches away from repeating as the state champion.
"It's one of those things where I will always remember I lost and was two inches away from repeating (as a state champion) my senior year," Maurer said. "I can't complain about the season I had. I will always remember that I couldn't get it done my senior year."
He was the state champion in both the shot put and discus in 2014.
Maurer threw two feet farther in the discus than he did the year before when he won the gold medal. He entered the state wrestling tournament ranked No. 2 and 48-0 at heavyweight and placed second by losing to top-ranked Chetek senior Cole LaLiberty 5-2 in the championship match.
Gorr grapples to fourth at state
As a junior, Traiten Gorr did something last winter to join his big brother. Gorr, at 220 pounds, placed fourth in the WIAA Division 2 state tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison. He joins his brother, Trevor Gorr as state medal winners at 220.
Gorr came within an eyelash of wrestling for a state title. Gorr closed the season with a 45-3 mark and ranked No. 2. He lost a nail-biting state semifinal match 3-1 to fifth-ranked Sheboygan Falls junior Brady Koller. Koller used his quickness in overtime to score on a takedown.
Albany girls RUN TO FOURTH AT state
When Monroe junior Ciara Kaderly moved to Albany and open-enrolled to Albany over the summer, the Comets girls cross country team moved from a strong team to one that had the potential to be a state contender. With the development of freshmen Kirsten Oliver and Megan Anderson as well as strong contributions from sophomore Emma Guenther and senior Emily Hauri, the Comets not only won a Southwest Wisconsin Activities League championship but won the sectional and finished fourth at the WIAA Division 3 state meet.
Albany was able to achieve all of those accomplishments without senior Sydnee Woyak, who had her season wiped out due to a stress fracture in her foot. Woyak, a 2014 state qualifier, became a relied-on "coach" to her teammates.
Kaderly finished ninth overall and fifth in the team scoring in the state meet.
Argyle baseball back to sectional
The Argyle baseball team for the second straight year made a run to the sectional tournament. The Orioles were in control and had a two-run lead on Highland before the Cardinals stormed back to score six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to stun the Orioles 9-6 in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal.
Rio went on to beat Highland 9-7 to advance to state. However, that didn't make the sting any less for the Orioles.
"I told the guys this one would hurt for a while, especially for the seniors," Argyle coach Jeff Solberg said. "We felt like we were in control. It's actually harder to take a game like this than to get blown out."
Argyle's Collin Argue went 2-for-3. Argyle closed the season at 17-11.
There are many local sports stories that captivated the hearts and minds of fans in 2015. Below is the first part of a two-part series on the top sports stories of the year.
The list is just a snapshot of the most thrilling moments with the biggest impact. While you are eating leftover Christmas cookies, you can ponder what top sports stories are on your list.
The second part will run in Thursday's paper.
Vikings football runs table in regular season
The Pecatonica-Argyle football team went unbeaten in the regular season and won the Six Rivers Conference for the first time since 2008. The Vikings made a run to the state quarterfinals of the WIAA Division 6 playoffs, but lost a heartbreaker 21-17 to Melrose-Mindoro when quarterback Sam Boone tossed the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds to go.
Pecatonica-Argyle finished the season 11-1 and was ranked as high as second in the WisSports.net Division 6 coaches poll. It was the deepest run the Vikings have made in the playoffs since 2006. The Vikings won conference games by an average of 45.3 points per game and had five players named first-team all-conference, including Tyler Wahl who was named the Six Rivers Conference Lineman of the Year.
Brodhead-Juda strong man brings home two medals
Brodhead-Juda's Logan Maurer walked away from the ring for the last time with two more medals around his neck after the WIAA Division 2 state track meet.
Maurer won six medals in his prep career in track and wrestling. Maurer closed out a stellar career on the biggest stage by taking second place in the WIAA Division 2 state meet in the shot put (54 feet, 1/4 inch) and third in the discus with a throw of 165-5. He came just two inches away from repeating as the state champion.
"It's one of those things where I will always remember I lost and was two inches away from repeating (as a state champion) my senior year," Maurer said. "I can't complain about the season I had. I will always remember that I couldn't get it done my senior year."
He was the state champion in both the shot put and discus in 2014.
Maurer threw two feet farther in the discus than he did the year before when he won the gold medal. He entered the state wrestling tournament ranked No. 2 and 48-0 at heavyweight and placed second by losing to top-ranked Chetek senior Cole LaLiberty 5-2 in the championship match.
Gorr grapples to fourth at state
As a junior, Traiten Gorr did something last winter to join his big brother. Gorr, at 220 pounds, placed fourth in the WIAA Division 2 state tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison. He joins his brother, Trevor Gorr as state medal winners at 220.
Gorr came within an eyelash of wrestling for a state title. Gorr closed the season with a 45-3 mark and ranked No. 2. He lost a nail-biting state semifinal match 3-1 to fifth-ranked Sheboygan Falls junior Brady Koller. Koller used his quickness in overtime to score on a takedown.
Albany girls RUN TO FOURTH AT state
When Monroe junior Ciara Kaderly moved to Albany and open-enrolled to Albany over the summer, the Comets girls cross country team moved from a strong team to one that had the potential to be a state contender. With the development of freshmen Kirsten Oliver and Megan Anderson as well as strong contributions from sophomore Emma Guenther and senior Emily Hauri, the Comets not only won a Southwest Wisconsin Activities League championship but won the sectional and finished fourth at the WIAA Division 3 state meet.
Albany was able to achieve all of those accomplishments without senior Sydnee Woyak, who had her season wiped out due to a stress fracture in her foot. Woyak, a 2014 state qualifier, became a relied-on "coach" to her teammates.
Kaderly finished ninth overall and fifth in the team scoring in the state meet.
Argyle baseball back to sectional
The Argyle baseball team for the second straight year made a run to the sectional tournament. The Orioles were in control and had a two-run lead on Highland before the Cardinals stormed back to score six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to stun the Orioles 9-6 in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal.
Rio went on to beat Highland 9-7 to advance to state. However, that didn't make the sting any less for the Orioles.
"I told the guys this one would hurt for a while, especially for the seniors," Argyle coach Jeff Solberg said. "We felt like we were in control. It's actually harder to take a game like this than to get blown out."
Argyle's Collin Argue went 2-for-3. Argyle closed the season at 17-11.
