MONROE - Darlington junior Devin Malott is knocking at the doorstep of a wrestling milestone.
Malott (30-4), ranked seventh in the Division 3 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, lost a title match in Saturday's Monroe Invite, 5-2, to Cuba City-Southwestern's Jarod Donar, ranked No. 1 at 119 in Division 2.
Malott, a two-time state qualifier, finished the tournament one win away from 100 in his career.
"He (Malott) is not just satisfied to go to state," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "He wants to place high and place at the top."
It's the second straight week Malott lost to Donar. Malott won't forget the 5-1 lead he had the last time before he got caught in a cradle and was pinned.
"I'm not nervous with him," Malott said. "When people see he pinned me, they don't look to see what happened because he pinned Malott. I went down in the rankings."
Darlington senior Dylan McGuire (152) also took second place, as the Redbirds finished ninth overall despite a lineup crippled by injuries.
The Redbirds had just eight wrestlers, since four sat out with injuries and two more were hurt during the tournament.
Malott defeated Big Foot junior Gavin Volbrecht in a major decision, 14-1, in a quarterfinal match. In the semifinals, he pinned Poynette's Jedd Wilson in 5:06. Malott started the third period trailing 2-1. He scored on a reversal that fueled the pin.
"I stayed patient," Malott said. "I don't get all hyped up when I beat him," Malott said. "He was more physical than the last time I wrestled him."
Malott said he could tell Wilson was getting tired.
McGuire lost his championship match 6-1 to Poynette's Brandon Leipart.
"They are both really hard workers," Mathias said of Malott and McGuire. "They have been wrestling a long time. Those little injuries don't stop them. They wrestle through things."
Malott (30-4), ranked seventh in the Division 3 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, lost a title match in Saturday's Monroe Invite, 5-2, to Cuba City-Southwestern's Jarod Donar, ranked No. 1 at 119 in Division 2.
Malott, a two-time state qualifier, finished the tournament one win away from 100 in his career.
"He (Malott) is not just satisfied to go to state," Darlington coach Tom Mathias said. "He wants to place high and place at the top."
It's the second straight week Malott lost to Donar. Malott won't forget the 5-1 lead he had the last time before he got caught in a cradle and was pinned.
"I'm not nervous with him," Malott said. "When people see he pinned me, they don't look to see what happened because he pinned Malott. I went down in the rankings."
Darlington senior Dylan McGuire (152) also took second place, as the Redbirds finished ninth overall despite a lineup crippled by injuries.
The Redbirds had just eight wrestlers, since four sat out with injuries and two more were hurt during the tournament.
Malott defeated Big Foot junior Gavin Volbrecht in a major decision, 14-1, in a quarterfinal match. In the semifinals, he pinned Poynette's Jedd Wilson in 5:06. Malott started the third period trailing 2-1. He scored on a reversal that fueled the pin.
"I stayed patient," Malott said. "I don't get all hyped up when I beat him," Malott said. "He was more physical than the last time I wrestled him."
Malott said he could tell Wilson was getting tired.
McGuire lost his championship match 6-1 to Poynette's Brandon Leipart.
"They are both really hard workers," Mathias said of Malott and McGuire. "They have been wrestling a long time. Those little injuries don't stop them. They wrestle through things."
