RICHLAND CENTER - Monroe senior Traiten Gorr at 220 pounds and junior Kyle Walter at heavyweight each won individual titles to lead the Cheesemakers to the team championship at the Richland Center Invitational on Saturday.
It's the second straight tournament Monroe has won this year.
Monroe junior David Andrews (120) finished second. Junior teammate Cole Murray (132), sophomore Dempzy Foley (160) and senior McKenzy Foley (170) and junior Hayden Arneson (195) each took third.
Gorr improved to 16-0 after defeating Reedsburg's Dylan LeMoine 8-0 in the championship match. After a first-round bye, Gorr pinned Baraboo junior Collin Marquardt in 3:02. In the semifinals, Gorr pinned Richland Center junior Adam Rynes in 2:55.
Walter improved to 15-2 this season after pinning Reedsburg junior Aaron Finkel in 5:36. After a first-round bye, Walter pinned River Ridge's Ben Wheeler in 1:28. He then came through to pin West Allis Hale's Carson McCauley in 2:18 in the semifinals.
"Kyle had to win for us to win the tournament and he knew it," Witt said. "I told all the guys before the finals to wrestle hard for six minutes and they got it done. That was extra motivation."
The Cheesemakers went 7-2 in the nine placement matches they wrestled in the final round.
"It's very exciting," Witt said of the Cheesemakers winning their second straight tournament. "I'm proud and happy for our wrestlers. Top to bottom they worked hard. You never set a goal to win it. We just want to go into a tournament wrestle hard and do what we can for six minutes."
Andrews also got out to a strong start for the Cheesemakers. After a first-round bye, he pinned Sugar River's Max Gerner in 1:24. Gerner finished seventh for the Raiders. Andrews then pinned Richland Center's Cade Furgason in 4:43 in the semifinals to reach the finals. In the title match, Mauston senior Chris Ruf (17-0) pinned Andrews in 4:00.
Sugar River junior John Chenoweth took fifth at 126. Chenoweth pinned Richland Center's Kolten Achenbach in 2:52 to seal fifth.
At 132, Murray pinned St. John's Northwestern Military's Edward Moustis in the quarterfinals in 1:56. Marshall junior Anthony Kanable then edged him 10-7 in the semifinals. Murray took third place when Reedsburg senior Logan Lewerenz couldn't wrestle due to an injury.
Dempzy Foley at 160 pinned Cochrane-Fountain City's Kaleb Stoppelmoor in 42 seconds in the first round. He then pinned Riverdale senior Isaiah Snyder in 55 seconds in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Wisconsin Dells senior Willie Vandeenlangenber pinned Foley in 1:37. Foley came back to pin Marshall's Sam Mithcell in 4:05 for third.
McKenzy Foley pinned Belmont-Platteville junior Grey Genzoli in 3:54 in the quarterfinals. Mauston junior Jared Lenze then knocked him off in a thriller 6-4 in overtime in the semifinals. McKenzy Foley came back and defeated Baraboo senior Hermes Duran 6-1 for third. Duran took second place in the Badger Conference tournament last year.
At 195, Arneson pinned Hillsboro's Jacob Benish in the quarterfinals in 3:03. Reedsburg junior Dalton Hahn (17-0) then pinned Arneson in the semifinals in 4:48. Arneson battled back and pulled off a nail-biting 10-8 win over Riverdale senior Trevor Troxel in a third-place match.
"Hayden was down 3-1 with about 1 minute to go in the semifinal match to an unbeaten Reedsburg kid (Hahn) who is highly ranked and he took a bad shot," Witt said. "He knows he can wrestle with those top kids."
Other finishers for the Cheesemakers included sophomore Sam Kind, fifth at 138; junior Travis Wolf, sixth at 145, and junior Isaac Allen, eighth at 182.
Sugar River's Trent Siegenthaler (220) took sixth and teammate Jonah Thompson finished sixth at heavyweight. Daniel Enloe (220) finished seventh and Tyler Varney (145) took eighth for the Raiders.
Monroe will wrestle at Oregon on Tuesday.
"The focus will be to wrestle hard and go for six minutes," Witt said. "I think our younger guys are less inexperienced."
It's the second straight tournament Monroe has won this year.
Monroe junior David Andrews (120) finished second. Junior teammate Cole Murray (132), sophomore Dempzy Foley (160) and senior McKenzy Foley (170) and junior Hayden Arneson (195) each took third.
Gorr improved to 16-0 after defeating Reedsburg's Dylan LeMoine 8-0 in the championship match. After a first-round bye, Gorr pinned Baraboo junior Collin Marquardt in 3:02. In the semifinals, Gorr pinned Richland Center junior Adam Rynes in 2:55.
Walter improved to 15-2 this season after pinning Reedsburg junior Aaron Finkel in 5:36. After a first-round bye, Walter pinned River Ridge's Ben Wheeler in 1:28. He then came through to pin West Allis Hale's Carson McCauley in 2:18 in the semifinals.
"Kyle had to win for us to win the tournament and he knew it," Witt said. "I told all the guys before the finals to wrestle hard for six minutes and they got it done. That was extra motivation."
The Cheesemakers went 7-2 in the nine placement matches they wrestled in the final round.
"It's very exciting," Witt said of the Cheesemakers winning their second straight tournament. "I'm proud and happy for our wrestlers. Top to bottom they worked hard. You never set a goal to win it. We just want to go into a tournament wrestle hard and do what we can for six minutes."
Andrews also got out to a strong start for the Cheesemakers. After a first-round bye, he pinned Sugar River's Max Gerner in 1:24. Gerner finished seventh for the Raiders. Andrews then pinned Richland Center's Cade Furgason in 4:43 in the semifinals to reach the finals. In the title match, Mauston senior Chris Ruf (17-0) pinned Andrews in 4:00.
Sugar River junior John Chenoweth took fifth at 126. Chenoweth pinned Richland Center's Kolten Achenbach in 2:52 to seal fifth.
At 132, Murray pinned St. John's Northwestern Military's Edward Moustis in the quarterfinals in 1:56. Marshall junior Anthony Kanable then edged him 10-7 in the semifinals. Murray took third place when Reedsburg senior Logan Lewerenz couldn't wrestle due to an injury.
Dempzy Foley at 160 pinned Cochrane-Fountain City's Kaleb Stoppelmoor in 42 seconds in the first round. He then pinned Riverdale senior Isaiah Snyder in 55 seconds in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Wisconsin Dells senior Willie Vandeenlangenber pinned Foley in 1:37. Foley came back to pin Marshall's Sam Mithcell in 4:05 for third.
McKenzy Foley pinned Belmont-Platteville junior Grey Genzoli in 3:54 in the quarterfinals. Mauston junior Jared Lenze then knocked him off in a thriller 6-4 in overtime in the semifinals. McKenzy Foley came back and defeated Baraboo senior Hermes Duran 6-1 for third. Duran took second place in the Badger Conference tournament last year.
At 195, Arneson pinned Hillsboro's Jacob Benish in the quarterfinals in 3:03. Reedsburg junior Dalton Hahn (17-0) then pinned Arneson in the semifinals in 4:48. Arneson battled back and pulled off a nail-biting 10-8 win over Riverdale senior Trevor Troxel in a third-place match.
"Hayden was down 3-1 with about 1 minute to go in the semifinal match to an unbeaten Reedsburg kid (Hahn) who is highly ranked and he took a bad shot," Witt said. "He knows he can wrestle with those top kids."
Other finishers for the Cheesemakers included sophomore Sam Kind, fifth at 138; junior Travis Wolf, sixth at 145, and junior Isaac Allen, eighth at 182.
Sugar River's Trent Siegenthaler (220) took sixth and teammate Jonah Thompson finished sixth at heavyweight. Daniel Enloe (220) finished seventh and Tyler Varney (145) took eighth for the Raiders.
Monroe will wrestle at Oregon on Tuesday.
"The focus will be to wrestle hard and go for six minutes," Witt said. "I think our younger guys are less inexperienced."
