MONROE - Monroe junior Kyle Walter is excited to wrestle in his first state tournament.
"Being on the wall next year will be cool to look at," Walter said of becoming a state qualifier. "Ten years from now when high schoolers are up there practicing they will look at my name, Traiten's and Hayden's and it's cool to know you are on the wall."
Walter (35-9), who has received honorable mention in the rankings, in his second full year at heavyweight didn't know what to expect when the regional tournament began. He recalls missing out on a trip to sectionals last year by 20 seconds. Making a sectional run and now his first state trip is a bonus.
"At regionals, I knew I would probably be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed," Walter said. "After winning regionals, I was confident I had a chance. When the sectional bracket came out, I knew I would probably lose to (Dodgeville's Payton) Calvert. After I beat him I got more confident. It's a good year to just make it to state."
It marked the first time in four matches that Walter defeated Calvert this season. Walter advanced to beat Cuba City's Aaron McCarthy 4-0.
"Losing to him (Calvert) three times made me appreciate it," Walter said. "I think it helped me get ready for him.
I have to go into state and wrestle with the same intensity I did against Calvert and McCarthy. McCarthy is a junior too. Hopefully, we will have some good senior battles next year like Traiten and Wetter have had this year."
Walter will wrestle ninth-ranked Chetek senior Elijah Whitman (23-11). If Walter wins that match, he would face No. 1 Quinton Reed (48-1) of Wisconsin Lutheran.
"I'm just going to go in there and treat it like Bi-State," he said. "The Bi-State tournament was a big arena and tournament."
"Being on the wall next year will be cool to look at," Walter said of becoming a state qualifier. "Ten years from now when high schoolers are up there practicing they will look at my name, Traiten's and Hayden's and it's cool to know you are on the wall."
Walter (35-9), who has received honorable mention in the rankings, in his second full year at heavyweight didn't know what to expect when the regional tournament began. He recalls missing out on a trip to sectionals last year by 20 seconds. Making a sectional run and now his first state trip is a bonus.
"At regionals, I knew I would probably be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed," Walter said. "After winning regionals, I was confident I had a chance. When the sectional bracket came out, I knew I would probably lose to (Dodgeville's Payton) Calvert. After I beat him I got more confident. It's a good year to just make it to state."
It marked the first time in four matches that Walter defeated Calvert this season. Walter advanced to beat Cuba City's Aaron McCarthy 4-0.
"Losing to him (Calvert) three times made me appreciate it," Walter said. "I think it helped me get ready for him.
I have to go into state and wrestle with the same intensity I did against Calvert and McCarthy. McCarthy is a junior too. Hopefully, we will have some good senior battles next year like Traiten and Wetter have had this year."
Walter will wrestle ninth-ranked Chetek senior Elijah Whitman (23-11). If Walter wins that match, he would face No. 1 Quinton Reed (48-1) of Wisconsin Lutheran.
"I'm just going to go in there and treat it like Bi-State," he said. "The Bi-State tournament was a big arena and tournament."
