MADISON - Two Monroe wrestlers were not as high up on the podium Saturday at the WIAA State Individual Tournament as they would have liked, but both left the Kohl Center feeling strong.
Junior Gavin Wels and senior Kyle Klopfenstein claimed fifth- and sixth-place medals, respectively, for the Cheesemakers in Division 2.
In the 103-pound division, Wels used a late flurry in the final 19 seconds of the fifth-place match to score three points on Mondovi junior Mike Peterson and turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory. After a series of restarts due to Peterson working Wels' neck and the referee whistling for potentially dangerous action, the Cheesemaker reached back for one final push.
Wels escaped the waist grip of Peterson right after the whistle at 19 seconds, then found a patch of daylight to take down his combatant just before the buzzer sounded for the winning two points.
"It looked like almost he was going to shut down and say 'OK, I lost'," Monroe head coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "The only I advice I had for him was that he pressured the issues and he was moving around and using his quickness like it was panic time.
"That's when we need to see the rest of the match."
Wels - who lost out on a chance for the bronze medal when Denmark's Tyler Van Rite pinned him to open Saturday - admitted to being frustrated with his early performance on the mat. He was determined to not leave his first state tournament on a sour note.
"I was a little mad at myself for being there," Wels said. "It just came out of nowhere. It's like 'OK, I'm not losing.'"
Wels had dominated Peterson to a 9-1 major decision in the quarterfinals on Friday, but Peterson adjusted to Wels quickness deftly and kept Wels flat on his stomach throughout the rematch.
"He wrestled me a lot better this time," Wels said. "He rode me really well. He's very good."
Van Rite only need 56 seconds to get Wels' shoulders on the mat, and the Monroe junior was upset he didn't get to execute his game plan.
"I knew what to do, but I couldn't do it that match," Wels said.
The 145-pound Klopfenstein struggled with his two Saturday matches that netted him a sixth-place finish in his only state tournament experience. Pewaukee junior David Phillips pinned Klopfenstein in the third period at 4 minutes, 11 seconds. The Pirate held a 9-1 lead on Klopfenstein before he went for the pin.
Klopfenstein then lost to Cumberland's Cody Capra by an 18-2 technical fall. The Monroe senior said he was taken in by the chance for a bronze medal, just beaten by stiffer competition.
"I don't think it was nerves. I just faced better guys today," Klopfenstein said.
Getting to the event in Madison was enough for Klopfenstein, who reminisced when he first started at Monroe and the trials he went through over the four years.
"If you would've asked me four years ago if I was going to state, I would've thought no," Klopfenstein said. "This year was just sweet. Coming (back) from a knee injury to placing sixth a state, I don't think you can get any better than that."
Jackson says goodbye to his lone senior and captain from the year in Klopfenstein. He said he hopes the remaining Cheesemakers will remember the solid accomplishments made by Klopfenstein this year after coming back from an injury.
"If you watched Kyle this year, there's something to be taken from that," Jackson said. "It doesn't matter if you have the outstanding regular season. Kyle had a good season, but it wasn't great. Then the last three weeks he piled it on. It was a great time to peak."
Junior Gavin Wels and senior Kyle Klopfenstein claimed fifth- and sixth-place medals, respectively, for the Cheesemakers in Division 2.
In the 103-pound division, Wels used a late flurry in the final 19 seconds of the fifth-place match to score three points on Mondovi junior Mike Peterson and turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory. After a series of restarts due to Peterson working Wels' neck and the referee whistling for potentially dangerous action, the Cheesemaker reached back for one final push.
Wels escaped the waist grip of Peterson right after the whistle at 19 seconds, then found a patch of daylight to take down his combatant just before the buzzer sounded for the winning two points.
"It looked like almost he was going to shut down and say 'OK, I lost'," Monroe head coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "The only I advice I had for him was that he pressured the issues and he was moving around and using his quickness like it was panic time.
"That's when we need to see the rest of the match."
Wels - who lost out on a chance for the bronze medal when Denmark's Tyler Van Rite pinned him to open Saturday - admitted to being frustrated with his early performance on the mat. He was determined to not leave his first state tournament on a sour note.
"I was a little mad at myself for being there," Wels said. "It just came out of nowhere. It's like 'OK, I'm not losing.'"
Wels had dominated Peterson to a 9-1 major decision in the quarterfinals on Friday, but Peterson adjusted to Wels quickness deftly and kept Wels flat on his stomach throughout the rematch.
"He wrestled me a lot better this time," Wels said. "He rode me really well. He's very good."
Van Rite only need 56 seconds to get Wels' shoulders on the mat, and the Monroe junior was upset he didn't get to execute his game plan.
"I knew what to do, but I couldn't do it that match," Wels said.
The 145-pound Klopfenstein struggled with his two Saturday matches that netted him a sixth-place finish in his only state tournament experience. Pewaukee junior David Phillips pinned Klopfenstein in the third period at 4 minutes, 11 seconds. The Pirate held a 9-1 lead on Klopfenstein before he went for the pin.
Klopfenstein then lost to Cumberland's Cody Capra by an 18-2 technical fall. The Monroe senior said he was taken in by the chance for a bronze medal, just beaten by stiffer competition.
"I don't think it was nerves. I just faced better guys today," Klopfenstein said.
Getting to the event in Madison was enough for Klopfenstein, who reminisced when he first started at Monroe and the trials he went through over the four years.
"If you would've asked me four years ago if I was going to state, I would've thought no," Klopfenstein said. "This year was just sweet. Coming (back) from a knee injury to placing sixth a state, I don't think you can get any better than that."
Jackson says goodbye to his lone senior and captain from the year in Klopfenstein. He said he hopes the remaining Cheesemakers will remember the solid accomplishments made by Klopfenstein this year after coming back from an injury.
"If you watched Kyle this year, there's something to be taken from that," Jackson said. "It doesn't matter if you have the outstanding regular season. Kyle had a good season, but it wasn't great. Then the last three weeks he piled it on. It was a great time to peak."
