MONROE - The Monroe wrestling team has been in a nail-biting position before when one deciding match can swing the outcome of a dual meet.
With the Cheesemakers leading Lena-Winslow/Stockon, Ill., 33-30, the decisive match came in the heavyweight division. Monroe junior Nick Walker lost in a major decision 16-5 to Lena-Winslow's Zach Turnmeyer and the Panthers pulled off a thrilling 34-33 win over the Cheesemakers Thursday night.
"We have wrestled in a lot of close matches so far," Monroe junior Dylan Schwitz said. "We are not new to this last-minute type of match. It's just another day at the office."
Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said he felt confident going into the final match, but he pointed out there were several close matches that could have turned the tide.
"It looked like it came down to the final match to win it and that's really not true," Jackson said. "There were several close matches. Nick has been great for us. He's one and a half years into his wrestling career. The deciding match came down all on his shoulders. You can't put this loss on him. He wants to win so bad. He's so competitive. We have to try to rein him in."
Monroe (9-4, 1-0 Badger South) received pins from freshmen Aaron Hesgard (103 pounds), Kevin Klopfenstein (119), Schwitz (145), senior Mason Goff (152) and senior Josh Mayer (189).
Hesgard started the meet by pinning Nic Bussian in 36 seconds. Klopfenstein then won in a technical fall in 2 minutes, 48 seconds.
"I just came out confident," Klopfenstein said. "I wasn't nervous or anything."
Klopfenstein, who started wrestling for the Monroe MAT Rats at 4 years old, has a goal in mind as a rookie varsity wrestler.
"I want to make it to the sectional and be like my brother who made it as a freshman," Klopfenstein said of his brother, Kyle.
After giving up a forfeit at 140 pounds, the Cheesemakers trailed 24-12. Monroe stormed back when Schwitz pinned Jeff Gahm in 45 seconds and Goff pinned Dakota Cain in 1:22.
"The key in my match was coming out aggressive and not letting him get in the match at all," Schwitz said. "It worked."
Goff said he and the other Cheesemaker wrestlers didn't know much about the Panthers.
"All we could do was go out and hope for the best," Goff said.
He took a business approach to the mat and he wasn't going to take anything for granted, Goff said.
"My problem is I'm not always as aggressive as I should be," he said. "I went in there and did what I knew I could do and took it to him."
Mayer pinned Stephen Heinrich in 3:07 to tie the meet at 30. Monroe senior Cory Kundert (215) defeated Jacob Weltzin 5-0 to give the Cheesemakers a 33-30 lead headed into the final heavyweight match.
The Cheesemakers had several seesaw matches that could have made the difference. Monroe sophomore Cody Stamm (125) was on the verge of pulling out a win before losing a match to Austin McPeek 4-3. Fellow sophomore Justin Helton (135) lost to T.J. Knutson 9-5. Monroe freshman Dustin Burkhalter (160) lost 4-1 to Lena-Winslow's Pat Hatfield and senior Dillon Weckerly (171) lost a nail-biter, 3-2, to Trey Griffin.
"If we win one of those matches then we have a six-point cushion and that (heavyweight match) ends up being really good and not a deciding match," Jackson said. "We came up one point short."
It won't get any easier for Monroe as the Cheesemakers host Stoughton, ranked eighth in the Division 1 Crossface wrestling poll, Tuesday, in a Badger South dual meet.
With the Cheesemakers leading Lena-Winslow/Stockon, Ill., 33-30, the decisive match came in the heavyweight division. Monroe junior Nick Walker lost in a major decision 16-5 to Lena-Winslow's Zach Turnmeyer and the Panthers pulled off a thrilling 34-33 win over the Cheesemakers Thursday night.
"We have wrestled in a lot of close matches so far," Monroe junior Dylan Schwitz said. "We are not new to this last-minute type of match. It's just another day at the office."
Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said he felt confident going into the final match, but he pointed out there were several close matches that could have turned the tide.
"It looked like it came down to the final match to win it and that's really not true," Jackson said. "There were several close matches. Nick has been great for us. He's one and a half years into his wrestling career. The deciding match came down all on his shoulders. You can't put this loss on him. He wants to win so bad. He's so competitive. We have to try to rein him in."
Monroe (9-4, 1-0 Badger South) received pins from freshmen Aaron Hesgard (103 pounds), Kevin Klopfenstein (119), Schwitz (145), senior Mason Goff (152) and senior Josh Mayer (189).
Hesgard started the meet by pinning Nic Bussian in 36 seconds. Klopfenstein then won in a technical fall in 2 minutes, 48 seconds.
"I just came out confident," Klopfenstein said. "I wasn't nervous or anything."
Klopfenstein, who started wrestling for the Monroe MAT Rats at 4 years old, has a goal in mind as a rookie varsity wrestler.
"I want to make it to the sectional and be like my brother who made it as a freshman," Klopfenstein said of his brother, Kyle.
After giving up a forfeit at 140 pounds, the Cheesemakers trailed 24-12. Monroe stormed back when Schwitz pinned Jeff Gahm in 45 seconds and Goff pinned Dakota Cain in 1:22.
"The key in my match was coming out aggressive and not letting him get in the match at all," Schwitz said. "It worked."
Goff said he and the other Cheesemaker wrestlers didn't know much about the Panthers.
"All we could do was go out and hope for the best," Goff said.
He took a business approach to the mat and he wasn't going to take anything for granted, Goff said.
"My problem is I'm not always as aggressive as I should be," he said. "I went in there and did what I knew I could do and took it to him."
Mayer pinned Stephen Heinrich in 3:07 to tie the meet at 30. Monroe senior Cory Kundert (215) defeated Jacob Weltzin 5-0 to give the Cheesemakers a 33-30 lead headed into the final heavyweight match.
The Cheesemakers had several seesaw matches that could have made the difference. Monroe sophomore Cody Stamm (125) was on the verge of pulling out a win before losing a match to Austin McPeek 4-3. Fellow sophomore Justin Helton (135) lost to T.J. Knutson 9-5. Monroe freshman Dustin Burkhalter (160) lost 4-1 to Lena-Winslow's Pat Hatfield and senior Dillon Weckerly (171) lost a nail-biter, 3-2, to Trey Griffin.
"If we win one of those matches then we have a six-point cushion and that (heavyweight match) ends up being really good and not a deciding match," Jackson said. "We came up one point short."
It won't get any easier for Monroe as the Cheesemakers host Stoughton, ranked eighth in the Division 1 Crossface wrestling poll, Tuesday, in a Badger South dual meet.
