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Rough first day for local wrestlers
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Monroe alumni Nathan Smith and Kyle Walter, senior Sam Kind and alumnus Hayden Arneson react while Monroe senior Dempzy Foley loses to Campbellsports Matt Koelbl at the 182-pound weight class during the Division 2 WIAA State Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison Feb. 22. (Times photo: Marissa Weiher)
MADISON - The season came to an end for Monroe seniors Dempzy Foley and Tyson Welsch at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament Thursday night at the Kohl Center.

Only two of the seven area wrestlers that wrestled in preliminary matches at the Kohl Center Thursday won. Both Evansville-Albany senior Nolan Kicmol (152 pounds) and Black Hawk-Darlington junior Kolbe Ubersox (132) in Division 3 will join four other sectional champions wrestling quarterfinal matches today at state.

"I think for both of them (Foley and Welsch) it was like a deer in the headlights," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "It was the spotlight at being out there at the Kohl Center. Every wrestler handles that arena differently. You hate to see it end like that. Only one wrestler in each weight class will end with a win."

Campbellsport junior Matt Koelbl at 182 defeated Foley 13-4. Koelbl scored on a takedown in the first period and Foley came through with an escape to cut the deficit to 2-1. Foley chose down to start the second period and started strong tying the match at 2 with an escape. Later in the second period, Koelbl scored on a takedown and near fall to take a 7-2 lead.

"He didn't defend very well," Witt said of Foley.

Koelbl chose neutral in the third period, which limited the chances of Foley coming back with a pin.

"Even when Dempzy has been behind he's turned kids in the third," Witt said.

Sheboygan Falls junior Scott Klemme (29-12) at heavyweight pinned Welsch in 4 minutes, 16 seconds. Welsch was leading 6-5 in the second period before Klemme got him in a head lock and threw him down on the mat for the pin.

"If Tyson wrestles that kid nine more times, I bet he beats him nine times," Witt said. "He just got in a bad position and that is not usually the way Tyson wrestles."

Foley finishes the season 41-5 with the single season pins school record (30). Foley won 120 career matches and had 89 career pins.

Witt called it a great career.

"Seventy-five percent of the matches he won by pin," he said.

Welsch finishes the season 36-11. He qualified for state in his lone varsity season after wrestling on the junior varsity team for three seasons.

"He's a kid who has come a long ways," Witt said of Welsch. "He worked his tail off to get here."

In other preliminary state matches, Kicmol (152) pinned Kiel freshman Alex Kleinhans in 2:57. Wrightstown freshman Kaiden Koltz (15-4) pinned Sugar River freshman Joe Quaglia in 4:51. Quaglia finishes the season 30-12.

In Division 3, Ubersox (40-3) at 132 pinned Johnson Creek senior Tucker Roehl in 1:46. He advances to a quarterfinal match and will face Tate Murty of Cochrane-Fountain City (39-2) today.

Kenosha Christian Life freshman Kade Pinder (47-5) at 113 defeated Pecatonica-Argyle freshman Noah Krahenbuhl 10-4. At 195, Saint Croix Falls senior Brandon Bastin (41-9) beat Pecatonica-Argyle junior Lucas Gilbertson 11-6.

In quarterfinal matches today are Brodhead-Juda junior Jackson Hauri, ranked No. 1 at 152 in Division 2; Brodhead-Juda senior Trent Davis, ranked No. 5 at 220; Albany junior Branden Lange, ranked No. 3 at heavyweight; Kicmol (152); Black Hawk-Darlington senior Paul King (120); and Ubersox (132).