MADISON - Three area wrestlers closed out their careers by winning medals at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament Saturday.
Brodhead-Juda senior Hunter Colden finished fourth at 170 pounds. Monroe senior Kevin Klopfenstein (138) and senior Trevor Gorr (220) each took fifth place.
Colden, who will wrestle at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point next year, closed out the season with a 49-2 mark. He set the school records for wins in a single season (49) and career wins (171).
"It's something I will always be proud of," Colden said. "I did something no other wrestler in our program has ever done."
Klopfenstein (45-7) lost a hard-fought match 3-1 to Mauston senior Colin Dolata. He bounced back to defeat Lomira junior Casey Seltrecht 4-0 for fifth place.
"I went out with a bang, which is what I wanted to do," Klopfenstein said. "I wanted to end the season with fewer than 10 losses. That was one of my goals."
Klopfenstein said he wasn't as nervous wrestling Dolata, a state champion two years ago, at state this year. Klopfenstein, who closed out his career with more than 150 career wins, said he is deciding between Platteville and Stevens Point for college, but he won't wrestle.
"I feel like I could have done a little better if I would have done my moves better," he said. "I'm content placing fifth."
Sheboygan Falls senior Drew Setzer edged Gorr 2-1 in a wrestleback on Saturday. Gorr (48-4) rebounded by pinning Grafton's Alex Marshall in 44 seconds to take fifth place.
Monroe coach Jeraimy Jackson was proud to see Klopfenstein and Gorr medal at state in their final tournament.
"They both wrestled well and had awesome careers," Jackson said. "You can't take anything away from them. I think they both think they could have finished higher. It was just a matter of match-ups and how they wrestled."
Colden entered the state tournament as one of three unbeaten wrestlers at 170. In his wrestleback on Saturday, he knocked off St. Croix Central's Carl Moll 7-2. Brodhead-Juda coach Tim Colden said the key in Hunter's match against Moll was being able to score on a takedown and near fall after a scramble in the first period to take a 4-0 lead.
"He (Hunter) had a good tournament," Tim Colden said. "Any time you finish top four, it's a good weekend."
Hunter Colden said the key in the match against Moll was keeping his focus.
In the third-place match, he lost to Saint John's Northwest Military Academy's Jordan Newman 10-4.
"He was just better on his feet than I was," Hunter Colden said.
Brodhead-Juda senior Hunter Colden finished fourth at 170 pounds. Monroe senior Kevin Klopfenstein (138) and senior Trevor Gorr (220) each took fifth place.
Colden, who will wrestle at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point next year, closed out the season with a 49-2 mark. He set the school records for wins in a single season (49) and career wins (171).
"It's something I will always be proud of," Colden said. "I did something no other wrestler in our program has ever done."
Klopfenstein (45-7) lost a hard-fought match 3-1 to Mauston senior Colin Dolata. He bounced back to defeat Lomira junior Casey Seltrecht 4-0 for fifth place.
"I went out with a bang, which is what I wanted to do," Klopfenstein said. "I wanted to end the season with fewer than 10 losses. That was one of my goals."
Klopfenstein said he wasn't as nervous wrestling Dolata, a state champion two years ago, at state this year. Klopfenstein, who closed out his career with more than 150 career wins, said he is deciding between Platteville and Stevens Point for college, but he won't wrestle.
"I feel like I could have done a little better if I would have done my moves better," he said. "I'm content placing fifth."
Sheboygan Falls senior Drew Setzer edged Gorr 2-1 in a wrestleback on Saturday. Gorr (48-4) rebounded by pinning Grafton's Alex Marshall in 44 seconds to take fifth place.
Monroe coach Jeraimy Jackson was proud to see Klopfenstein and Gorr medal at state in their final tournament.
"They both wrestled well and had awesome careers," Jackson said. "You can't take anything away from them. I think they both think they could have finished higher. It was just a matter of match-ups and how they wrestled."
Colden entered the state tournament as one of three unbeaten wrestlers at 170. In his wrestleback on Saturday, he knocked off St. Croix Central's Carl Moll 7-2. Brodhead-Juda coach Tim Colden said the key in Hunter's match against Moll was being able to score on a takedown and near fall after a scramble in the first period to take a 4-0 lead.
"He (Hunter) had a good tournament," Tim Colden said. "Any time you finish top four, it's a good weekend."
Hunter Colden said the key in the match against Moll was keeping his focus.
In the third-place match, he lost to Saint John's Northwest Military Academy's Jordan Newman 10-4.
"He was just better on his feet than I was," Hunter Colden said.
