LA CROSSE - The Monroe wrestling team had three wrestlers medal at the Bi-State Classic on Friday at the La Crosse Center.
Both Monroe seniors Hayden Arneson at 195 pounds and Kyle Walter at heavyweight finished fifth place. Senior teammate Cole Murray (138) took eighth.
The Cheesemakers finished 22nd out of 60 teams and were ninth in Division 2 out of 20 teams. The tournament included about 64 wrestlers in each weight class from Division 1, 2 and 3 schools.
"Just to make it to the second day is a heck of an accomplishment," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "To find your way on to the podium is great. It's one of the toughest tournaments around. It's really good competition."
Monroe had four wrestlers enter the second day of the tournament with each alive to medal.
However, Holmen's Trevor Plomedahl defeated Monroe's David Andrews at 120 pounds 15-0 in a technical fall in 4:35.
Arneson, ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 2 state poll at 195, got off to a fast start on Friday. He defeated Sparta's Austin Zwiefel 10-0 and knocked off Stratford's Aiden Hoffman 9-2. In a consolation semifinal, Stillwater's James Huntley clipped Arneson 7-4. Arneson rebounded and edged Bloomington-Kennedy's Eric Cruz Lopez 2-1 in a fifth-place match. Arneson scored on a reversal early in the third period to beat Cruz Lopez.
"He turned him a couple of times," Witt said of Arneson's fifth-place match. "He wore him down."
Walter, ranked fifth at heavyweight in Division 2 ran into Cashton's Brandon Klimek in the semifinals, who finished second at the Bi-State Classic last year and is ranked sixth in Division 3. Klimek pinned Walter in 19 seconds. Second-ranked Logan Zschemitz of Spencer-Columbus then slipped by Walter 6-4 in a consolation semifinal. Walter took fifth place after Stratford's Tyson Kaufman had to forfeit due to an injury. Kaufman is ranked No. 1 in Division 3 at heavyweight.
One of the highlights for Walter was beating Athens junior Tyson Sommer 3-2 in the quarterfinals with a takedown with 18 seconds to go. Sommer is ranked No. 2 at heavyweight in Division 3.
"Kyle had two really good days," Witt said.
Murray, ranked ninth at 145 in the Division 2, got off to a solid start, beating Ellsworth's Jared Lansing 4-2. Mauston's Jarrett Dolata then defeated Murray 12-2 in a consolation match. Tomah's Hunter Pierce beat Murray in a hard-fought seventh-place match 5-1.
"He wrestled well," Witt said of Murray. "He was a little disappointed in his quarterfinal match against Kevin Meicher of Middleton, the state champion last year (at 126) because he didn't go four periods."
Witt said getting on the podium will give Murray's confidence a boost.
"It was a good team effort after having 10 guys make it to the second session last night," Witt said.
Both Monroe seniors Hayden Arneson at 195 pounds and Kyle Walter at heavyweight finished fifth place. Senior teammate Cole Murray (138) took eighth.
The Cheesemakers finished 22nd out of 60 teams and were ninth in Division 2 out of 20 teams. The tournament included about 64 wrestlers in each weight class from Division 1, 2 and 3 schools.
"Just to make it to the second day is a heck of an accomplishment," Monroe coach Tom Witt said. "To find your way on to the podium is great. It's one of the toughest tournaments around. It's really good competition."
Monroe had four wrestlers enter the second day of the tournament with each alive to medal.
However, Holmen's Trevor Plomedahl defeated Monroe's David Andrews at 120 pounds 15-0 in a technical fall in 4:35.
Arneson, ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 2 state poll at 195, got off to a fast start on Friday. He defeated Sparta's Austin Zwiefel 10-0 and knocked off Stratford's Aiden Hoffman 9-2. In a consolation semifinal, Stillwater's James Huntley clipped Arneson 7-4. Arneson rebounded and edged Bloomington-Kennedy's Eric Cruz Lopez 2-1 in a fifth-place match. Arneson scored on a reversal early in the third period to beat Cruz Lopez.
"He turned him a couple of times," Witt said of Arneson's fifth-place match. "He wore him down."
Walter, ranked fifth at heavyweight in Division 2 ran into Cashton's Brandon Klimek in the semifinals, who finished second at the Bi-State Classic last year and is ranked sixth in Division 3. Klimek pinned Walter in 19 seconds. Second-ranked Logan Zschemitz of Spencer-Columbus then slipped by Walter 6-4 in a consolation semifinal. Walter took fifth place after Stratford's Tyson Kaufman had to forfeit due to an injury. Kaufman is ranked No. 1 in Division 3 at heavyweight.
One of the highlights for Walter was beating Athens junior Tyson Sommer 3-2 in the quarterfinals with a takedown with 18 seconds to go. Sommer is ranked No. 2 at heavyweight in Division 3.
"Kyle had two really good days," Witt said.
Murray, ranked ninth at 145 in the Division 2, got off to a solid start, beating Ellsworth's Jared Lansing 4-2. Mauston's Jarrett Dolata then defeated Murray 12-2 in a consolation match. Tomah's Hunter Pierce beat Murray in a hard-fought seventh-place match 5-1.
"He wrestled well," Witt said of Murray. "He was a little disappointed in his quarterfinal match against Kevin Meicher of Middleton, the state champion last year (at 126) because he didn't go four periods."
Witt said getting on the podium will give Murray's confidence a boost.
"It was a good team effort after having 10 guys make it to the second session last night," Witt said.
