Wrestlers advance to sectionals

Tigers send 10 grapplers to Shawano

Stratford senior Gavin Drexler captured his fourth individual WIAA Division 3 regional championship on Saturday, which helped the Tigers win their eighth regional team title in the past nine years.

Drexler, 30-1, pinned Pittsville junior Easton Dammann, 23-16, in 43 seconds during the regional first-place match at Auburndale High School. He also won individual WIAA Division 3 regional championships at 138 pounds in 2021, 126 pounds in 2020 and 113 pounds in 2019. Drexler is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds in Division 3 this season, according to Wisconsin Wrestling Online.

Stratford had won seven consecutive WIAA Division 3 regional titles up until last season, when it took second place to Cadott. The top two individual wrestlers in each weight class at regionals move on to sectionals.

Drexler is one of 10 Stratford grapplers to advance from regionals to the WIAA Division 3 individual sectional championships at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, Feb. 19, at Shawano High School. The top three wrestlers at sectionals will advance to the individual state tournament on Thursday, Feb. 24, through Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Stratford junior Jackson Ormond won his second straight WIAA Division 3 individual regional championship at 182 pounds on Saturday. Ormond, 33-8, won a 5-3 decision against Auburndale junior Sloan Welch, 37-5, in the first-place match. Ormond also won the regional title at 182 pounds last season.

Tigers senior Elijah Lucio, 30-1, won his second individual WIAA Division 3 regional championship in the past three seasons. He pinned Marathon senior Nick Van Rixel, 8-12, in 48 seconds during the 152 pound first-place match on Saturday. Lucio took second place in regionals at 145 pounds last season, after winning the 138-pound regional title in 2020. Both wrestlers advance to sectionals.

Stratford freshmen Trenton Cournoyer, 29-8, and Carter Lueck, 15-5, won their inaugural regional championships on Saturday in Aburndale. Cournoyer won a 7-0 decision against Auburndale freshman Derek Godard, 28-8, in the 106 pound first-place match and Lueck pinned Edgar freshman Jase Apfelbeck, 9-15, in one minute, 46 seconds in the 170 pound first-place match. Cournoyer, Lueck and Apfelbeck all advance to sectionals.

Stratford twin brothers, seniors Gavin and Dillon Kirsch, both won their first individual regional titles on Saturday. Gavin Kirsch, 29-7, pinned Marathon junior Hector Pintor, 35-10, in the 160 pound first-place match. Both Gavin Kirsch and Pintor advance to sectionals. Dillon Kirsch, 29-10, pinned Edgar senior Jesse Jisko, 15-9, in the 145 pound first-place match. Both Dillon Kirsch and Jisko also move on to sectionals.

Tiger senior Cole Marten, 26-5, also won his first individual regional title on Saturday. He pinned Edgar sophomore Harrison Graveen, 16-11, in 1:22 in the 220 pound first-place match. Marten placed second at regionals in the previous two seasons. Both Marten and Graveen advance to sectionals.

Wirkus wins heavyweight

Edgar senior Waylon Wirkus, 25-4, won a 5-4 decision against Stratford junior Patrick Greenberg, 10-6, in the 285 pound first-place regional title match. Greenberg pinned Marathon junior Logan Werner, 28-16, in 1:56 during their semifinals match, after losing to Werner in last season’s first-place heavyweight regional title match. Both Wirkus and Greenberg advance to sectionals.

’Jays win regional titles

Both Athens wrestlers, senior Brooks Kraus and junior Connor Lewandowski, won their first individual WIAA Division 3 regional championships on Saturday in Auburndale.

Kraus, 33-7, won a 7-4 decision against Auburndale senior Noah Altmann, 37-6, in the 132 pound first-place regional match. Kraus advances to sectionals for the third straight season, after taking second place during regionals at both 113 pounds in 2021 and 106 pounds in 2020.

Lewandowski, 22-16, pinned Stratford freshman Vance Kielman, 5-6, in the 126 pound first-place match, to earn his first trip to sectionals.

Edgar freshman Austin Schreiber, 13-14, pinned Kielman in 3:29 during the 126 pound second-place wrestleback to also advance to sectionals.

Dodson second at regional

Marathon sophomore Dylan Dodson, 35-8, lost a 15-5 major decision to Auburndale freshman Colton Weiler, 39-5, in the 113 pound first-place match. Weiler is ranked No. 3 at 113 pounds in Division 3. Dodson won the 106-pound regional championship last season and will make his second straight trip to sectionals this Saturday.

Tigers fall short of state

Stratford’s varsity wrestling squad lost to Coleman, 53-24, in a WIAA Division 3 sectional team championship on Tuesday night in Suring. Stratford beat Shiocton, 47-24, in the sectional semifinal and Coleman defeated Wittenberg- Birnamwood, 63-15.

Coleman returns to the state team tournament after the Cougar were WIAA Division 3 state champions in 2020 and state runners-up last season. Coleman will join Tuesday’s other sectional team champions Fennimore, Random Lake and St. Croix Falls at the WIAA state team tournament on Saturday, March 5, at the UW Fieldhouse.

The following are individual Stratford wrestlers’ results in the 53-24 loss to Coleman: Vance Kielman was pinned by Brady Gross in 1:01 at 126 pounds, Brandon Knetter lost a 19-4 technical fall to Chance Gruber at 113, Ryan Becker lost a 3-2 decision to Micha Kuchta at 138; Gavin Drexler pinned Ramiro Cortez in 2:46 at 145, Dillon Kirsch was pinned by Karson Casper in 32 seconds at 152 and Elijah Lucio lost a 7-4 decision to William Bieber at 160.

Also, Carter Lueck was pinned by Peter Kuchta in 22 seconds at 170 pounds, Jackson Ormond received a forfeit win at 182, Alex Mueller was pinned by Cole Klimek in 1:33 at 195, Cole Marten pinned Sawyer Seefeldt in 40 seconds at 220, Brody Zahn of Coleman received a forfeit win at 285, Trenton Cournoyer pinned Lexus Baars in 34 seconds at 106, Cayden Leonhardt was pinned by Raymond Lemieux in 1:06 at 113 and Ashtyn Kuehn was pinned by John Nowak in 2:31 at 120.

The following are individual Stratford wrestlers’ results in the 47-24 win against Shiocton: Leonhardt was pinned by Jordan Jahnke in 5:07 at 120 pounds, Kuehn pinned Matthew Wilke in 3:41 at 126, Knetter was pinned by Blake Carton in 1:58 at 132, Becker won a 13-3 major decision against Isaiah Carton at 138, Dillon Kirsch pinned Logan Leeman in 51 seconds at 145, Drexler won a 14-2 major decision against Brad Demerath at 145 and Lucio won a 10-3 decision against Dylan Herb at 160.

Also, Gavin Kirsch was pinned by Dion Heiser in one minute at 170 pounds, Ormond won a 4-1 decision against Colten Schuh at 182, Lucio was pinned by Ilijah Sanchez in 1:33 at 195, Marten won a 5-2 decision against Hunter Schuh at 220, Smart pinned Dylan Larsen in 3:35 at 285, Cournoyer pinned Lexi Riehl in 33 seconds at 106 and Jesse Bauer pinned Stevie Baker in 48 seconds at 113.

DILLON KIRSCH DOMINATES- Stratford senior Dillon Kirsch has his arm raised by the wrestling official after pinning Landen Losievski of Pittsville in the WIAA Division 3 regional 145-pound match. Dillon Kirsch pinned Edgar senior Jesse Jisko, shown in the background, in the regional championship. Both Dillon Kirsch and Jisko move on to sectionals.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

KRAUS WINS FIRST REGIONAL TITLE - Athens senior Brooks Kraus battles against Nathaniel Esser of Pittsville in the WIAA Division 3 regional 132-pound semifinal. Kraus pinned Esser and then he won a 7-4 decision against Noah Altmann of Au burndale in the championship. Kraus will make his third straight trip to sectionals.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

DODSON SCHOOLS PITTSVILLE WRESTLER- Marathon sophmore grappler Dylan Dodson is in full control during his WIAA Division 3 semifinals match against Racyn Schooley of Pittsville in the 113-pound weight class. He ended up pinning Schooley. Dodson lost a 15-5 major decision to Colton Weiler of Auburndale in the regional championship, yet he still advances to sectionals.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER