Punching tickets to state
By Casey Krautkramer
Two Edgar varsity wrestlers, senior Harrison Graveen and sophomore Lucas Stahnke, are the first Wildcats to advance from sectionals to the state tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison since 2020. In that season, Ethan Heil won the WIAA Division 3 state championship in the 220-pound weight class.
Graveen didn’t place at sectionals in his sophomore and junior seasons. On Saturday, he pinned Stratford sophomore Drew Gage in three minutes, 37 minutes seconds in the third-place sectional match at 285 pounds to advance to this week’s state tournament. It was the third time that Graveen has beaten Gage this season.
“I knew that the match was going to end in a pin either way so it just took one move,” Graveen said. “I hit him with a granby because I knew that he was lighter than me so I could roll him over and turn him on his back and pin him.”
The granby roll is a wrestling technique that successful Athens wrestlers were commonly known for using under the tutelage of late head coach Jerry “Buddha” Wagner. The granby roll allows wrestlers on the bottom to escape by rolling their opponent over to get on top and pin him on his back.
Graveen looked tired after pinning Ethan Wagner of Clear Lake in the consolation semifinals to propel him into the third-place match against Gage, but he was able to gain enough strength to persevere and advance to the state tournament.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to make it to state,” he said on Saturday afternoon in the hallway between the Edgar high school and middle school gyms. A large group of his Edgar classmates were waiting there to congratulate him after his sectional third-place match win.
Graveen is thankful for the support he continues to receive from his parents, Mike and Tracy Graveen, and his 20-yearold brother, Jaxon Graveen, who he said is autistic.
“My brother has always been a really great supporter and he’s always happier for me than he is for himself, so I’m really grateful to have a brother like him,” Harrison Graveen said.
His Edgar wrestling teammate, sophomore Lucas Stahnke, is joining him at the state tournament this week. Stahnke pinned Gabe Erickson of Cumberland in 3:19 in the sectional third-place match at 190 pounds.
“This is only Lucas’ second year wrestling, so it’s crazy that he’s improved so much to make it to state,” Harrison Graveen said. “Last year he decided to wrestle to get his body into better shape and he just fell in love with the sport.”
Edgar junior Jase Apfelbeck lost his only sectional match, a 10-6 decision to DauTre Allen of Cumberland in the 175-pound weight class, and therefore didn’t place. He has one more high school season to attempt to qualify for state for the first time.
Eight Tigers are statebound
Stratford High School’s wrestling program is sending eight grapplers to this week’s WIAA Division 3 individual state
See SECTIONAL WRESTLING/ page 16
EXCITED TO QUALIFY FOR STATE - Edgar sophomore wrestler Lucas Stahnke reacts after pinning Gabe Erickson of Cumberland in the sectional third-place match at 190 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Stahnke’s win quaifies him for this week’s WIAA Division 3 individual state tournament. Wildcats assistant wrestling coach, Aaron Niemann, is shown in the background.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
TOUGH FIRST LOSS THIS SEASON- Marathon sophomore wrestler Blake Underwood is shown competing against Cumberland freshman Braden Johnson in the sectional first-place match at 106 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Underwood fell in overtime to Johnson for his first match loss this season, but still qualified for state for the second straight year. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
FATHER HUGS HIS WRESTLER SON- Stratford assistant wrestling coach and parent Kane Krummel gives his son, Kaleb Krummel, a senior wrestler, a hug after he won his sectional third-place match against Logan Peterson of Cumberland at 150 pounds. Krummel qualified for the individual state tournament again this season.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER Sectional wrestling
Continued from page 8
tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison. Seniors Trenton Cournoyer and Kaleb Krummel, junior Carter Lueck and sophomore Colin Cournoyer are making back-to-back trips to the individual state tournament this season. Seniors Noah Lucio and Roman Schmidt, sophomore Mathias Kaiser and freshman Aaron Knetter are making their first trips to the individual state tournament.
Lueck won the pinned Shell Lake junior Brock Naessen in 5:23 in the WIAA Division 3 sectional first-place match at 175 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Lueck took fourth place at 170 pounds at state last season to make it onto the state tournament podium. He has a 49-1 match record this season going into the state tournament.
Trenton Cournoyer avenged a 13-4 major decision loss to Marathon sophomore Cale Quaintance in the regional first-place match the previous week in Auburndale. On Saturday, Trenton Cournoyer won a 7-1 decision against Quaintance in the sectional first-place match.
His younger brother, Colin Cournoyer, will join him at the individual state tournament again this season. Colin Cournoyer was pinned by Cadott junior Kaleb Lodahl in the sectional first-place match at 113 pounds, but he won the second-place match against Auburndale junior Derek Godard via medical forfeit.
Lucio lost an 11-1 major decision to Ladysmith senior Matthew Roach in the sectional first-place match at 190 pounds but he rebounded to pin Stahnke of Edgar in 1:31 in the second-place match. Lucio was injured and couldn’t wrestle in the Marawood Conference tournament in Philips. He returned from injury to take first place on Feb. 10 in the 190-pound weight class at the regional in Auburndale and second place at Saturday’s sectional in Edgar.
Krummel battled through the pain of his ongoing ankle injury to win a 4-1 decision against sophomore Brandon Wright of Turtle Lake/Clayton in the sectional third-place match at 150 pounds. The top three finishers in each sectional weight class qualify for state.
Although Schmidt wrestled with lots of padding on his injured elbow, he still took third place at 106 pounds during Saturday’s sectional. Schmidt won a 3-0 decision against sophomore Luke Moen of Turtle Lake/Clayton in the sectional thirdplace match to qualify for state.
Kaiser won a 6-2 decision against junior Tanner Bandoli of Shell Lake in the sectional third-place match at 132 pounds to qualify for state. His father, Mike Kaiser, received congratulatory fist bumps from the other Stratford wrestling fans in the bleachers after his son won the thirdplace match.
Knetter won a 7-2 decision against Phillips sophomore JJ Adomaitis in the sectional third-place match at 126 pounds on Saturday in Edgar to qualify for state.
Stratford junior Walker Weiss and sophomore Drew Gage took fourth place in their respective sectional weight classes to barely miss advancing to the individual state tournament. Juniors Brandon Knetter and Jack Tubbs didn’t place in their sectional weight classes.
Four Red Raiders going to state
Marathon High School’s wrestling program is sending four grapplers to this week’s WIAA Division 3 individual state tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Sophomore Blake Underwood lost to Cumberland freshman Braden Johnson in overtime during the sectional first-place match at 106 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. It was Underwood’s first loss this season but it was against a tough opponent in Johnson who has a 51-2 match record going into the individual state tournament. Underwood has a 51-1 match record this season.
Underwood won a 4-2 decision against Johnson in their other match this season at the Northern Badger holiday wrestling tournament in River Falls. They did not wrestle against each other in Marathon’s WIAA Division 3 loss to Cumberland in the team sectional semifinal in Cadott. Underwood is hoping to win the state championship this Saturday after placing third in the 106-pound weight class at state last season.
Red Raiders senior Dylan Dodson is making his third straight individual state tournament appearance this season. Dodson was pinned by senior Dawson Johnson of Cumberland in the sectional firstplace match at 138 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Dawson Johnson is undefeated this season and he’ll attempt to win his fourth individual state championship on Saturday.
Dodson has a 20-4 match record heading into this week’s individual state tournament. He’ll attempt to finish in the top six places in his weight class to make it onto the state tournament podium.
Marathon sophomore Cale Quaintance was declared the winner in a non-contested sectional second-place match against Bruce senior Ronan Garcia at 120 pounds on Saturday. He has qualified for the individual state tournament for the first time.
Red Raiders sophomore Swayne Stencil quickly pinned Stratford sophomore Mathias Kaiser in 26 seconds in the sectional second-place match at 132 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Both wrestlers qualified for state for the first time.
Marathon sophomore Reed McCain barely missed qualifying for the individual state tournament with a fourth-place finish at sectionals in the 165-pound weight class. Seniors Derek Vesely and Jacob Smith didn’t place in their sectional weight classes. Athens freshman Garrett Frahm didn’t place in the sectional 106-pound weight class.
WINNING A PIVOTAL SECTIONAL MATCH TO QUALIFY FOR STATE- Stratford senior wrestler Roman Schmidt is shown competing against sophomore Luke Moen of Turtle Lake/Clayton in the sectional third-place match at 106 pounds on Saturday in Edgar. Schmidt won a 3-0 decision to advance to the WIAA Divisiion 3 individual state tournament for the first time in his high school career.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
