WWF YOUTH STATE QUALIFIERS - Area to be well-represented at youth wrestling state tourney

WWF YOUTH STATE QUALIFIERS

Twelve youths from Medford have earned spots in the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation’s Kids Folkstyle state championships set for Friday and Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

Top-three finishes by wrestlers in their individual age/weight classes were needed to advance from this past Saturday’s eight qualifying tournaments held throughout the state.

All but one of Medford’s qualifiers came out of the Merrill qualifier with three winning championships.

Croix Hartl, a state runner-up last year, only had to win one match to win the 185pound bracket in the 2014-15 age group to advance. He pinned Nolan Sina of the Oshkosh Mat Rats to win his championship.

Sylus Peterson had a much tougher route at 63 pounds in the 2016-17 age group. He went 4-0 to claim his title, pinning Cameron Schmuhl of Auburndale in 1:33, earning an 18-1 technical fall over Levi Hull, pinned Asher Taylor of Wisconsin Rapids in the semifinals and then getting a pin in the sudden victory period of Levi Hoffman of Shawano.

Kimberley Blair won the 85-pound weight class in the 2012-13 girls age group. She pinned Aubree Schweiner of Waupaca in 1:53 and earned a 10-0 major decision over Melaina Gottschalk of Antigo in round-robin competition.

Medford’s fourth champion, Ryker Campbell, came out of the Menomonie qualifier. At 60 pounds in the 2016-17 age class, Campbell went 4-0. He started with a 3-1 win over Daniel Wright of Northwestern and then pinned Bryer Havenor of Chippewa Elite to reach the semifinals. He defeated Waylon Jenson of Boyceville 6-1 to advance to the title match, where he was a 6-3 overtime winner over Ryder Schilling of Ellsworth.

With second-place finishes, Medford’s Taiylor Kautzer and Branch Walton earned return trips to Madison.

Kautzer wrestled in a six-girl bracket at 55 pounds in the 2016-17 age class. She drew a bye into the semifinals and pinned Amelia Bloch of Athens before getting pinned in 52 seconds by Stanley-Boyd’s Harper Wiese in the championship. Kautzer fought off Gabbriel Bethel 10-6 in the second-place match.

Walton was in a five-wrestler bracket at 185 pounds in the 2012-13 age class. He pinned Owen-Withee’s James Trunkel in 1:20, pinned Antigo’s Jaxson Pregler in 2:36 in the semifinals and then lost 6-2 in the final to Macon Burns of the Bad River club. Walton pinned Quinn Heim of Wrightstown in 33 seconds in the secondplace match.

Maximus Szydel was second out of seven wrestlers in the 115-pound bracket of the 2012-13 age class. He got to the final by pinning Eastyn Boersma of Wild Rose in 2:00 and Jackson Seidl of Auburndale in 1:42. Sawyer Huffman of Wittenberg-Birnamwood edged Szydel 4-2 in the title match. Seidl fought his way back to second, giving Szydel the automatic win in that match.

Paige Mayer went 1-1 to place second at 105 pounds in the girls 2010-11 age class. She pinned Ella Kubisiak of Amherst in 3:36 and lost 6-3 to champion Olivia Recha of Weyauwega-Fremont. Lillian Nemitz-Coleman lost her only match against Lakeland’s Kennedy Howard by pin in 2:17. They were the only entrants at 80 pounds in the girls 2012-13 age class.

Carson Olson was a semifinalist at 130 pounds in the 2010-11 age class. He won his quarterfinal match by pin in 2:26 over Emmitt Deer of Crandon but then was pinned in 1:23 by eventual champion Kanon Maye of Marinette. Olson fought his way back, pinned Payton Trapman of the Askren Wrestling Academy in 1:55 and Wyatt Hansen of Waupaca in 1:14 in the third-place match to clinch his state berth. He got a shot at second, but was pinned in that match in 52 seconds by Levi Owen of Weyauwega-Fremont.

Angus Peterson won his first-round match 9-0 over Dextyn Raether of Gilman at 63 pounds in the 2014-15 age group. After a 5-4 quarterfinal loss to Blake Voskuil of Cedar Grove-Belgium, Peterson worked his way through the consolation bracket. He pinned Riley Stettin of Lakeland in 16 seconds, beat Johnathan Spindler of Spencer-Columbus 4-0, downed Carl Ketterhagen 5-1 and then beat Voskuil in a rematch 7-3 in the thirdgroup place match to clinch his state berth. He got the chance to wrestle for second but was defeated in a 15-0 technical fall by Adrian Bolden of Adams-Friendship.

Rylee Walton earned third place out of five wrestlers at 150 pounds in the girls 2012-13 age group. She came back after losing her first match by pin in 37 seconds to Peshtigo’s Haddie Nault. She shut out Monroe Brockway of Crandon 6-0 and pinned Emma Frederick of Markesan in 2:40 in the third-place match. She got a shot at second place but was pinned in 1:26 by Charlott England.

Wolfpack qualifiers

Cornell-Gilman-Lake Holcombe Wolfpack is sending seven youth representatives to the state tournament.

Dax Steinbach won the 145-pound bracket in the 2010-11 age class in Merrill. He drew a bye into the semifinals, defeated Noah Wellach with an 18-2 technical fall and then pinned Camden Stichman of the Wrestling Factory in 24 seconds in the championship.

At Menomonie, Peyton Hugh went 2-0 to win the 70-pound competition of the 2012-13 weight class. He dominated Ellsworth’s Weston Bench 14-0 and pinned Ezra Black of the Victory School of Wrestling in 23 seconds.

In Merrill, Kable Bacha was second out of six wrestlers at 80 pounds in the 201617 age group. He lost his semifinal match 10-3 to Jax Grapa of Phillips, but a 14-3 major decision over Owen Habeck of Rosholt and a 7-5 win over Elias Humblet got him to third place. He moved up one more place by pinning Edgar’s Brayden Lemmer in 1:19.

Eska Bacha was third out of four wrestlers at 105 pounds in the girls 201415 age class. She went 1-2, beating Magdalyn Burns in 41 seconds of Bad River for her win. She lost 6-3 to Makyla Estrada of Adams-Friendship and 15-4 to Ellie Borchardt of Athens.

Li-Ana Schofield went 0-2 but placed third at 172 pounds in the girls 2010-11 age at Menomonie. She was pinned in 51 seconds by Unity’s Ruby Copiskey and in 1:13 by Paisley Imme of Luck. Carley Maier went 0-2 but placed third in at 95 pounds in the 2012-13 age class at Merrill. She lost 6-0 to Leilani Collins of Laona-Wabeno and was pinned in 2:50 by Payton Peterson of Freedom.

Reilla Warner won her first match 13-6 over Hadley Timm of Manawa and then lost 7-1 to Timm in a rematch at 105 pounds in the 2012-13 age group in Merrill.