NGL sends five to sectionals; Ackmans moving on, too

Neillsville-Greenwood-Loyal wrestlers claimed three individual weight class titles and two runner-up spots at the Feb. 15 WIAA Division 3 regional tournament held at Eau Claire Regis. The next step toward possible state tournament berths for the five wrestlers is the Feb. 22 sectional tournament at Osceola, from where the top three placers in each 8-man weight class will move on to Madison.

Two freshmen and one senior won regional titles for NGL. Luke Dux at 106 pounds and Gunner Hoffman at 220 each earned regional titles in their first year of high school wrestling, while senior Nathan Buchanan also won his 170-pound weight class. Freshman Keeghan Anding (132) and junior Tommy Friemoth (170) also earned tickets to Osceola with secondplace finishes.

Dux (29-4 on the season) had the easiest time of it at Regis. With six wrestlers in the 106-pound class, Dux’s top seeding earned him a first-round bye, and he then pinned Regis/Altoona freshman Deaglan O’Connell (22-13) in 4:29 in the semi-finals. That was all it took for Dux, as Spencer-Columbus freshman Ty Woodkey forfeited the first-place match.

Dux’s first-round opponent at Osceola will be Baldwin-Woodville freshman Cole Braasch (26-12).

Buchanan, now 30-6 on the season, also started the regional tourney with a bye, then got a fall in 1:25 over Medford junior Hayden Johnson (20-17) in the semi-finals. Buchanan’s title match was also over quickly, as he finished off Regis/Altoona freshman Caden Weber (32-9) in 1:29.

Buchanan’s first match at Osceola will be against St. Croix Central senior Braeden Bloom (29-9).

Hoffman (34-1) started with a bye and flipped past Regis/Altoona senior Henry Theisen (3-4) in 1:09 in the semis. That brought him to perhaps the marquee match-up of the whole tournament -- a championship clash with defending Division 2 state champion Jake Rau of Medford. Coming into the match, the only loss on Rau’s record all season was to Hoffman.

After a scoreless first period, Hoffman got a second-period escape and then a takedown for a 3-0 lead. Rau got an escape later in the period, and then another early in the third period to make it a 3-2 match. Neither wrestler could come away with points after that, leaving Hoffman the regional champ.

Hoffman’s sectional will start with a match against Baldwin-Woodville freshman Mason Baribeau (8-21).

Anding (26-12) got through the regional by scoring an 11-1 major decision over Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee senior Dustin Bergman to make the finals at 132 pounds. He dropped an 8-1 decision there to Medford sophomore Carson Church (18-3), but didn’t have to face a wrestleback.

Anding will face Ellsworth senior Bailey Poellinger (27-14) in his first sectional match.

Friemoth had a first-round bye, then stopped Medford senior Jake Brunner (26-12) on a 4-2 decision in the semis. In the finals, Friemoth faced Stanley-Boyd/Owen- Withee senior Preston Potaczek, whom he had beaten 10-1 a week earlier in the Cloverbelt Conference finals. Friemoth led most of the match again, but got turned in the third period and was pinned at 5:04. His second-place finish was safe, though, as Brunner came back for third place.

Friemoth gets Barron senior Chase Peltier (31-7) in his first match at the sectional.

Ackmans moving on

Spencer brothers Ashton Ackman and Treyton Ackman will both be heading back to the sectional meet, after placing first and second, respectively, at Regis.

Ashton, a senior with a 35-3 season mark at 113 pounds, had a first-round bye, then pinned Regis/Altoona sophomore Connor Mattison (23-14) in just 16 seconds. In the finals, Ackman dominated again for a 15-0 technical fall in 4:30 over Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee sophomore Alexander Nitz (23-10).

At Osceola, Ashton will first take on West Salem/Bangor freshman Bradyn Glasspoole (28-7).

The going was more difficult for the sophomore Treyton Ackman, despite his 37-4 season mark. He reached the finals easily with a bye and a fall over Medford freshman Blake Schilling (2-20) in 1:21, but in the title match met undefeated defending state champion Blaine Brenner (39-0) of Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee. Brenner had the upper hand throughout and scored the 7-0 decision.

In the sectional, Treyton has drawn Northwestern sophomore Camren Benesch (21-10) in the first round.

DEAN LESAR/ STAFF PHOTOS