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Ackman returns to state; three from NGL also advance

Ackman returns to state; three from NGL also advance Ackman returns to state; three from NGL also advance

Once again, there will be an Ackman brother from Spencer-Columbus in the WIAA Division 2 state individual wrestling tournament field. Making his third straight appearance this year will be junior Treyton Ackman, who advanced on Feb. 6 by taking the 113-pound title at the sectional tournament held in Neillsville. Three sophomore wrestlers from Neillsville-Greenwood-Loyal -- Luke Dux, Derek Zschernitz and Gunner Hoffman -- will also be wrestling this Saturday for a state title.

Ackman has been a familiar name at recent state tourneys, with Treyton’s older brother, Ashton, also qualifying three times before he graduated in 2020. Treyton will take a 10-0 record to state in this COVID-19 shortened season as he tries to improve on last year’s third-place state finish.

Ackman opened the sectional tournament with an 11-4 decision over Ellsworth freshman William Penn (11-5). He dominated St. Croix Central freshman Teague Holzer (15-3) in the semis, taking a 16-1 technical fall in the third period.

In the finals, Ackman met fellow Cloverbelt Conference wrestler Luke Dux (12-2) of NGL, a sophomore who finished second at state a year ago at 106 pounds. Ackman took a 3-0 decision to win the title, a week after he defeated Dux 4-0 to win the regional championship. Dux also heads to state, with his only two setbacks of the season to Ackman.

Dux reached the finals with an 11-4 decision over West Salem-Bangor sophomore Bradyn Glasspoole (16-2) and an 18-3 technical fall over Baldwin-Woodville sophomore Cole Braasch (14-6).

Ackman and Dux are on the opposite sides of the 8-man state tournament brackets, and could meet in the finals for the third week in a row. Ackman has drawn Campbellsport junior Drake Muellenbach (16-1) for his first-round match, while Dux will get Plymouth senior Devin Gore (12-0) in his opening match at Adams-Friendship.

Zschernitz (12-3) will be making his first state appearance after finishing second at Neillsville at 120 pounds. He advanced to the finals with a pin in 1:09 of Northwestern junior Camren Benesch (9-3) and a 5-3 decision over Baldwin-Woodville junior Hunter Bonte (13-4). Zschernitz dropped an 8-2 decision in the finals to Amery freshman Wyatt Ingham (17-0), but locked up second place when Bonte wrestled back to third place.

At state, Zschernitz gets a first-round match against Winneconne freshman Brody Hart (17-0).

Hoffman also returns to state after making it there a year ago at 220 pounds. Now at 285, Hoffman made it to the sectional semifinals with a pin in 3:04 of Ellsworth junior Kyle Anschutz (8-4), but then took an 8-3 loss to Amery junior Robert Beese (16-0).

Hoffman then needed to put several wins together to reach the state field. He started with a 4-2 win over Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee senior Tyler Krizan (10-5). When Anschutz moved through the other side of the consolation bracket, Hoffman did not have to wrestle for third place, but had the chance to get back to second. He did that by pinning Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro senior Trevor Daffinson (18-2) in 1:54.

Hoffman will now take his 9-1 season record against Plymouth senior Evan Ladwig (16-0) in a state quarterfi nal match.

NGL had five other wrestlers in the sectional field, but none of them could grab a top-2 finish to advance to state. Coming the closest was senior Tommy Friemoth (18-2), who took third at 170 pounds. Friemoth was pinned in 4:50 in his opening match against Amery’s Grant Cook, but then strung three wins together to get a chance to wrestle for a state berth. He first pinned West Salem-Bangor senior Hayden Lyga in 1:48, then did the same in 1:03 to Ellsworth sophomore Anthony Madsen (10-6). Friemoth then moved to within one match of state with a third straight fall, in 3:19 over Spooner-Webster junior Brandon Meister (8-5). Friemoth’s high school career would end there, however, as he was pinned in 3:13 in a wrestle-back for second place against St. Croix Central junior Devin Wasley (17-1).

At 106 pounds, NGL junior Jace Prior (12-4) went 1-3 at the sectional meet. He first fell on a 7-0 decision to Luck-Frederic-Grantsburg-Siren senior Nolan Johnson (11-2) on a 7-0 decision, but rebounded for a pin in 4:46 over Ellsworth freshman Landan Lampman (7-4). Prior was then pinned in 3:38 by West Salem-Bangor freshman Brett Plomedahl, and in 39 seconds in the fifth-place match by Regis-Altoona sophomore Deaglan O’Connel (10-6).

At 126 pounds, NGL junior Jarick Young (9-4) also had a 1-3 day at the sectional meet. After being pinned in 5:58 in his first match against West Salem-Bangor junior Evan Wolfe (17-1), Young scored an 11-4 decision over Amery junior Jospeh Wentz (12-5). He then lost an 11-6 decision to Baldwin-Woodville sophomore Austin Schmidt (15-5) and was defeated 10-8 in the fifth-place match by GET/ MM sophomore David Hiles (13-8).

NGL freshman Dane Luchterhand (10-7) went 2-2

MATT FREY/STAR NEWS PHOTO at 160 pounds to take fifth place. His sectional started with a pin by Northwestern senior Braden Trautt (13-2), but Luchterhand bounced back for a 3-2 overtime decision over West Salem-Bangor sophomore Andy Johnson (12-4). After taking an 8-0 loss to Spooner-Webster junior Brody Jepson (8-4), Luchterhand took fifth place with another 3-2 overtime decsion, this one over Bloomer-Colfax’s Ethan Rubenzer (9-7).

NGL sophomore Carter Schoengarth (11-6) went 0-2 at 182 pounds. He was pinned in 3:29 by GET/MM senior River Rommel (15-5) and then in 3:37 by St. Croix Central sophomore Parker Shackleton (10-6).

Spencer-Columbus had two wrestlers other than Ackman at the sectional meet, but neither could advance to state.

At 170 pounds, junior Joe Neider (8-4) dropped both of his matches. He was pinned in 32 seconds by St. Croix Central junior Devin Walsey (17-1), and then in 2:59 by Spooner-Webster junior Brandon Meister (8-5).

Rocket senior Connor Luedtke (9-5) finished his career with a fifth-place sectional finish after a 2-2 day. After being pinned in 1:43 by Baldwin-Woodville junior Max Ramberg (17-3), Luedtke came back for a pin in 2:45 of Ashland sophomore Isaac Pearce (7-6). Luedtke was then pinned in 37 seconds by Osseo-Fairchild-Augusta-Fall Creek senior Luke Fischer (12-3), but again rebounded strongly for an 8-4 decision in the fifth-place match against Regis-Altoona sophomore Noah Knobloch (5-10).

NGL finished third as a team at the sectional meet. Amery won the team title with 167 points and Baldwin-Woodville was second with 124. Those teams were followed by NGL (86.5), GET-MM (80), Regis-Altoona (78.5) and Ellsworth (68). Spencer-Columbus finished 15th with 29.5 points.


Neillsville-Greenwood-Loyal junior 132-pounder Jarick Young battles West Salem-Bangor junior Evan Wolfe in a quarterfinal match at the Feb. 6 WIAA Division 2 sectional at Neillsville.
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