Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Westby's Dylan Nottestad, left, and Wausau West's Cayden Kershaw wrestle in a second-round 285-pound match Wednesday during the first day of the Bi-State Classic at the La Crosse Center.
There were plenty of assumptions to be made after the Aquinas High School wrestling team completed its season in 2020-2021 season.
The Blugolds expected to have a big season and did. They didn’t accomplish everything they desired, but nothing short of a WIAA Division 3 state championship would have left them satisfied.
The ultimate goal for this season, then, became pretty clear.
“No one really had to say it,” Aquinas sophomore David Malin said. “We just knew. It was in our minds that we could have a special team this year.”
The Blugolds aren’t just talented, they are experienced. With most of the wrestling roster involved with the football team’s Division 5 championship run through the fall months, Aquinas is also hungry for more of that kind of success.
Wednesday’s first day of the Bi-State Classic gave the team its first big chance to figure out where it is, and initial reviews were very good.
The Blugolds moved six wrestlers to Wednesday night’s quarterfinal round and used early matches to confirm the basis for their high expectations. The semifinal round takes place Thursday morning.
“This is pretty big,” Malin said of the event. “We’re all wrestling at our natural weights now, and this is the first time we can truly show ourselves and see how we compare to the rest of the state and some of Minnesota.”
Coach Deke Stanek entered 13 competitors, and six of them started with three straight victories, most of them one-sided.
Senior Joe Penchi (11-0) had one pin and two technical falls at 152 pounds, and sophomore Jake Fitzpatrick (11-0) followed up a first-round bye with two first-period pins at 106.
Junior Tate Flege (11-0) didn’t even need a minute to finish off his first two opponents before surviving a 7-6 win over Ithaca/Weston’s Lincoln Manning (12-2) to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals at 145.
Junior Calvin Hargrove (11-0) also received a bye in the first round at 160 and advanced with two major decisions, and Malin won by forfeit, pin and major decision at 170.
Senior Riley Klar (11-0) gave the Blugolds a sixth quarterfinalist with three pins at 182. Klar pinned Richland Center’s Aaron Davis in 24 seconds, Logan/Central’s Cody Deal in 2 minutes and Mauston/Necedah’s Dalton Hoehn (9-2) in 3:43.
It was a performance that built on an impressive showing at a dual invitational earlier this season that included victories over Stoughton, Campbellsport and Mineral Point among others.
The Blugolds, who are ranked fourth in Division 3 by Wisconsin Wrestling Online, were 5-1 that day with their only loss a 42-39 setback at the hands of Iowa-Grant/Highland, which is ranked third in Division 3. Stoughton was 10th at one point in Division 1, and Mineral Point is fifth in Division 3.
Malin and Fitzpatrick made splashes last season with fourth-place state finishes as freshmen. Malin also competed at 160 last season showed he belonged against opponents with much more varsity experience.
“I was a little nervous right away, but I felt more comfortable after a couple duals,” said Malin, who was 17-3. “That’s when I started realizing that I belonged, and it got better as the season went on.”
He credits Penchi, Hargrove and Klar with helping elevate him and said the group works well together to do that for each of them.
“They are all great people to drill with,” Malin said. “A couple weeks ago, we had a live drill with groups of four, and it was the four of us.
“There wasn’t a dominant person. It seemed like someone would do something different or better each time. We all push each other like that.”
HOLMEN THE EARLY LEADER: The Vikings scored 114 points before the quarterfinal round and matched Aquinas with six qualifiers in championship brackets Wednesday night.
Andrew Weiss (13-1, 132), Preston Kratochvill (13-4, 138), Tyler Jahn (13-1, 145), Parker Kratochvill (13-3, 152), Branson Beers (14-0, 160) and Carston Westcott (13-1, 220) all advanced to the quarterfinals.
Parker Kratochvill, who won the 106-pound championship two years ago, won all three of his matches by pin. Weiss and Beers followed up first-round byes with two pins of their own.
GIRLS SHOWCASE THURSDAY: The girls showcase is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, and tournament organizer Jason Lulloff said Wednesday that there are 66 girls entered.
The tournament will be a preview to the WIAA individual state girls wrestling tournament, which will be contested for the first time on Jan. 29 at the La Crosse Center.
Viroqua senior Cale Anderson celebrates the 152-pound championship he won during the WIAA individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Bradyn Saint tries to finish a takedown on St. Croix Central's Devin Wasley during a 170-pound semifinal match in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School.
Prairie du Chien senior Matt Rogge tries to throw Eau Claire Regis/Altoona's Payton Kostka during a 152-pound consolation wrestleback in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Rhett Koenig finishes a takedown on Neillsville co-op's Luke Dux during the 113-pound championship match in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School.
Viroqua senior Cale Anderson tries to tilt Eau Claire Regis/Altoona's Payton Kostka during a 152-pound semifina matchl in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School.
Melrose-Mindoro/G-E-T junior Tanner Andersen tries to power through for a double-leg takedown on Lodi's Chandler Curtis during a 126-pound consolation wrestleback in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School.
Melrose-Mindoro/G-E-T junior Tanner Andersen competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Melrose-Mindoro/G-E-T junior Tanner Andersen competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Maddox Cejka competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Maddox Cejka competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien freshman Mason Baumgartner competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Rhett Koenig competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Rhett Koenig competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Ryder Koenig competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Luke Kramer competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Matt Rogge competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Matt Rogge competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien sophomore Rhett Koenig celebrates a 113-pound championship during the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis. Koenig won his second state title.
Viroqua senior Cale Anderson competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Viroqua senior Cale Anderson competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Bradyn Saint competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Bradyn Saint competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Prairie du Chien senior Bradyn Saint competes at the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament at Adams-Friendship High School in Adams, Wis.
Todd Sommerfeldt can be reached at todd.sommerfeldt@lee.net or via Twitter @SommerfeldtLAX
For much more coverage — including photos, videos, stories — of the Bi-State Classic, which continued well past the Tribune's print deadline, visit lacrossetribune.com.
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Todd Sommerfeldt has covered sports for the La Crosse Tribune since 2003 after doing the same previously in the Fox Cities and Rock County. He can be reached at 608-791-8208.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Shane Schmeling said Wednesday that he has stepped down as the Onalaska High School girls basketball coach.
The Aquinas High School baseball team scored at least once in each of the first five innings to pull out a 12-4 MVC victory over Logan on Tuesday.
High School Racing Association division action at La Crosse Speedway in West Salem this summer will mean just a little bit more to competitors from the Melrose-Mindoro High School.
Devon Fielding led the Central High School boys basketball team to the WIAA Division 2 state championship game, and Cody Schmitz brought the s…
The Central High School baseball team had a road game turned into a home game on Friday and started its season with an 8-5 nonconference victo…
Caledonia High School senior Eli King wasn’t selected as Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball this week, but the Iowa State University commit did cement…
Westby's Dylan Nottestad, left, and Wausau West's Cayden Kershaw wrestle in a second-round 285-pound match Wednesday during the first day of the Bi-State Classic at the La Crosse Center.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.