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Milton wrestlers rule Badger Conference

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Big 8 Wrestling tournament

Photos of Craig and Parker wrestlers in the Big 8 Tournament at Madison La Follette.

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REEDSBURG — It may be great to share, but sometimes it feels good to be selfish.

A year after sharing the South Division overall title with Stoughton in its first Badger season, Milton High’s wrestling team was not in the sharing mood in this year’s two-day conference tournament, which concluded here Saturday.

“We are sick of sharing it with people,” Red Hawks coach Pat Jauch said. “It’s been touch-and-go the last five or six years. We have won the duals, and then at the tournament we have people banged up or some other excuse and have not gotten it done.”

This time, it was different.

The Red Hawks, No. 3 in the Crossface state ratings for Division 1, claimed the overall title by themselves by dominating the conference meet with 352 points.

“We’ve won so many titles that it’s almost like a failure to share it,” Milton senior 189-pounder James Miller said.

It is the Red Hawks’ 17th straight conference title, with the first 15 coming in the Southern Lakes.

“It doesn’t get old,” Jauch said. “You come into these tournaments, and you’re nervous. You know in the Badger that it’s going to be a dog fight.

“To be able to dominate the likes of Stoughton, DeForest, Reedsburg and Sauk Prairie over a two-day period is pretty unbelievable, but our kids were focused.”

Stoughton was a distant second in the 13-school conference meet with 293.5 points. The Vikings were followed by DeForest (252.5), Reedsburg (195.5) and Sauk Prairie (181.5).

In combining its 5-0 dual record with its performance in the conference tournament, Milton finished atop the South Division season standings. The Red Hawks were followed Stoughton, with Fort Atkinson, Monroe and Oregon finishing in a tie for third.

Reedsburg and DeForest tied for the North season title, followed by Sauk Prairie.

Just as they did the entire tournament, the Red Hawks dominated the final round, going 6-0 in championship matches.

“The guys really wanted it,” Jauch said. “When this group has wanted something, it’s been very hard for people to take it away from them.”

Claiming titles for the Red Hawks were John Wells, 103 pounds; Landon Shea, 119; Garrett Whitehead, 125; Ian Johnson, 160; Miller; and Chase Letson, 215.

It was the second straight title for Wells, who defeated Edgewood’s Kris Neumann, 5-2, after giving up an initial takedown.

“It’s been tough both years.” Wells said. “I’m not sure which was tougher.”

It was the first Badger title for Shea, who was second at 112 last year.

Shea held down DeForest’s Corey Brown in double overtime to capture a 3-2 win in the finals. The Milton standout had given up two escapes earlier in the match, but he controlled Brown when it counted.

“The first time I was trying to ride high and hang on his wrist, but at the end I figured I might as well hang on to his feet,” Shea said.

Whitehead also was a repeat champion, having won at 119 last year.

In the finals, Whitehead scored four third-period points on his way to a 9-4 victory over DeForest’s Cole Engeldinger.

“Last year was a lot harder,” Whitehead said. “This year, I just went out and pushed the pace, got up early and kept it up.”

After losing in the finals last season as a freshman, Johnson was determined to come away with the title this season. He used three takedowns to defeat DeForest’s Mitch Hanson, 7-3, in the championship match.

“Before the match, I was saying, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I win?’ ’’ Johnson said. “It means something to win (the conference title), but it’s not what I want. I want to be on top of the podium at state. But it is great to win.”

The individual and team title was especially satisfying for Miller, who missed last year's conference meet.

“Last year, I was out on an unfortunate skin disease, and we ended up tying Stoughton, so it was like if I would have wrestled we would have won it by ourselves last year,” Miller said. “So it was huge to come and get it done this year.”

Miller used a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal to down defending conference champion Eric Nelson of Stoughton, 4-2.

Letson, who was second last year, capped off the fantastic showing in the finals by dominating Baraboo’s Adair Ebright, 12-0.

“They seeded me third, and I felt a little disrespected because I’ve worked so hard, taking second at Cheesehead and stuff like that, but I guess I still have to prove to people how much better I’ve gotten,” Letson said.

The Red Hawks also got third-place finishes from Kyle Hinners at 130 and Garred Mielke at 285.

Like Milton, Fort Atkinson had a lot to be happy about.

The Blackhawks scored only 75 points last year in taking 11th place, and they had just four place-winners. This year, they nine place-winners.

Cody Foerster, a 135-pounder, paced Fort with a third-place finish

The WIAA postseason begins next Saturday with regionals, and Milton has set its sight on a trip to WIAA state team tournament.

“In the end, this is just conference,” Jauch said. “Now the real season begins with regionals.”

Badger

At Reedsburg

TEAM SCORES

Milton 352, Stoughton 293.5, DeForest 252.5, Reedsburg 195.5, Sauk Prairie 181.5, Baraboo 170, Oregon 148.5, Monroe 140, Fort Atkinson 122, Mount Horeb-Barneveld 111, Portage 98, Waunakee 90.5, Madison Edgewood 54.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

103—Title: John Wells (Mil) dec. Kris Neumann (ME), 5-2; Third: Devon McCune (Sto) dec. Brett Bowar (FA), 4-3.

112—Title: Nick Urso (St) pinned Ian Johnson (DeF), 3:26; Third: Hunter Mulock (Bar) dec. Dalton Schuerman (FA), 6-3.

119—Title: Landon Shea (Mil) dec. Corey Brown (DeF), 3-2 (2OT); Third: Kevin Klopfenstein (Mon) dec. Kolt Bode (Bar), 3-2 (2OT).

125—Title: Garrett Whitehead (Mil) dec. Cole Engeldinger (DeF), 9-4; Third: Daylan Bowar (MHB) dec. Ben Hite (St), 6-4.

130—Title: Mason Geary(DeF) major dec. over Nick Hite (St), 9-1; Third: Kyle Hinners (Mil) dec. Luke Neumann (ME), 4-2.

135—Title: Jackson Urso (St) major dec. over Tony Koch (Re), 18-7; Third: Cody Foerster (FA) dec. Randall Anderson (Po), 8-3.

140—Title: Austin Wersal (St) dec. Tom Seiler (SP), 7-2; Third: Brandon Jasper (Re) dec. Kale Shirley (DeF), 9-3.

145—Title: David Beers (Or) major dec. over Steve Hoffman (DeF), 15-6; Third: Dylan Schwitz (Mon) pinned Seth Staude (FA), 2:54.

152—Title: Joe Stetzer (Or) dec. Bryar Harper (DeF), 10-5; Third: Mason Goff (Mon) dec. Greg Krantz (Sto), 10-5.

160—Title: Ian Johnson (Mil) dec. Mitch Hanson (DeF), 10-5; Third: Ben Wiersma (SP) dec. Randy Wade (Por), 2-0.

171—Title: James Wixom (SP) dec. Shane Rockweiler (SP), 5-2; Third: Dustin Lee (Ore) pinned Dillon Weckerly (Mon), 4:05.

189—Title: James Miller (Mil) dec. Eric Nelson (St), 4-2; Third: Kevin Sommers (Or) tech. fall over Dylan Brener (Por), 16-1.

215—Title: Chase Letson (Mil) major dec. over Adair Ebright (Bar), 12-0; Third: Trent Zander (MHB) major dec. over Colton Brott (Re), 14-6.

285—Title: Jordan Mukite (Bar) pinned Seth Brandt (Re), 1:38; Third: Garred Mielke (Mil) pinned Rhen Corless (Wau), 2:05.