OFAFC wrestlers compete in WIAA regional meet Saturday
Osseo-Fairchild/Augusta/Fall Creek prep co-op wrestling team coach Dan Schulte thought highly of the competitiveness of last weekend's Cloverbelt Conference Wrestling Tournament
"The Cloverbelt has always been known for the quality of teams throughout it's history and this year was no different." Schulte said.
But this weekend's WIAA Division 2 Arcadia Regional Wrestling Meet represents a leap-up in quality to being possibly one of the toughest in the state.
Seven teams will compete in the meet which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Arcadia High School. Besides OFAFC there's No.2 ranked Melrose-Mindoro/G-E-T, No. 5 ranked and defending champions Ellsworth, Black River Falls, Prescott, West Salem/Bangor and the host Raiders. All seven teams will have a good amount of wrestlers at the meet so making it out of the first round will be very important in trying to be one of the only two wrestlers to advance from regionals to the individual sectional meet next Saturday in Osceola.
Ellsworth has won 15 regional titles in a row but this could be the year that streak is broken give how strong the Titans squad is led by No. 7 ranked Carson Koss at 106 pounds, No. 4 Tanner Anderson at 113, No. 4 ranked Sam Johnson at 138, No. 8 ranked Hunter Anderson at 170, No. 5 Jacob Summer at 182, No.2 Bryce Burns at 195 and No. 7 Trevor Daffingson at heavyweight. Mel-Min./G-E-T also has Jaden Anderson at 160 and Bryce Blaken at 145 receiving honorable mention in the rankings.
Yet, the Panthers have been counted out before but still manage to find a way to win. Ellsworth won its 17th straight Middle Border Conference title last week comfortably over strong challenges by Baldwin-Woodville and Amery by having all of its wrestlers place in the top four. EHS's top wrestlers include state champion Charlie Stuhl at 138, No. 11 Cole Nelson at 120; No. 4 ranked Carter Huppert at 152, No. 5 Logan Peterson at 220 although he will more than likely compete at heavyweight in the regionals.
Other ranked or honorable mention wrestlers in the meet include No. 7 ranked West Salem/Bangor's Evan Wolfe at 126, No. 2 Joe Schulte of Prescott at 220, Black River Falls' No. 8 ranked Jackson McCormack at 132, Prescott's Ryan Pederson, honorable mention at 113 and Prescott's Sam Murphy, No. 12 at 132.
The Dragons' top wrestlers going into the regional meet include Hunter Breaker, 14-13 at 126 and third place finisher in the Cloverbelt Conference meet; Cole Myers, 12-8 at 145; Bret Kostka, second place finisher at the Cloverbelt meet at 182; Luke Fischer, 30-7 at 195, third place finisher in the Cloverbelt Conference meet and Bo Prudlick, 17-15 at 220 and third place finisher in the Cloverbelt Conference. OFAFC wrestlers Bryce Armstrong-Baglien at 106, and Isaiah Waggoner at 285 both have over 10 wins on their individual records.
The first place team in the regional competes in the team sectional meet Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Baldwin-Woodville High School.
