March 3, 2014 at 11:36 a.m.

Nowak is state mat champ


Iowa-Grant/Highland 160 lb. wrestler Luke Nowak won his first state championship Saturday night before a packed house when he decisioned Boyceville's Bryor Hellman 9-7 on the Division 3 mat at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Nowak first beat Blair-Taylor's Pat Vehrenkamp 8-1 before scoring a 9-4 win over Dexter Karban in the quarterfinals. He came up with a major decision 11-2 over Ozaukee's Kevin Beckman in the semifinals before edging Hellman.

Two other Panthers reached the podium on Saturday night as Cody Rider finished third at 182 and Brian Halverson took sixth at 170.

Also in D3, Mineral Point's Brenyn Schmit finished second at 220 when he dropped a 4-1 match to Westby's Chase Norton in the finals.

Mineral Point's 152 lb. Scott Pittz finished third and 138 lb. Ross Siegenthaler fifth.

In Division 2, Dodgeville's Brady Wetter was his team's lone representative. He finished third at 170 when he beat Wisconsin Lutheran's Dan Squires 10-2.

River Valley' Joe Crook also placed third when he scored a 10-2 win over Luxemburg-Casco's Austin Worachek at 145 lbs.
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