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By Kasi Greenwood
The Mineral Point wrestling team had some great accomplishments this past weekend. For starters, six wrestlers earned their ticket qualifying them for the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament held at Wausau East High School.
Second, Nolan Springer (170) and Mason Hughes both etched their names in Mineral Point Wrestling history as Mineral Point's 52nd and 53rd state wrestling champions, in a year where a wrestling season may not have happened due to a pandemic changing the flow of the overall winter wrestling season.
Springer defended his state title this past weekend and started his journey to a repeat after defeating Parkview/Albany's Wyatt Egan in a quarterfinal fall match of 0:48. Springer earned a semifinal 5:48 fall match against Kewaunee's Mitchell Thompson, sealing his spot in the finals against Random Lake's Samuel Schwabe. His finals match was different from his season matches, as almost all matches prior to this one involved securing pins within the first two periods. However this did not deter Springer's ebb and flow, as the play by play showed a reversal and a three point near fall in the first period, followed by putting Schwabe on his back through close nearfalls. Nearfalls, a reversal, two takedowns and an escape are how Springer made defending his state title happen.
"It was fun to watch Nolan do what he does," Head Coach Curtis Fiedler said about the defending state champion. "There's a reason he's one of the best in the state. It's been an honor to coach him."
After a nail biter loss at sectionals against Iowa-Grant Highland's Cal Dorota last weekend, Hughes knew that the state championship was on the line. However, Fiedler noted that Hughes stayed true to himself in perhaps the first time in the last couple weeks during his state journey. Keeping it simple throughout the tournament was the key to earning the victory for Hughes in his inevitable match up with Dorota in the finals, and earning the top spot on the podium by a decision of 3-1.
"He realized he didn't have to blow up the scoreboard to get a win against a tough kid," Fiedler said. "Just by wrestling smart and not overthinking it, he's going to be in a spot to come away to victory. And that's exactly what happened."
Mineral Point also saw two runner ups at the state tournament in sophomore Lucas Sullivan (113) and junior Tarrin Riley. Regardless of the outcome in both matches, Fiedler noted he couldn't be prouder of them for their accomplishment of making it to the finals since it is not an easy feat.
"To have four in the finals is a great feeling," Fiedler said.
Another great accomplishment is that all six pointers were able to secure spots on the podium.
After some tough consolation semi-final matches Bo Hanson (160) and Daniel Nordstrom (220) persevered and earned sixth place spots in the tournament.
"I couldn't be prouder of these kids and the work that they put in," Fiedler said. "They earned all of it."
The Pointers have one last go round this weekend as they travel again to Wausau West High School for the WIAA Team State Tournament, mat action beginning at 10:30 a.m. This is the first time the team is back in the WIAA Team State Wrestling Tournament for the first time since 2011, and they go in with the number two seed. The Pointers face off with third seeded Random Lake (Random Lake has competed with Mineral Point in the past for Team State Crowns, and a few of the team members competed against Random Lake wrestlers in their matches this last weekend). The final round will be at 1 p.m. against top seeded Coleman or fourth seeded Cadott. The Pointers have wrestled both teams in the past (2008, 2009 for Coleman and tying with Cadott in 2007.
"It's just a matter of doing our job. I think we got the team to certainly do what we need to do to move on to the final and compete for a team state title." Fiedler said. "I think it'll be a different environment, but I am excited to get fans there cheering on the team and hopefully we can give them something to be excited about."
2021 WIAA Individual State D3 Results for Mineral Point
113 Lucas Sullivan (13-2) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinal - Sullivan won by decision over Kevin Klemm (Manawa) 18-1 (Dec 10-8), Semifinal - Sullivan won by decision over Kayne Johnson (Cameron) 10-4 (Dec 10-5), 1st Place Match - Nolan McKittrick (Royall) 20-0 won by decision over Sullivan (Dec 4-3)
126 Tarrin Riley (13-1) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.
Quarterfinal - Riley won by fall over Jordan Luhr (Ken. Christian Life) 13-6 (Fall 2:29), Semifinal - Riley won by decision over Derick Vollendorf (Ladysmith) 13-6 (Dec 8-2), 1st Place Match - Tanner Gerber (Cameron) 16-0 won by decision over Riley (Dec 7-1)
160 Bo Hanson (12-4) placed 6th and scored 4.0 team points.
Quarterfinal - Aiden Vandenbush (Random Lake) 21-0 won by fall over Hanson (Fall 2:29), Cons. Round 1 - Hanson won by decision over Nelson Wahl (Cadott) 15-3 (Dec 10-7), Cons. Semi - David Malin (Aquinas) 17-3 won by decision over Hanson (Dec 9-2), 5th Place Match - Ryan Roy (Wabeno/Laona) 17-3 won by decision over Hanson (Dec 3-2)
170 Nolan Springer (14-0) placed 1st and scored 25.5 team points.
Quarterfinal - Springer won by fall over Wyatt Egan (Parkview/Albany) 15-4 (Fall 0:48), Semifinal - Springer won by fall over Mitchell Thompson (Kewaunee) 19-4 (Fall 5:41), 1st Place Match - Springer won by tech fall over Samuel Schwabe (Random Lake) 19-2 (TF-1.5 4:00 (20-5))
182 Mason Hughes (13-2) placed 1st and scored 20.0 team points.
Quarterfinal - Hughes won by decision over Bennett Bergmann (Saint Croix Falls) 15-4 (Dec 6-1), Semifinal - Hughes won by decision over Ben Strehlow (Weyauwega-Frem.) 16-2 (Dec 10-4), 1st Place Match - Hughes won by decision over Cal Dorota (Iowa-Grant/Highland) 20-1 (Dec 3-1)
220 Daniel Nordstrom (10-4) placed 6th and scored 4.0 team points.
Quarterfinal - David Gauderman (Wittenberg-Birn.) 18-3 won by decision overNordstrom (Dec 8-3), Cons. Round 1 - Nordstrom won by decision over Louie White (Dodgeland) 15-5 (Dec 12-5), Cons. Semi - Milan Monchilovich (Cumberland) 17-2 won by fall over Nordstrom (Fall 2:30), 5th Place Match - Dylan Nottestad (Westby) 21-2 won by decision over Nordstrom (Dec 7-2)