The State Team Wrestling finals produced champions in each of the three division held Saturday at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis.
Last year’s Division 1 runner-up Kaukauna (21-0) won the championship with a 39-22 victory over Bay Port. It was the Galloping Ghosts’ first State title after finishing runner-up on four previous occasions. The Ghosts took control of the match early, winning six of the first seven bouts to build a 24-3 lead. With a 24-16 lead, they clinched the State title by winning three of the final four matches.
Ellsworth (15-5) won its fifth team championship in the last six years and its sixth title overall with a convincing 41-12 decision over Pewaukee in the Division 2 final. By winning seven of the first eight bouts of the match, the Panthers owned a commanding 26-3 lead. After Pewaukee narrowed the deficit to 26-12, the Panthers won the final three matches, including pins by Gabe Mancino and four-time State individual wrestling champion Jens Lantz.
Last year’s runner-up Coleman (15-4) won the Division 3 championship with a 39-22 victory over Spring Valley/Elmwood. It was the Cougars’ 10th team championship, including the fourth since the inception of the duel-match format. They broke open a 3-3 tie with four straight win in the middleweight classes, including a pin and three decisions.
Semifinal Recaps
Ellsworth rolled in its Division 2 semifinal to advance to the final to face Pewaukee. The Panthers recorded five pins and won 12-of-14 weight classes to trounce Evansville/Albany 65-6 in their semifinal. Pewaukee won its semifinal over Wittenberg-Birnamwood 28-19. Eleven matches resulted in decisions.
The best match of the Division morning session came in Division 3 with Coleman advancing to the final on criteria with a 29-28 decision over Random Lake. The Cougars were awarded a criteria point at the end of the match that ended 28-28 based on having won the most bouts in the match. Spring Valley/Elmwood extended its 9-7 advantage though the first four matches with six straight wins in its semifinal against Riverdale, ultimately scoring a 37-16 triumph.
Kaukauna and Bay Port have advanced to the finals in Division 1 Friday evening, defeating Burlington in its semifinal 40-21. The Galloping Ghosts will duel Bay Port, which downed Merrill 28-25. It marks the first time a program from the Wisconsin Valley Conference has not advanced to the final in Division 1 since the inception of the team tournament in 1992.
In their quarterfinal, the Galloping Ghosts cruised past Menomonee Falls 59-3, winning all but the first match of the dual. The Pirates doubled-up on Stoughton to win its semifinal 42-21. In other quarterfinal action, Burlington edged Sauk Prairie 33-32, and Merrill defeated Mukwonago 49-24.