THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 22nd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Team Wrestling Championships will take place Friday and Saturday, March 1-2. The tournament is held at the Field House on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session.
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS: The single elimination tournament features eight teams in Division 1 and four each in Divisions 2 and 3.
Friday, March 1
Time Div. Pairings
7 p.m. 1 Match-1: Sauk Prairie (10-2) vs. Mukwonago (13-8)
7 p.m. 1 Match-2: Kaukauna (20-0) vs. Badger (20-4)
7 p.m. 1 Match-3: Bay Port (19-3) vs. Menomonee Falls (17-3)
7 p.m. 1 Match-4: Wausau West (18-3) vs. Burlington (12-1)
Saturday, March 2
Time Div. Pairings
9 a.m. 1 Match-5: Match-1 Winner vs. Match-2 Winner
9 a.m. 1 Match-6: Match-3 Winner vs. Match-4 Winner
1 p.m. 2 Match-1: Ellsworth (13-5) vs. Luxemburg-Casco (15-3)
1 p.m. 2 Match-2: Mauston (12-1) vs. Chilton/Hilbert (18-1)
1 p.m. 3 Match-1: Clear Lake (10-4) vs. Coleman (11-4)
1 p.m. 3 Match-2: Lancaster (13-0) vs. Random Lake (17-0)
6 p.m. 1 Match-11: Division 1 Championship Match
6 p.m. 2 Match-12: Division 2 Championship Match
6 p.m. 3 Match-13: Division 3 Championship Match
ON THE AIR: The entire State Tournament can be seen live on foxsportswisconsin.com. The championship finals for all divisions will also be aired tape-delayed on FS Wisconsin. The Division 1 championship dual will be aired March 30 at 1:30 p.m. The Division 2 championship match will air March 26 at 6:30 p.m., and the Division 3 final will air March 23 at 4:30 p.m. Check the Media Center on the WIAA website for a schedule of all WIAA Tournament events on FS Wisconsin.
TEAM TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW: The first WIAA State Team Wrestling Championship was held in 1940. Until 1992, team champions were determined by a point system based on individuals’ placing in what is currently the individual championships. For the first time in 1992, a team champion was determined by a separate tournament series involving dual matches. UW-Stevens Point hosted the first two championships. West Allis Central hosted the meet from 1994-2004. Since then, the tournament has been held at the UW Field House. There were 336 programs entering the tournament series, including 127 in Division 1, 104 in Division 2 and 105 in Division 3.
LAST YEAR: Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln won its ninth team title in the last 10 years and its membership-leading 21st overall by defeating Hartford Union 33-25 in the Division 1 championship final. Luxemburg-Casco won its 10th Division 2 championship by defeating defending champion Ellsworth in the title match, 41-13. Coleman won its third straight Division 3 championship with a 59-5 victory over Spring Valley/Elmwood in the title match.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Kaukauna is back at State for the fourth time in the last six years and for the 11th time overall. The Galloping Ghosts had a string of five straight appearances from 1999-2003, and had a three-year run from 2008-10. Their most notable State experiences were runner-up finishes in 2000, 2003 and 2008. The Ghosts’ berth at State came virtue of a 47-12 win over Oshkosh West in the Menasha Sectional final. Wausau West qualifies for the second straight season and for the eighth time overall, which includes a string of four straight appearances from 2007-10. The Warriors won the State title in 2008 and were also runners-up in 1999, 2007 and 2009. The Warriors defeated Menomonie 47-13 in the sectional final held at Wausau West. Mukwonago is a State qualifier for the fifth time and for the second time in the last three seasons. The Indians made three straight appearances from 2005-2007 to account for all of their State experiences. Their furthest advance was to the semifinals in 2011. They ousted West Allis Central 38-21 in the final of the Brookfield Central Sectional. Both Badger and Burlington are making their second State Tournament appearances after experiencing the event for the first time last year. Both programs were eliminated from title contention in the quarterfinals. This year, they earn their return to the field by winning their sectional finals. Badger defeated Mount Horeb/Barneveld 29-23 in the Milton Sectional final, and Burlington captured the Racine Horlick Sectional title with a 34-21 win over South Milwaukee. The remaining three teams are making their first-ever appearances at State. Bay Port is the representative from the sectional it hosted with a 41-15 dismantling of perennial power Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln in the final. Menomonee Falls defeated Wauwatosa West/East 30-27 in the final of the Arrowhead Sectional to advance, and Sauk Prairie beat Holmen 37-23 in the sectional final it hosted.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Last year’s champion Luxemburg-Casco is making its third consecutive appearance in the team tournament and its 15th overall. The Spartans enjoyed a string of eight consecutive appearances that ended in 2008. They have won Division 2 titles 10 times (1992, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2012). The Spartans also added runner-up finishes in 1991, 2007 and 2011. They earned the opportunity to defend their title by beating Oconto Falls 35-22 in the Oconto Falls Sectional final. Last year’s runner Ellsworth is back for the eighth straight year and for the 12th time overall. The Panthers have won five State titles, capturing the crown in 1985, 2000, 2007, 2009 and 2011. In addition, they also finished runner-up in 1999, 2001, 2008 and again last season. They are poised for another title run following a 45-22 win over Amery in the sectional final held at Ellsworth. Chilton/Hilbert makes its first appearance in the State team tournament as a co-op program. Chilton finished runner-up in Division 2 in 1998 in its only appearance as a stand-alone program. The co-op advances following a 48-16 win over Kewaskum in the Pewaukee Sectional final. Mauston will also make its initial appearance in the team tournament. The Golden Eagles defeated Dodgeville 54-17 in the final of the Lodi Sectional to advance to the State semifinals.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Three-time defending champion Coleman returns for the sixth consecutive year and for the 11th time overall. The Cougars have won a total of nine team championships, also having won in 2000 with the current dual format. They also claimed crowns in 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1966 when there was only one division. In addition, they finished runner-up in 1959, 1961, 1981, 1983, 1996 and 2008. The Cougars got by sectional host Edgar 38-34 in the final to continue on their quest for a fourth straight title. Random Lake returns to the State Tournament for the second straight season. The Rams also had back-to-back appearances in 2008-09, which produced a runner-up in 2009. They posted a 63-15 win over Kenosha Christian Life in the Markesan Sectional final. Clear Lake is also qualifying for just the third time. The Warriors’ first experience in the team tournament came in 2008 with a loss in the semifinals followed by a loss in the semifinals in 2011. They qualify this season out of the Glenwood City Sectional with a 31-28 victory over Spring Valley/Elmwood. Lancaster has also qualified for the team tournament for the third time in program history. The only other experience resulted in a Division 2 runner-up finish in 1992 and a loss in the semifinals in 1999. The Flying Arrows return to the tournament following a 41-29 victory over Weston/Ithaca in the Brookwood Sectional final.
NEED THE QUALIFIERS?: All rosters of qualifying teams are available on the media restricted area of the WIAA website at: www.wiaawi.org.
NEED RESULTS?: The quickest way to get results will be to access the wrestling homepage on WIAA website and select the Tournament Information option, or access the TrackWrestling.com website directly.