Titans To Wrestle At WIAC Championship
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will attempt for a fifth straight first-place finish at the 2016 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestling Championship (presented by Culver's). The 61st edition of the league event will be hosted by UW-Stevens Point at Quandt Fieldhouse on Feb. 14.
The Warhawks collected the 16th first-place trophy in program history a season ago with 162.50 points to surpass the second-place total of 138.50 points by UW-La Crosse. UW-Stevens Point finished third with 109.50 points, UW-Platteville fourth with 59, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 45 and UW-Eau Claire sixth with 40.50.
This year's championship will crown 10 individual first-place finishers, along with a team champion. Each institution will be permitted to enter two wrestlers per weight class. Only the highest finishing wrestler from each institution in each weight class will factor into the team scoring.
UW-La Crosse enters the event ranked fifth nationally in National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Division III rankings distributed on Feb. 9, while UW-Whitewater is 13th and UW-Stevens Point 23rd.
UW-Whitewater senior Tom Gerszewski won the 157-pound title a season ago, while sophomore Connor Price took second at 165 pounds. Gerszewski is ranked ninth by the NWCA at 165 pounds this year.
UW-La Crosse brings back a pair of individual champions from last year, including junior Ryan Weinmann, who was victorious at 125 pounds and junior Tyler Schneider, who place first at 165 pounds. Weinmann is ranked first at 125 pounds this season, while Schneider is fourth at 174 pounds. The Eagles also have two returning runners-up from the 2015 championship in junior Dustin Weinmann at 133 pounds and senior Cody See at 141 pounds. Weinmann is ranked fourth at 133 pounds this year and See is fourth at 141 pounds.
UW-Stevens Point junior Anthony Friese was the runner-up at 157 pounds in 2015, while senior Bo Seibel was second at 285 pounds.
Additional WIAC representatives in the NWCA individual weight class rankings include: UW-Eau Claire senior Nathaniel Behnke (3rd-141 pounds); UW-Stevens Point senior Jared Kust (6th-141 pounds) and sophomore Ben Vosters (7th-125 pounds); and UW-Whitewater senior Matt Adcock (7th-141 pounds) and sophomore Isaiah Vela (10th-149 pounds).
Other conference wrestlers producing strong performances this season include: UW-Eau Claire junior Justin Karkula (285 pounds), senior Roy Munroe (149/157 pounds) and Zackary Sirny (125 pounds); UW-La Crosse freshman Clay Broze (285 pounds), freshman Austin Cook (184 pounds), freshman Grant Sutton (141 pounds) and senior Zach Tooley (197 pounds); UW-Oshkosh freshman Mark Choinski (149 pounds), junior Joe Pelkey (157 pounds) and Patrick Reilly (165 pounds); UW-Platteville senior Mason Bohm (149 pounds), senior Bryant Etherton (197 pounds), freshman D'Andre Johnson (285 pounds) and senior Grant Wedepohl (184 pounds); UW-Stevens Point junior Logan Hermsen (165 pounds), freshman Donny Ralston (285 pounds), junior Boone Roycraft (157 pounds) and sophomore Dan Squires (174 pounds); and UW-Whitewater freshman Brandon Arteaga (149 pounds), freshman Nicholas Bonomo (165 pounds), junior Joseph Brodman (133 pounds) and sophomore Austin Quartullo (133 pounds).
Qualification for the NCAA Division III Championship will be based on super regional competition held on Feb. 27. UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater will participate in a regional hosted by Wabash College (Ind.), while UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville will compete in a regional entertained by Augsburg College (Minn.). The national championship will be held March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.