STEVENS POINT — The Holmen High School girls wrestling team split with the state’s two best teams after qualifying for the semifinal round of a dual tournament at UW-Stevens Point on Friday.
The third-ranked Vikings beat top-ranked Neenah 39-29 to advance to a championship dual against second-ranked Bay Port. Holmen lost that championship match 42-30 to finish second in a 16-team competition.
The Vikings moved to the semifinals with a 42-21 first-round victory over Tomahawk and a 42-28 win over Lake Geneva Badger in the second round.
The Rockets, who are first in ranking released by Wisconsin Grappler, took a 29-21 lead after recording a pin at 185 pounds, but senior Sophia Walter and juniors Aini Anderson and Kayleen Bazan all won by pin at 235, 100 and 107, respectively, to produce the dual victory.
Walter completed her match in 3 minutes, 32 seconds, while Anderson needed just 10 seconds and Bazan 30. Bazan took the mat with the Vikings leading by four points and the outcome on the line.
The Pirates then won seven matches to Holmen’s five in the championship dual.
Anderson accepted a forfeit at 100 to get the Vikings within 36-24 with two matches remaining, but Bay Port won by pin at 107 to secure the victory.
Anderson (20-1) walked away with four victories, two of which came by pin. Sophomore Ruby Gustafson also won four times, wrestling twice at 138 and twice at 145.
Walter, junior Avalee Euler and senior Peyton Kratochvill all went 3-1 for Holmen.
Walter (19-4) and Kratochvill (18-8) won three times by pin and Euler (14-4) twice.
Mauston Challenge
MAUSTON — Logan/Central was fourth in a field of 28 teams with 85.5 points. Mineral Point won with 130 and was followed by Reedsburg (113) and Tomah (97.5).
The co-op was led by third-place finishes from juniors Rachael Hang at 138 and Myrikal Johnson at 185.
Hang (18-4) won four of five matches and won by pin in her placement match. Johnson (13-5) also won four of five matches and earned all of her victories by pin.
Junior Emylie Vang (10-10) was fifth at 120 and freshman Ellin Bemis (11-6) fifth at 165.
Onalaska/Luther finished 13th as a team with 53.5 points and had two entrants advance to the championship round.
Freshman Mya Foster (10-9 and sophomore Megan Ramsay (19-6) wrestled for titles at 120 and 126, respectively, after opening with three bracket victories.
Foster pinned her way to the 120 final, where she lost by pin in the first period. Ramsay pinned her first to opponents, then won by major decision over top-seeded Veda Lepley of Sparta before she was pinned in the 126 final.
