With a week of preparation, there is a renewed excitement for WIAA team sectionals in boys wrestling this season.
Instead of cramming workouts in and wrestling again three days after a regional competition — and knowing that an individual sectional awaits four days later — competitors have had a regular week of practices to prepare for specific strategy and rest their bodies as needed.
Local qualifiers hope that helps them qualify to compete for a state championship at the La Crosse Center on March 6-7.
Holmen in Division 1, G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro and West Salem/Bangor in Division 2 and Aquinas in Division 3 are all team sectional qualifiers for Saturday and have spent the week game-planning their path to two dual victories and a spot in that team state tournament.
“In past years, I’d have to talk to the school board and athletic director about scheduling a Sunday practice,” West Salem/Bangor coach Josh Brewer said. “It was nice to stick with a normal routine this week. It’s one less weigh-in, which I like, and we’ve been getting healthy and focusing in on the finer details.”
Each of the seven sectional champions will qualify for state, and the field will be rounded out with one team as a wild card. The seeding processes applied to other postseason tournaments will be used in determining that team.
Holmen, which spent the season ranked second to Kaukauna in Division 1, is the top seed in Marshfield.
G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro, ranked sixth in Division 2, is the top seed in Black River Falls, and Brewer’s Catbirds are seeded second.
Aquinas is the top-ranked Division 3 team in the state and is the No. 1 seed for its sectional in Cashton.
The Blugolds, who already own dual victories over second-ranked Weyauwega-Fremont, third-ranked Mineral Point, sixth-ranked Marathon and seventh-ranked Shiocton.
Aquinas has wrestled just once since a dual loss at Holmen on Jan. 29. The Blugolds qualified six for next week’s individual statement from a sectional hosted by Brookwood last weekend in their return to the mat.
Aquinas gets a first-round bye in Cashton and wrestles either Riverdale of Prairie du Chien in the semifinal round. Ninth-ranked Iowa-Grant/Highland and 10th-ranked Lancaster are possible opponents in the finals.
“I would say the last four or five years, we have intentionally scheduled nothing past the final conference dual,” Aquinas coach Deke Stanek said. “I’m a big believer of quality of quantity, especially with the teams we’ve had.
“They won’t forget how to wrestle and a break helps their physical health and allows them to recover from aches, pains, sprains and tears for two weeks, and it was more like two-and-a-half this year.”
Stanek gave his team a couple of days off during that span to help with the mental approach as the Blugolds try to qualify for team state for the first time and chase a team state title, which is something no area team has previously earned.
“It’s good for them step away from the mat and want to come back in the room,” Stanek said. “That’s much better than dreading because of pushing too hard.”
The Titans and Catbirds both get first-round byes in Black River Falls. G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro gets either Eau Claire Regis/Altoona or Ellsworth in the semifinal round, and West Salem/Bangor draws either Arcadia or Mauston/Necedah in its semifinal.
Semifinal wins for both of those teams would create a return match from the Coulee Conference season. The Titans, who have an area-best eight individual state qualifiers in the lineup, won that one 41-26 on Jan. 9.
Brewer looks forward another possible shot at the Titans, who also outscored his team at the individual-based conference tournament.
“Finish,” he said when asked what his team would have to do better if it faces the Titans. “There were lots of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of, and they did.
“For us, it comes down to not who we wrestle but how we wrestle. They threw some curveballs and moved some guys around, and we went straight up, so we’ll see if that changes. They are a very well-coached team always motivated and ready to go, and we have to make sure our guys have the right mindset.”
Holmen has had a dominant season, especially on the dual side. The Vikings were the top local team with wins over Aquinas and G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro toward the end of the season.
The Vikings will wrestle either New Richmond or Wisconsin Rapids in the semifinal round and will have either eighth-ranked Marshfield, Menomonie or D.C. Everest awaiting them in the finals if they advance.
Holmen had six individual sectional champions and is taking seven qualifiers to the individual state tournament next week.
