MADISON — Recovering from a loss can be difficult for successful wrestlers.
Championship contenders can get lost in the tunnel vision that puts them at the top of a medal stand at the end of a tournament, but finding the composure and focus to grab a different spot on that same medal stand isn’t always easy.
Holmen High School sophomore Nathan Henderson, West Salem/Bangor senior Mason Chambers and Aquinas senior Waylon Hargrove and sophomore Tyler Paulson were able to do that Saturday to grab third-place finishes in the WIAA individual state tournament at the Kohl Center.
All four lost semifinal bouts on Friday night but put together strong performances when it counted for a win in what a couple of them called the next-best situation.
“I feel a lot better (than Friday night), that’s for sure,” said Chambers, who beat second-seeded Trig White (43-4) 8-5 for third place in the Division 2 157-pound bracket. “You can’t put your head down and quit.
“It was hard. but you have to trust your training and yourself. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I’m at.”
Chambers (46-5) finished his Catbird career with a 133-37 record and used a key takedown early in the third period to gain control over White. He tied the match at 5, then hit the takedown near the edge of the mat with 1:41 left before riding out the victory.
“It was my last match in high school, and I had to ask myself, ‘How do you want to end it?'” Chambers said. “I had to go out and be relentless and not quit.”
Henderson (41-3), the second seed, beat fifth-seeded Joseph Jeanquart (41-13) 5-2 in his Division 1 138-pound placement match. Henderson had a takedown in the first period and gave himself some beathing room on a breakdown by adding a reversal with :41 let in the match.
Henderson was in the third-place match after a 6-0 lead vanished and turned into a 10-9 loss to Menomonie junior Aidan Aure (36-4) the previous night.
“That loss really hurt me and took me down,” said Henderson, who wrestled Saturday with a facemask after injuring his nose against Aure. “My coaches got me feeling the best I could with heat and ice, so I came in this morning having to get through just one match, and it went good.”
Hargrove and Paulson also needed to get through just one match, and both were paired up with higher-seeded opponents.
Paulson (35-9), the ninth seed, beat sixth-seeded Carsen Voskuil (51-4) of Cedar Grove-Belgium 6-1 for third place in the Division 3 138-pond bracket, and fourth-seeded Hargrove (36-9) pinned second-seeded Gabe Gerber (21-2) at 2:1 for third place at 157 pounds.
Paulson will make his first trip to the medal stand after qualifying as a freshman and Hargrove improved on a sixth-place finish from his junior season.
Holmen senior AJ Alesch and G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro senior Colton Koss finished fourth as did G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro junior Aron Dunigan.
Alesch (47-9) completed his career with a 105-50 record, and Koss finished his at 185-35 and three medals. He was second as a junior and third as a sophomore to go with this finish.
Dunigan (46-4) was not able to wrestle after falling ill on Friday. He had to miss the semifinal match he qualified for on Friday night and was still not able to compete on Saturday.
G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro seniors Koda Purney and Jayce Stetzer and West Salem/Bangor senior Caden Anderson all placed fifth after winning twice on Saturday.
Purney (45-12) received a medical forfeit in his first match and followed it up with a 12-4 major decision over seventh-seeded Austin Voeltz (37-13) of St. Croix Central in the Division 2 120-pound bracket. Purney also beat Voeltz in the first round on Thursday and used those victories to complete a 161-53 record and his first state medal.
Stetzer (49-8), seeded 10th in Division 2 at 157, advanced to his placement match with a 7-3 victory over 12th-seeded Joseph Stimac (40-12) and followed it with a 13-12 victory over seventh-seeded Cody Meyer (52-7) f Osceola to complete a 155-51 career with the Titans.
Stetzer trailed Meyer 9-3 in the second period before mounting a comeback. He took Meyer down twice in the third period and recorded the winner with 20 seconds remaining. Meyer pinned Stetzer earlier in the tournament.
Anderson (49-9), seeded ninth at Division 2 190, capped his tournament with an exclamation point by pinning Merrill senior Noah Klug in 3:18 of the placement match. He qualified for that with a pin over Waterford’s 11th-seeded Camden Shaw (39-10).
Anderson (111-41 during his career) was knocked out of the championship picture in Thursday’s quarterfinals and followed that up with one win on Friday and two more on Saturday.
“You just have to wrestle through the bracket,” Anderson said. “It’s about having your focus on the next match. You have to clear you mind entirely, put the new goal in front of you and chase that.”
SATURDAY RESULTS
BOYS
DIVISION 1
Third place
138: (2) Nathan Henderson, so., Holmen (41-3) dec. (5) Joseph Jeanquart, jr., Luxemburg-Casco (41-13) 5-2
150: (2) Landen Sheppard, jr., Neenah (49-5) dec. (5) AJ Alesch, sr., Holmen (47-9) 7-1
DIVISION 2
Third place
132: (5) Briggs Weigel, so., Belmont/Platteville (53-7) dec. (3) Colton Koss, sr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (43-9) 7-2
157: (4) Mason Chambers, sr., West Salem/Bangor (46-5) dec. (2) Trig White, jr., Chetek (43-4) 8-5
190: (3) Owen Birling, sr., Lake Mills (46-2) won by injury default over (4) Aaron Dunigan, jr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (46-4) due to illness
Fifth place
120: (10) Koda Purney, sr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (43-12) maj. dec. (7) Austin Voeltz, so., St. Croix Central (37-13) 12-4
157: (10) Jayce Stetzer, sr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (49-8) dec. (7) Cody Meyer, so., Osceola (52-7) 13-12
190: (9) Caden Anderson, sr., West Salem/Bangor (49-9) pinned (12) Noah Klug, sr., Merrill (39-11) 3:18
Consolation semifinals
120: (10) Koda Purney, sr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (42-12) tech. fall (11) Ayden Daul, sr., Chilton (37-11) 15-0, 1:49
144: (5) Landen Fick, sr., Plymouth (47-4) tech. fall (7) Brody Banse, jr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (43-9) 19-4, 4:03
157: (10) Jayce Stetzer, sr., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (48-8) dec. (12) Joseph Stimac, so., Antigo (40-12) 7-3
165: (12) Alvin Peterson, jr., Somerset (43-13) tech. fall (9) Merek Windsor, so., G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro (37-17) 15-0, 3:51
190: (9) Caden Anderson, sr., West Salem/Bangor (48-9) pinned (11) Camden Shaw, sr., Waterford (39-10) 4:59
DIVISION 3
Third place
138: (9) Tyler Paulson, so., Aquinas (35-9) dec. (6) Carsen Voskuil, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium (51-4) 6-1
157: (4) Waylon Hargrove, sr., Aquinas (36-9) pnned (2) Gabe Gerber, sr., Ladysmith (21-2) 2:11
