MADISON — Aini Anderson wasn’t about to cave as she wrestled for a spot in the semifinal round of the WIAA individual state wrestling tournament on Thursday.
The Holmen High School junior had Green Bay Notre Dame freshman Mya Beckett down by eight points early in the third period of their 100-pound quarterfinal match before Beckett sprung to life as the time ticked away.
That eight-point lead shrunk to two when Beckett took Anderson down with 5 seconds left and scored three back points, but Anderson (44-2) prevailed by fighting off the pin attempt to score a 17-15 victory and earn that spot in Friday night’s semifinals.
“I was so tired, but I knew I was going to win,” Anderson said. “I was going to fight off my back if I had to, I was going to yank her head to get out of it if I had to.
“I thought I was going to be fine because I scored so many points early, but she was grabbing my head and pulling, grabbing my wrist and pulling. She wasn’t afraid to go big, but I wasn’t afraid to fight back.”
Anderson, the fifth seed, will square off with top-seeded Dilynn Albrecht of Milton (41-2) in the semifinal round. Albrecht beat Anderson 12-2 earlier this season, but Anderson has beaten Albrecht twice before.
Anderson started her Thursday with a 21-second pin of 12th-seeded Mount Horeb/Barneveld freshman Bronte Bethel (33-13) before taking some time to think about a rematch against Beckett, whom Anderson beat 8-4 earlier this season.
She was cruising through the match until the end and had a 13-5 lead after scoring an escape early in the third.
Anderson was a state qualifier as a freshman but didn’t place. An injury cost her most of last season and the chance to give state another chance, so she is embracing this opportunity.
“It kind of feels the same as it did my freshman year, but there is a lot more on the line now,” Anderson said. “Aini Anderson her junior year is a different wrestler than Aini Anderson her freshman year.
“People expect more of me this year, and I have fallen in love with the sport. The feeling of being on the ground in the Kohl Center is so much different than watching like I did last year.”
GIRLS
Thursday's quarterfinal result
100: (5) Aini Anderson, jr., Holmen (44-2) dec. (4) Mya Beckett, fr., Green Bay Notre Dame (44-5) 17-15
Thursday's first round results
100: (5) Aini Anderson, jr., Holmen (43-2) pinned (12) Brooke Bethel, fr., Mount Horeb/Barneveld (33-13) :21
107: (2) Lily Baker, so., Freedom (29-2) pinned (15) Sophia Anderson, fr., West Salem/Bangor (35-7) 2:24
126: (3) Kylee Kurszewski, sr., Neenah (51-3) tech. fall (14) Kaytlynn Lambries, jr., Holmen (43-11) 17-2, 2:51
138: (1) Carley Chesker, sr., Lake Geneva Badger (30-0) pinned (16) Rachael Hang, jr., Logan/Central (41-12) :27
185: (6) Adrianna Logue, sr., North Crawford/Seneca (46-2) pinned (11) Avalee Euler, jr., Holmen (35-11) 2:30
