MADISON — They seemed to go so fast.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just like that, the Holmen High School boys wrestling team, which hadn’t advanced an individual to the WIAA Division 1 finals at any weight since 2019, had three qualifiers for the biggest night in their sport at the Kohl Center.
Freshman Brendan Henderson (113 pounds), sophomore Rex Lancaster (120) and junior Brock Needham (126) took different paths through the semifinals but will get cracks to become the school’s first champion since 2014.
Henderson set up Lancaster, who set up Needham as the Vikings gave themselves a chance at a historic night a week before competing for a team state championship at the La Crosse Center next weekend.
Henderson (52-2) closed out his match with a pin, and Lancaster (48-4) opted for the dramatic with a milestone takedown as the final seconds ticked away.
Needham (51-5) simply showed a toughness needed by any championship contender to win his match.
Henderson was put on his back in the second period before rallying with an escape and following it with a pin seconds later against second-seeded Jack Falk (38-5) of Pulaski.
“Getting turned definitely wasn’t in the plan,” Henderson said. “We through (Falk) would want to slow me down.
“I think I did an okay job of opening it up and getting to my attacks.”
Henderson had one takedown in the first period and one in the third that set up the pin at 3 minutes, 35 seconds.
That sequence gave him a championship match against top-seeded Camden Rugg (52-0) of Union Grove. Rugg, a junior who is ranked first in the class by Wisconsin Grappler, has followed up a bye with a technical fall and major decision and has already committed to wrestle for the University of Michigan.
Lancaster allowed a takedown in the middle of the first period and trailed his semifinal against Oconomowoc freshman Lincoln Swick for 4 minutes, 57 seconds before finally getting a takedown — his 200th of the season — with three seconds on the clock for a 6-4 victory.
Lancaster didn’t have good chances at Swick at any point before pounced after receiving one points for a stall with seven seconds on the clock.
“To do something no one in Holmen history has done (200 takedowns) in a season) feels great and to do it in the state semifinals makes it even better,” Lancaster said. “I was just going hard, trying to score something.”
Lancaster draws top-seeded Hartland Arrowhead sophomore Zahn Beal (42-5) in his championship match. Lancaster is ranked second and Beal fourth by Wisconsin Grappler.
Needham’s semifinal victory was a grind. An escape at 1:50 in the second period provided all of the scoring in a 1-0 victory.
Needham had to work hard throughout the third period to keep Germantown sophomore Isaac Weber (43-5) from escaping to tie the match.
“I expected more points, to be honest,” Needham said. “I thought I’d be able to get to my attacks a little more, or he would attack on me a little more, but we stayed square.”
Needham said confidence in his ability to ride — which he had to do throughout the third period — helped get through a tough matchup.
Top-seeded Maximus Hay (31-0), a senior from Brown Deer/Messmer/Shorewood, awaits in the finals. Hay, committed to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, is ranked first by Wisconsin Grappler and Needham third.
