LA CROSSE — With 148 WIAA individual state qualifiers and 15 state champions taking to wrestling mats this weekend, the La Crosse Center is the place to be for fans of the sport.
After years of being held at the University of Wisconsin Field House, an expanded field of teams are ready to make their debut at a new venue in the pursuit of titles in the team state tournament Friday and Saturday.
Three local teams — Aquinas, Holmen and G-E-T/Melrose-Mindoro — have qualified and should help drive some people to the La Crosse Center for a special atmosphere, perhaps something like the annual Bi-State Classic.
“One of the kids said, ‘Individual state is cool, but we are looking forward to team state,'” G-E-T-Melrose-Mindoro coach Peter Peterson said. “They are locked in.”
The Titans had eight qualifiers for last week’s individual state tournament, and Peterson said the entire team was impacted by the qualification for team state. Top wrestlers earned the chance to sharpen their skills against elite competition at the Kohl Center for a couple of days, and the rest of the lineup was able to get in some extra practices to be ready for the field that awaits this weekend.
G-E-T-Melrose-Mindoro (17-2) is seeded second in Division 2 and opens with a quarterfinal dual against seventh-seeded Denmark (16-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Semifinals for all divisions are conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday with finals to follow at 3 p.m.
Denmark had five state qualifiers last weekend, and two of them went home with medals.
The Titans also received a boost with the return of junior 190-pounder Aaron Dunigan, who qualified for last weekend’s semifinals before illness forced him out of the balance of the tournament.
Peterson said Dunigan is back and ready to fill an important spot in the lineup for Friday.
Holmen (14-0) is seeded second in Division 1 and opens against seventh-seeded Muskego (16-5) in a 7:30 p.m., quarterfinal on Friday.
The Vikings had a big individual state tournament and had five of seven qualifiers walk out with medals. Freshman Brendan Henderson (113 pounds), sophomore Rex Lancaster (120) and junior Brock Needham (126) all finished second.
“I’m pumped up, and I think we’re going to have a good crowd,” Holmen senior AJ Alesch said.
Alesch was one of those Holmen medalists last weekend and will occupy an important spot in the lineup — likely at 150 pounds — as the Vikings battle a team that had four qualifiers for last weekend’s individual tournament.
Aquinas is seeded fith in Division 3 after spending the season ranked first by Wisconsin Grappler.
The Blugolds come in with state champions in sophomore Martexz Sheard (126) and Tyson Martin (285) for a quarterfinal dual against fourth-seeded Marathon at 5:30 p.m.
Senior Marcus Klar, a state qualifier from last week, is thrilled to be on the qualifying team after teh Blugo9lds have come so close to qualifying in recent years.
“With all the hard work that we’ve put in, this feels really good,” Klar said. “It;’s great to get to team state, and it’s great to have it here because we can sleep in our own beds, and I hope we can get a lot of fans there.”
