Wausau Pilot & Review
MADISON – Wausau West’s Joseph Berens earned a spot in Friday night’s Division 1 semifinals while the other six local wrestlers at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament were either eliminated or sent to the consolation bracket after the opening day of the tournament Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Berens (41-3) pinned Ryan Rambo of Hudson in 1:55 and Brock Arndt of Appleton North in 3:13 to reach the 195-pound semifinals, which will be held Friday night. Berens will face Cole Mirasola (48-2) of West Bend West as he looks for a spot in a Saturday night’s finals.
Berens’ two West teammates at state were knocked into the consolation brackets.
Gabriel Ramos (38-5) won his opener at 145 pounds 6-4 over Slinger’s Aidan Ford, but lost in the quarterfinals to Parker Kratochville of Holmen, 7-0, and Reed Napiowocki (33-11) lost his opening match at 170 to Benjamin Otto of Brookfield Central by technical fall 18-2. Both will wrestle in consolation brackets on Friday morning.
Three of D.C. Everest’s four state qualifiers will also be wrestling in the consolation brackets.
Everest’s Deakin Trotzer (9-6) was pinned by Stoughton’s Nicolar Rivera (50-0) in the final second of their 126-pound match; Blake Heal (30-8) won his first match at 138, 6-2 over Oregon’s Brandon Liddle, before losing in the quarterfinals to Marshfield’s Hoyt Blaskowski by pin in 1:25; and Mitchell Danielski (30-12) also won his first-round match over Zeke Tiedt 9-8 before losing in the 220-pound quarterfinals to Aaron Botsch of Brookfield East by pin in 27 seconds.
Everest’s other qualifier, Easton Cooper, lost in the first-round at 120 pounds to Trayton Torres of Elkhorn by pin and finishes the season 26-7.
Local Wrestlers Matches Friday
Division 1 Consolation (begins at 10 a.m.)
126: Deakin Trotzer (9-6), D.C. Everest, vs. Tyson Peach (38-7), Kimberly.
138: Blake Heal (30-8), D.C. Everest, vs. Xander Kuckkaen (34-18), Waukesha West.
145: Gabriel Ramos (38-5), Wausau West, vs. Marcus Gilmore (26-14), Westosha Central.
170: Reed Napiowocki (33-11), Wausau West, vs. Hunter Jibben (28-8), Oak Creek.
220: Mitchell Danielski (30-12), D.C. Everest, vs. Zeke Tiedt (38-7), Burlington.
Division 1 Semifinals (begins at 7 p.m.)
195: Joseph Berens (41-3), Wausau West, vs. Cole Mirsola (48-2), West Bend West.
