Indees clinch DC wrestling title

The Independence/Gilmanton wrestling team clinched the Dairyland Conference cham-pionship with a dual win over Blair-Taylor at Cochrane-Fountain City last Thursday.

The Indees clinched the victory by winning the final three matches of the dual for a 48-25 victory. With wins over C-FC and Whitehall already, the Indees finish DC competition with a 3-0 record. They wrestled a nonconference match against the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro Varsity Reserve (GMVR) in Whitehall on Tuesday of this week. Whitehall defeated GMVR, 45-24, last week. B-T defeated C-FC, 48-18, no further information was that match was available. 

Tuesday’s DC duals will determine the second-place team in the conference as Whitehall wrestles B-T and C-FC. 

I/G 48 B-T 25

A B-T win put the team within five with three matches remaining, but the Indees won all three to clinch the conference title.

A Gunar Koxlien (152) pin over Max Marsolek cut I/G’s lead to 30-25. With six points coming to the Indees via forfeit, the Wildcats needed to win both of the remaining, matches, but instead it was a sweep for I/G, including a pin in a matchup of 2022 state qualifiers. 

Mason Gierok (160) clinched the dual win for the Indees by pinning Ben Lien at the end of the first period. Aidan Kirtley (170) then received a forfeit to mathematically put the dual out of reach for the Wildcats.

The match of the night was the final one, as state qualifiers Gavin Bragger (32-8) from I/G and Jackson Shramek (36-3) from B-T squared off at 182 pounds. Bragger got Shramek to his back toward the end of the second period and kept him there for a pin.

B-T won the first two matches as Dylan Elvaker (195) topped Taylor Herdahl, 13-2 and Bryan Rogstad (220) beat Drew Bragger 3-0.

The Indees won four straight as Jacobo Medina (285) and Gracie Rombalski (113) both received forfeits before Cora Sonsalla (120) and Owen Gierok (126) registered pins of Juliann Doerr and Easton Rogstad. 

The Wildcats won the next two as Billy Miller (132) received a forfeit and Ryan Flynn (138) pinned Sam Marsolek. Gabe Pietrek (145) got six points back for the Indees with a pin of Colton Koxlien before Gunar Koxlien topped Max Marsolek to make the score 30-25. 

B-T wouldn’t win another match, however. 

Whitehall 45 GMVR 24

Four forfeits gave the Norse a big lead and they held on for the win.

Whitehall received forfeits in each of the first four weight classes as Corbin Larson (220), Frank Juresh (106), Nolan Thompson (113) and Marcus Peterson (126) all picked up wins to put the Norse ahead 24-0.

GMVR won the next two matches by pin with Jazmin Wagner (132) topping Ashton Hanson and Scott Johnson (138) beating Oriah Anderson. 

Matthew Poulos (145) put Whitehall back in the win column with a pin of Matthew Stoner. GMVR made the match close with two straight pins as Landon Windsor (152) and Hunter Lefler (160) topped Broc Coburn and Theodore Mikesell to make the score 30-24.

GMVR wouldn’t score another point, however. Luke Matejka (170) scored three takedowns in a 7-0 win over Mason Hale before Eric Kleinhans (182) pinned Calvin Davis and Lucas Paske (195) received a forfeit. 

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