Ripon wins, Weyauwega-Fremont places fourth

By Greg Seubert

Weyauwega-Fremont’s Justin Kempf wrestlers a Ripon opponent during the Akey Duals in Weyauwega. Ripon won the six-team invitational with a 5-0 record, followed by Chilton/Hilbert (4-1), Seymour (3-2), Weyauwega-Fremont (2-3), Wausau East (1-4) and Waupaca (0-5). Greg Seubert Photo

Ripon won all five of its wrestling matches Dec. 12 to win the Akey Duals in Weyauwega.

The Tigers picked up wins over Weyauwega-Fremont, Waupaca, Chilton/Hilbert, Seymour and Wausau East.

W-F placed fourth with a 2-3 record, while Waupaca went 0-5.

W-F defeated Wausau West 57-20 and Waupaca 62-18, but fell to Ripon 41-28, Seymour 43-33 and Chilton/Hilbert 42-37.

Waupaca also fell to Wausau East 47-30, Chilton/Hilbert 66-12, Ripon 54-28 and Seymour 59-18.

Both teams also had a combined 10 first- and second-place finishers.

Cian Fischer (106 pounds) and Ean Marker (138) won championships for W-F, while Easton Groskreutz (113), Justin Kempf (120) and Austin Baehnman (132) placed second.

Waupaca’s Logan Bernhardt placed first at 132, while Jimmy Intribus (138) and Derrick Rotta (170) finished second.

Waupaca’s Gavin Estrada takes on Wausau East’s Josie Bartishofski Dec. 12 during a 106-pound match at the Akey Duals in Weyauwega. East defeated Waupaca 47-30. Greg Seubert Photo

“We wrestled about as well as we could in the tournament,” W-F coach Tim Potratz said. “We are a young team, but we did not back down from any of the top three teams. The kids executed their techniques in competition and showed a lot of energy on the mat.

“When kids got beat, they bounced back in their next match and kept a positive attitude all day long,” he added. “Seven boys on the team placed first or second at their weight class, which was awesome. We had a lot of fun today.”

Waupaca will head to Freedom Thursday, Dec. 17, for North Eastern Conference duals with Oconto Falls, Little Chute and Marinette. Meanwhile, W-F will compete Friday, Dec. 18, in a tournament at Lyman High School in Orlando, Fla., before returning to Central Wisconsin Conference dual action Thursday, Jan. 7, at Wittenberg-Birnamwood.

The Indians’ CWC dual meet with Menominee Indian originally scheduled for Dec. 15 has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, in Weyauwega.