Wrestling: Teams Excel at Bi-State
Chatfield’s boys and girls, LARP’s boys and girls, and Caledonia/Houston’s boys wrestling teams all trekked to La Crosse for the 43rd annual Bi-State tourney featuring a hoard of top teams and top wrestlers from Minnesota and Wisconsin. All three schools got multiple placers at an event with around 40-50 wrestlers per weight (male).
Team Runner-Ups, Cady Title Highlights for Chatfield
Chatfield wrestling was again a juggernaut at the Bi-State tourney. After taking first in D-III the past two years, the Gopher guys (290.5) took second overall (no divisions) behind Mount Horeb/Barneveld (294.5), ahead of Holmen (273) and Evansville (266). Eight guys made the top 10. Only two are seniors. The highlights were Joey Cady (106), Logan Pearson (126), and Kaisen Johnson (132), who all made the finals. Three finalists are the same as the Gophers had the last two years combined. Cady (106-pounds), ranked #1 at 107 in Class A, romped his way to a championship. The freshman posted four first period falls, then a second period fall of Hutchinson/BHLS’s AA #2 at 107 Jevean Centeno (16-2), to make the finals. He then topped Cannon Falls/Randolph’s #10 at 107 Garrett Williams (21-1) by 16-3 major decision. With the 6-0 showing, Cady improved to 16-0. Logan Pearson (126-pounds), ranked #2 at 127 in Class A, used a bye and a couple falls to make the quarters. He then beat Mineral Point’s D-III #3 at 132 Liam Carey (22-2) by 9-6 decision and then Holmen’s D-I #4 at 132 Brock Needham (18-4) by 6-5 decision (via ultimate tie-breaker) to make the finals. Aquinas’ D-III #2 at 126 Martez Sheard (18-1) downed Pearson in the final by 7-2 decision. Pearson (15-2) thus went 4-1. Up a weight (132-pounds), Class A #7 at 139 Kaisen Johnson came from a nine-seed to make the finals. After a bye and a fall, the senior secured three straight decision wins. He topped Z-M’s #6 at 133 in AA Noah Schaefer (19-7) by 5-4 decision (ultimate tiebreaker), G-E-T’s top-seeded and D-II #3 Colton Koss (15-4) by 10-3 decision in the quarters, and then Bay Port’s D-I #3 Alois Schlumpf (22-4) by 10-3 decision in the semis. Johnson then lost a 6-3 decision to Belmont/Platteville’s D-II #5 at 138 Briggs Weigel (20-5) in the finals. Johnson (12-4) thus went 4-1 for the tourney. He went 3-2 each of the past two years and missed placing. After those three, Hunter Polikowsky (144) and Jameson Priebe (120) each placed top five while Gunner Polikowsky (113), Will Boelter (215), and Layne Root (138) placed top 10. H-Polikowsky ranked #9 at 145 in Class A, notched a fall, a 17-0 tech fall, and a fall to make the quarters only to lose to Aquinas D-III #4 at 144 Roger Flege (14-3) by 4-0 decision. Polikowsky then won three straight consolation matches, a 7-4 decision over Stratford’s D-III #3 at 150 Aaron Knetter (19-5), a 21-2 tech fall of Hastings’ #10 in Class AAA at 145 Rocco Iallonardo (9-5), and finally a 19-2 tech fall over G-E-T’s D-II #9 Brody Banse (14-5). He then lost to Flege in the third-place match. Going 6-2, the sophomore took fourth at 144. He took 11th last year at 138. Priebe, ranked #2 in Class A at 121, used 16-1 and 16-0 tech falls to make the Round of 16, then won a 1-0 decision over Prairie du Chien’s D-III #6 at 126 Hunter Reid (18-7). Priebe then fell by 1-0 decision to Z-M’s Class AA #8 at 121 Carl Murray (17-5) in the quarters. The only points were a second period escape. In the consolation bracket, Priebe won two falls, the latter over Wrightstown’s D-II #5 Easton Felchlin (15-5), only to lose to Holmen’s D-I #1 Rex Lancaster (18-3) by 4-1 decision (sudden victory). Priebe finished off with win by fall to take fifth at 120. The sophomore (17-3) went 6-2 for the tourney. He was the 106-pound champion last year. G-Polikowsky and Boelter each took eighth. G-Polikowsky, ranked #7 at 114 in Class A, won two falls and an 8-2 decision to make the quarters. He then lost a 13-1 major to eventual runner-up, Evansville’s D-II #2 at 120 Collin Frey (23-1). In the wrestlebacks, G-Polikowsky won an 11-4 decision before losing a 7-1 decision to Port Washingtons’ D-II #2 Graysen Koepke (18-2) and losing an 8-5 decision in sudden victory to Mineral Point’s D-III #1 Memphis Burkhalter (21-2). The freshman (12-4) thus went 4-3 for the tourney. Boelter, ranked #5 at 215 in Class A, used two falls and 5-4 decision to make the quarters before losing by fall to eventual champion, Port Washington’s D-II #1 Garett Kawcysnski (13-0). In the consolation bracket, Boelter won a fall, lost a 13-1 major to Caledonia/Houston’s Cooper Allen, then lost a 6-2 decision. Going 4-3 for the tourney, the senior improved to 14-4. Boelter took 11th last year at 215. Finally, Layne Root (138-pounds) took tenth. He won his first three matches, two by fall, one by 12-4 major. In the quarters, he lost to Hastings’ Class AAA #1 at 139, and the eventual champion, Trey Beissel (18-0) by 21-6 tech fall. In the consolation bracket, Root lost an 11-3 major, won a 4-2 decision over Riverdale’s D-III #3 Lakota Brewer (24-3), and then lost to Aquina’s D-III #5 Tyler Paulson (21-3) by 4-3 decision. The junior (14-6) thus went 4-3.
Keeping up with their standout male counterparts were the Chatfield girls wrestlers. The Gophers (225) also took second to Bay Port (281) ahead of Hastings (205.5) and Holmen (197.5). Eight of 10 girls placed. After taking some time off from wrestling but then coming back to it, Eve Goetzinger (#8 at 155) posted the highest finish. She used a bye and two first period falls to make the 165-pound semis, the later over Mount Horeb/Barneveld’s #10 at 165 Amelia Soltis (19-2). Goetzinger then lost to Bonduel’s #7 Alisha Berg (22-2) by fall in the third period. Goetzinger rallied with wins over Mineral Point’s #13 Emily Heisner (18-6) by fall and then a 5-4 decision over Hastings’ Avery Levine. Goetzinger (17-1), a senior, went 4-1 to take third place. Maizee Priebe (114) and Elle Eickhoff (145) also each made the semis. Priebe notched four pinfalls out of the gate. In the semis, she lost a 14-2 major decision to Port Washington’s #3 at 120 Cora Stewart (18-2). Priebe then won a 13-9 decision before falling in the third-place match to Hudson’s #4 Mary Prescott (25-1) by fall. Priebe (15-2), a junior, went 5-2 to take fourth. Eickhoff, ranked #6 at 142, used a bye and three first period falls to make the semis. She then fell by fall to eventual champion Monroe’s #5 at 145 Althea Eckdhal (24-1). Eickhoff then notched another pin to make the third-place match, before falling by fall to Spencer/Columbus/Granton’s top-seeded, #9 at 145 Azariah Hoffman (17-3). Eickhoff (16-2), a senior, went 4-2 for the meet. Taking fifth was Melody Ward (100). She also made the semis, via a bye and a pair of pins, before falling by fall to Holmen’s #2 at 107 Aini Anderson (16-1), the top seed and eventual champ. Ward then lost her next match by fall to Bonduel’s #3 at 100 Kaitlyn Kroening (20-2) before finishing up with win by fall of Kickapoo/La Farge’s #9 at 100 Lucca Grosse (13-4). Ward (22-2), a sophomore, went 3-2 for the tourney. Taking seventh were Emily Bova and Bryn Goetzinger. Bova (107) used a bye and a fall to make the quarters only to lose by 10-9 decision. In the wrestle-backs, she won two falls and then a 10-4 decision before losing by fall to Bay Port’s #6 at 107 Ellie Hultman (26-3). Bova won her final match by 19-9 major. The senior (10-3) went 5-2 for the tourney. B-Goetzinger (120-pounds) used a bye, a fall, and a 10-7 decision to make the quarters. She then fell by fall to Bay Port’s #6 at 120 Dakotah Athey (21-3), the eventual champ. Goetzinger then won a fall, lost a fall, before winning her last match by 10-5 decision. The 8th grader (19-3) thus went 4-2 for the tourney. Brynn Horsman took eighth and Kendyl Nolte 12th to round out the Gopher placers. Horsman (126-pounds) used a bye and notched a pair of falls to make the quarters, only to fall to South St. Paul’s #10 at 124 Leila Reid (12-10) by fall. Horsman then won a fall, lost a third period fall to Richland Center’s #6 at 126 Madalynn Mueller (19-4), and ended by losing a 6-2 decision to River Valley’s #13 Makenzie Schulte (18-7). The senior (14-4) went 3-3 for the tourney. Nolte (152-pounds) won a couple falls to make the quarters before sustaining injury and having to bow out. The freshman is 8-8 on the year. With eight placers, the Gopher girls improved from last year’s event when five placed including Bova and Nolte seventh, Horsman ninth, and Eickhoff tenth.
Caledonia/Houston Gets Four Placers Headlined by Will Allen’s Gritty Third
Caledonia/Houston wrestling quadrupled its Bi-State individual placers from 2024 to 2025, going from one to four. Senior Will Allen was their top performer at 165-pounds. He lost just once, his third match to Hastings senior Mark Svoboda by 8-6 decision in the Round of 16. Seeded eighth, Allen started with a 20-4 tech fall and then a fall. After the loss, he won six straight in the consolation bracket including five by narrow decision. He won 4-3, 15-0 by tech fall, 4-1 in sudden victory over Belmont/Platteville’s D-II #14 Oliver Harcus (19-6), 3-2 over Aquinas D-III #6 Waylon Hargrove (17-5), 3-1 over Verona’s D-I #2 Carson Bremmer (24-2), and 4-1 in sudden victory over Mineral Point’s D-III #4 Jacob Dannenberg (18-5). The latter three were the meet’s top three seeds. Allens third place finish was probably the grittiest effort of all the Journal-covered wrestlers given the tight decision wins over ranked foes and the 8-1 overall record. The senior improved to 17-2 on the year. Cooper Allen took sixth at 215. He got a bye then won by fall only to lose an 11-4 decision in the Round of 16 to Waunakee’s D-I #2 McCoy Smith (22-2). In the consolation bracket, C-Allen won four in a row; by fall, 17-1 tech fall, 11-7 decision over North Crawford/Seneca’s D-III #1 Sawyer Swiggum (23-6), and then a 13-1 major over Chatfield’s #5 Will Boelter (14-4). C-Allen lost his last two matches, a 10-2 major again to Waunakee’s #2 Smith, and then a 5-1 decision to Mount Horeb/Barneveld’s D-II #6 Leland Havens (19-2). The sophomore (13-5) thus went 5-3 for the tourney. Taking ninth and tenth were Kiptyn Meiners (106) and Aiden Burns (120). Meiners won his first two, by fall and 19-4 tech fall, only to lose by 19-4 tech fall to eventual runner-up, Class AA #10 at 107, Garrett Williams of CF/R (21-1). Meiners then won back-to-back falls, lost a 12-5 decision to Riverdale’s D-III #5 Wyatt Schramm (23-5), before winning by fall and 8-5 decision in sudden victory over Holmen’s D-I #11 Brady Needham (15-8) to claim his placing. Meiners (13-5), an 8th grader, thus went 6-2 for the tourney. Burns won his first three matches all by fall to make the quarters, the last over Waunakee’s D-I #10 Mason Spear (16-6). He then lost to eventual champion Class AAA #3 at 121 Beckett Edstrom (14-1) of Hastings by 19-13 decision. In the consolation bracket, Burns lost a 4-1 decision to Wausau West’s D-I #4 Samuel Volm (21-3), beat Prairie du Chien’s D-III #6 at 126 Hunter Reid (18-7) by 4-1 decision, only to fall to Spencer/Columbus/Granton’s D-II #13 Riddick Meyer (16-5) by 2-1 decision in sudden victory. Burns (12-4), thus went 4-3 for the tourney. Cal/Hou as a team (129) took 20th of 68 total.
LARP Guys Place Three
LARP wrestling got one more placer than last year. Owen Lange (138) took sixth while Zach Plank (190) and Christian Zibrowski (126) each took seventh. Lange, ranked #6 in A at 139, made the semis with four wins. He won back-to-back falls, the second over D-II #6 at 144 Evan Curtis (16-5), an 8-5 decision, and then another fall to do so. Eastview’s Class AAA #5 at 133 Spencer Lee (19-3) then beat Lange by 11-7 decision. In the consolation bracket, Lange lost to Evansville’s D-II #3 at 144 Liam Crandall (25-2) by fall then to Holmen’s D-I #1 Nathan Henderson (20-2) by 9-3 decision. In a weight class with 13 guys ranked top 10 in either Wisconsin or Minnesota, including two #1s, the junior Lange (16-7) went 4-3. He took 10th at 126 last year. Plank also repeated in placing. The senior got a bye then won an 11-3 major before losing by injury default to Holmen’s D-I #3 at 190 Brady Stammer (16-4). In the consolation bracket, Plank won back-to-back falls and then by injury default. He then lost to Verona’s D-I #6 Jackson Guenzler-Soda (25-2) by 10-3 decision before beating Z-M’s Class AA #3 at 189 Owen Lexvold (18-5) by medical forfeit. Plank (19-5), a senior, went 5-2. He took eighth last year. Christian Zibrowski also took seventh. Zibrowski, ranked #9 at 127 in Class A, won a pair of falls then a 5-2 decision in sudden victory over Waunakee’s D-I #10 Brett Farrell (18-3) to make the quarters. Zibrowski then fell to Holmen’s D-I #4 at 132 Brock Needham (18-4) by 5-1 decision. In the consolation bracket, Zibrowski won a fall, lost an 8-0 major decision to Mineral Point’s D-III #3 at 132 Liam Carey (22-2) before winning his last match by 10-0 major decision. Zibrowski (20-3), a junior, went 5-2 for the tourney. LARP (112) as a team took 26th of 68 total squads.
Non-Conference Wrestling (1/3)
The Clash (Overall, Caledonia/Houston went 0-6 against top teams from all over. Will Allen (5-0), Cooper Allen (5-1), and Anthony Von Arx (4-0) were the Warriors top wrestlers at the high-level event.) > Bracket B > Caledonia/Houston 9, Staples Motley 60 (Jace Conway (114), W. Allen (172), and C. Allen (215) won 12-9, 7-2, and 5-3 decisions for the Warriors); Cal/Hou 18, Xavier, CT 52 (W. Allen (189), C. Allen (215), and A. Von Arx (215) had pins for Cal/Hou); Cal/Hou 27, Wellington, FL 43 (Kiptyn Meiners (107), Aiden Burns (127), W. Allen (172), and C. Allen (215) won by fall, A. Von Arx (285) by 5-1 decision) > Seventh Bracket > Caledonia/Houston 17, PEM 54 (C. Allen (215) and A. Von Arx (285) won by fall, W. Allen (172) by 19-4 tech fall); Cal/Hou 17, St. Francis 42 (C. Allen (215) won a 16-0 tech fall, K. Meiners (107 > 11-6), J. Conway (114 > 6-2), W. Allen (172 > 7-1), and A. Von Arx (285 > 3-1) by decision); Cal/Hou 14, Kearney, MO 53 (A. Burns (121) won by fall, Hunter Frank (145) by 16-0 tech fall, and Aaron Kulas (139) by 4-2 decision. Warriors are 3-13 overall)
St. James Belle of the Border Girls Tourney (FCLCM had girls compete in the Rookie division. Lydia Norby (75.8 to 82.7-pounds > fall, 7-0 decision) and Norah Eide (130.8 to 133.2 > two falls) took first (of three each). The event also had a varsity component, but the Wolves had no competitors.)
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