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Several top high school wrestlers competing in football state title games

11/15/2017, 6:45pm CST
By Nate Woelfel

Nate Woelfel

High school wrestling practices officially began across Wisconsin this week.

However, a number of the state’s best wrestlers still had business to attend to on the gridiron.

Eight athletes who competed at last year’s individual state wrestling tournament are members of teams competing at the WIAA state football championships which begin Thursday.

On rare occasions, schools and competitors reach the pinnacle of both sports during the same school year.

Wrightstown was the last to win a state football title and the subsequent team wrestling championship, double-dipping during the 1998-99 school year.

The Tigers were Division 5 champs in football, defeating Edgar 29-8 in the 1998 title game. The wrestling team went on to become D3 champs, topping Cumberland 29-16 in the championship match the following winter.

The 2014-15 school year marks the last time a member of a state championship football also won an individual wrestling championship.

Lancaster’s Cole Martin and David Chadd each accomplished the feat. Both were members of the Flying Arrows squad that won the 2014 Division 5 state title.

Martin, who was listed as a split end/defensive back, wrestled his way to the Division 3 crown at 145 pounds. Chadd, a lineman, won it all at 195.

Take a look at the athletes looking to be the next to strike gold twice in the same school year:

Amherst

Bryce Holderman (OL/LB): The senior is a two-time state place winner. He finished third in Division 3 at 195 pounds last year with a record of 45-3. Holderman took sixth at 170 pounds back in 2016.

Max Villnow (OL/DL): A two-time state qualifier, Villnow posted a record of 44-5 last season en route to earning a state berth in D3 at 220 pounds. As a sophomore, he finished fifth in the state at 195.

Lodi

Colton Nicolay (DB/RB): Last season, Nicolay qualified for the state tournament as a freshman. He earned his way into the field in Division 2 at 120 pounds and finished the year with a mark of 32-15.

Anthony Benson (OL/DL): The senior went 21-17 and qualified for his first state tournament while competing at 220 pounds last year.

New Berlin Eisenhower

Mike Baumann (OLB): 2017 marked Baumann’s first trip to the state tournament. He qualified at 145 pounds in D1 and finished his junior campaign at 38-9.

Jake Belongia (RB/OLB): One of only three, two-time state qualifiers on this list, Belongia qualified for State at 170 pounds in Division 1 the last two years. He is 74-8 during that time.

Saint Croix Central

Ryan Larson (RB/LB): A 24-10 record lifted the sophomore to his first ever state tournament in 2017. He qualified for the Division 2 field at 195 pounds.

Waunakee

Alan Olkowski (OL/DL): As a junior, Olkowski qualified for State in D1 at 285 pounds a season ago. He compiled a record of 40-6.


 

Tag(s): News Archive  Wrestling  Nate Woelfel