Six Bonduel wrestlers advance to sectionals

Updated: 1 p.m., 2/16

LENA — Led by five first-place finishes, the Bonduel High School wrestling team took second as a team at the Division 3 Lena Regional on Saturday.

Bonduel earned 198 points as a team, only behind Manawa (204.5).

Tyson Bogacz (126), Jayson Toellner (132), Max Sokolski (138), Tristan Tomashek (182) and Isaac Banker (195) all won regional titles for Bonduel after posting perfect records on the day.

Those five, plus Alex Garside — the second-place finisher at 220 pounds — all qualified for sectionals after their top-two finishes.

Menominee Indian also competed in the seven-team regional, scoring 99 points to place fifth.

Asenex Turney was the team’s lone wrestler to qualify for sectionals, doing so by winning the 285-pound weight class.

Each of Bonduel’s sectional qualifiers had byes to start the day.

Bogacz claimed first after pinning both of the opponents he faced on the day. Banker pinned his first opponent in 30 seconds before a major decision win in the final.

Toellner earned a win by pin in 45 seconds to get his day started. He then won his weight class with an 11-2 major decision win.

“I’m feeling confident that I can excel, that I can do as good as I let myself achieve,” said Toellner after his regional title coming off a first-place finish in the Central Wisconsin Conference Tournament. “I think placing at state is a very realistic goal, and making state is right up there as well.”

Sokolski won his first match with a first-period pin before claiming a 3-1 decision in the final. Tomashek won two decisions — a 7-0 win to start the day before a wild 14-11 win in the title match.

Garside pinned his first opponent before suffering a major decision loss in the final. Garside was awarded second because the opponent he was set to face in the second-place match was one he already pinned.

Turney also had a bye to start his day before being awarded a win by injury default in the semifinals.

Turney pinned his opponent in the first period of the first-place match to lock up his sectional spot.

“Winning a regional title is big for me because I am only in the 10th grade, so it is a big thing to me,” said Turney.

Now preparing for sectionals, Turney said he hopes to avoid stress before his matches so that he can focus in and wrestle smarter.

Turney and the six Bonduel sectional qualifiers will all compete in the Bonduel Sectional, which will be hosted by Shawano Community High School.

The sectional is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Sectional qualifiers

Bonduel: Tyson Bogacz (126); Jayson Toellner (132); Max Sokolski (138); Tristan Tomashek (182); Isaac Banker (195); Alex Garside (220).

Menominee Indian: Asenex Turney (285).

Team scores: 1. Manawa 204.5; 2. Bonduel 198; 3. Shiocton 180; 4. Lena 168; 5. Menominee Indian 99; 6. Oconto 58; 7. Gillett/Suring 41.

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