Witt-Birn wrestling team wraps up regular season with 1-2 mark at quad

Gauderman, Potrykus, Worzalla finish 3-0 on night
By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School wrestling team participated in its final tuneup before the postseason, posting a 1-2 record at a quad meet Jan. 21 in Bonduel.

The Chargers started the night with a loss to Crandon, losing on a tiebreaker.

Witt-Birn bounced back with a convincing 39-12 victory over Two Rivers but dropped a close Central Wisconsin Conference dual against Bonduel (36-30) to end the night.

“We were missing a few starters tonight. And we had a couple kids gas out at the end, so we’re just going to have to keep working on the conditioning,” said Witt-Birn coach Duane Potrykus on how his team fared on the night. “We lost a couple other close matches.”

Against Crandon, David Gauderman picked up Witt-Birn’s first win of the night, winning by pin in the first period at the 285-pound weight class.

After three W-B forfeits put Crandon up 24-6, Pierson Potrykus and Austin Worzalla earned back-to-back pins at 126 and 132 pounds, respectively, to help the Chargers close the gap.

After Crandon claimed the next weight class to go back up 12, Witt-Birn’s Bryce Zoromski was handed a forfeit win at 145 pounds.

Witt-Birn 2020 state qualifier Wyatt Esker then won by a first-period pin at 152 pounds to tie the match before Chase Kitsemble earned a forfeit win at 160 pounds.

Crandon claimed the 170 class by pin to tie the match at 36. The tiebreaker was determined by the amount of forfeits each team had; Crandon only forfeited twice, while Witt-Birn forfeited three weight classes.

In the win over Two Rivers, Gauderman (285), Zoromski (145) and Wyatt Esker (152) led the Chargers with wins by pin. Gauderman earned his pin in the first period again, while Zoromski and Esker got their pins in the second period.

Potrykus (126) won a 12-6 decision for Witt-Birn. Worzalla (132), Dakotah Olson (138) and Gavin Esker (182) earned forfeit wins.

In its showdown with Bonduel, Witt-Birn won the first two weight classes by forfeit. Gauderman and Andrew Egging picked up the wins at 220 and 285 pounds, respectively.

Bonduel earned the next win at 120 pounds by forfeit before Potrykus picked up his third win of the night, pinning his opponent in just 42 seconds. Worzalla then won by forfeit at 132 pounds to push the score to 24-6 in favor of the Chargers.

Witt-Birn came up short in the next four weight classes, allowing Bonduel to tie the match and then take the lead after a forfeit at 170 pounds.

Gavin Esker received a forfeit win at 182 pounds to tie the match, but Bonduel emerged victorious in the dual after picking up a forfeit win at 195 pounds.

Witt-Birn will now gear up for the postseason. The Chargers are scheduled to compete in the Division 3 Three Lakes/Phelps Regional on Jan. 30. The top two finishers in each weight class will advance to the Valders Sectional on Feb. 6.

“There is still a lot of room for improvement with the season coming to an end,” said Zoromski. “One more week until regionals begins, and we are going to be working harder than ever to get in the tippy top shape that we need to be in.”

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