Wrestling: Shawano's Tourtillott headed back to state

Updated: 10:50 a.m., 2/24

ASHWAUBENON — Shawano Community High School wrestler Keith Tourtillott is headed back to the state tournament for a second straight season after winning the 220-pound weight class at the Division 1 Ashwaubenon sectional Saturday.

Tourtillott posted a 3-0 record on the day to win the weight class.

He opened with a dominant 26-9 technical fall win before pinning his semifinal opponent in the second period.

Tourtillott then earned a 2-1 decision win to take first. The senior defeated Ashwaubenon’s Nathan Moynihan in the first-place match, avenging a 3-0 decision loss to Moynihan just a week ago at the Green Bay Preble regional.

“To me, it (making state for a second straight year) means that I am coming back to Madison again to finish some business,” said Tourtillott. “I’m going to enter the Kohl Center, and I’m going to wrestle my very best.”

The 77th annual WIAA Individual Wrestling Championship Tournament will run Thursday through Saturday in Madison.

Tourtillott and the other Division 1 wrestlers will open the tournament with preliminaries Thursday afternoon, starting at 3 p.m.

“It’s great to know I will end my season at the state tournament, and with that, I will leave everything that I have on the mat,” said Tourtillott.

Tourtillott enters state with a 34-5 record and will open his second state tournament facing Rhinelander junior Ben Sinclair (31-15). Should Tourtillott win that match, he would wrestle Thursday evening.

“Keith is truly a kid that deserves this — he has worked tirelessly for the last four years to attain this goal,” said Shawano coach Mike Homan. “We are very proud of the work he has put in.

“We are very excited to see him compete this week at the state tournament. His effort on the mat is exiting to watch and could result in a nice run at the state tournament.”

Tourtillott posted a 1-2 record at state as a junior.

Five other Hawks also participated at the sectional.

Wyatt Brandt (120) just missed out on qualifying for state with his third-place finish.

Brandt started his day with a pin before being pinned in his next match. He kept his season alive with a 5-0 decision win, but he came up on the wrong end of a 9-2 decision in the second-place match.

Ben Carroll (152) and Nick Kohn (285) each placed fourth for Shawano.

Carroll opened his day with a third-period pin. Carroll then suffered a 6-0 decision loss before dropping a 10-2 major decision in the third-place match.

Kohn started his day of wrestling with a pin in 24 seconds. He then came up short in a pair of tight decisions, losing 3-2 and then 3-1 in the third-place match.

Shawano’s Reef Anthony (132), Noah Jones (138) and Gage Timm (160) all dropped their only matches of the day.

State qualifiers

Shawano: Keith Tourtillott (220).

ONLINE

Full results from the sectional can be found at trackwrestling.com

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