Senior Dan Tauchen is one of two state qualifiers returning this season for the Bonduel High School wrestling team. He also is the second person on the team to crack 100 wins in their high school careers.
“I got it on the second meet (this season) on a forfeit,” said Tauchen, who is ranked seventh in Division 3 at 160 pounds by Wisconsin Wrestling Online. “The forfeit wasn’t very glorious. It felt like a burden was lifted. It’s a milestone that everybody is trying to get to. I got it early, so I don’t have to worry about it.”
The other 100-match winner is fellow senior Austin Siolka, who earned his 100th against Gillett earlier this season.
“I just went out there and wrestled my match, getting the pin and the 100th win,” said Siolka, who is ranked 10th in the state at 132 pounds. “That’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Tauchen is 14-1 on the season and 113-28 in his career. Siolka is also 14-1 and has a 112-35 career record.
Bonduel’s other state qualifier, junior Garrett Siolka, is having the fastest start on the mat for the Bears this season.
Siolka, ranked second in the state at 126 pounds, is a perfect 15-0 to start the season. He finished second in the state tournament in February.
The Bears are counting on their accomplished wrestlers to make up for a lack of numbers this season.
“We don’t have the most wrestlers. We can’t fill our weight classes, but we definitely have quality wrestlers,” Tauchen said. “Quality over quantity.”
Bonduel coach Chris Rank is confident in the wrestlers he has, even if two weight classes continue to go unfilled.
“We have six guys that are ranked in the state, which is pretty fantastic, I think,” Rank said. “When the rankings came out, we were ranked sixth (as a team). I happen to think we could be a little bit better than that. Rankings are a conversation piece at best. You have to get out on the mat and prove it to meet the ultimate goal.”
Joining Tauchen and the Siolka cousins in the state rankings are freshman Jordan Bolt (14-1), ranked fourth at 106 pounds, senior Travis Wollenberg (11-4), an honorable mention at 138 pounds, and senior Mitch Sokolski (12-3), ranked third at 170 pounds.
Bolt, Jacob Banker (152, 13-2) and Zach Manning (220, 7-7), all freshmen, are senior Isaiah Griesbach (182, 7-7) are new wrestlers having a real impact for the Bears.
“We have a great group of senior leaders and a great group of freshmen that never really wrestled before, but they’re working hard every night,” Rank said. “Every week they are improving, which is really nice to see.”
The coach suspected Griesbach would be a good wrestler.
“For him to come in at the varsity level, and never wrestled before — I knew he was a great athlete watching him play football all these years — he’s doing a great job,” Rank said.
Also back for the Bears are senior Brandon Novitski (195, 9-6) and juniors Scott Gunderson (132, 4-9) and Bennett Gunderson (285, 14-1).
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