Wrestling: Witt-Birn wins CWC Tournament behind five top finishes

ALMOND — The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School wrestling team capped a strong regular season by winning the Central Wisconsin Conference Tournament on Saturday at Almond-Bancroft High School.

Five Witt-Birn wrestlers took first place in their respective weight classes to help the team earn 200.5 points. Witt-Birn coach Troy Ostrowski was also named the conference’s Coach of the Year after posting a perfect dual record in CWC matchups and winning the tournament title.

Bonduel scored 160 points and had three first-place finishes to take second as a team. Menominee Indian scored 54 points to finish ninth.

Damien Wudtke (106), Chad Moegenburg (126), Wyatt Esker (145), Will Urquhart (152) and Allen Uttecht (285) took first for Witt-Birn.

“It’s a really big deal to me,” said Moegenburg of winning an individual and team title. “Being able to finally win one as a team was a big goal of mine this year because as a freshman, we let it slip away on us.

“Being able to double down with the other two seniors (Urquhart, Uttecht) as well was a really great experience, and we each shared that desire to win one together after coming so close four years ago.”

Moegenburg had the busiest day of Witt-Birn’s top finishers with four matches, but he won all of them with first-period pins.

Urquhart opened his day with a pin before two tight decision wins to claim first. Esker started his day with a pin before claiming a major decision in the semifinal and 6-3 decision in the final.

Wudtke had a bye to start the day before earning a first-period pin and decision win to claim the title. Uttecht had a similar route to first, opening with a bye before earning a decision win and then claiming first with a third-period pin in the final.

“Winning the conference title was not as important to me, but winning the team conference felt amazing,” said Wudtke. “This team is like the dream team, one of a kind.”

“Winning conference as a senior is a huge accomplishment for me because I came up short last year. After working so hard to get it done, I finally got it done and it’s such a nice feeling,” said Uttecht. “Winning it as a team is an amazing feeling, also. At the beginning of the season, we were predicted fourth in the conference, and we came through and won it.”

Witt-Birn’s Pierson Potrykus took second after dropping a 3-2 decision in the 113 weight class first-place match. Larken Betry (160) and David Gauderman (182) each took third.

Witt-Birn will now gear up for the postseason. The Chargers are in the Division 2 Waupaca regional, which is set to start at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Bonduel was led by the first-place finishes of Jayson Toellner (132), Max Sokolski (138) and Isaac Banker (195).

Toellner cruised to his title, winning his first match with a first-period pin before two straight major decisions. Sokolski had two first-period pins before a major decision win in the title match.

Banker had a bye to start his day before a second-period pin in the semifinal and third-period pin in the first-place match.

Bonduel’s Moises Lagunes (160) and Alex Garside (220) each advanced to the first-place matches in their respective weight classes before settling for second place. Kaden Bergsbaken (170) placed third.

Asenex Turney was Menominee Indian’s top finisher, taking third in the 285 class. Four Eagles placed fifth.

Menominee Indian and Bonduel will both compete Saturday in the Division 3 Lena regional. The first session is set to start at 11 a.m.

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