Toppers win own quad, take second at Mackey Duals
It was a busy week of wrestling for Glenwood City.
And a successful one too!
The Hilltoppers pocketed seven wins in eight duals during a five-day span last week and improved to 13-2 on the season. That gave the Toppers more wins in the first three weeks of this season than they had all of last year.
Glenwood City won all three duals at its home quad Tuesday, December 15 and then went 4-1 in the Robert Mackey Dual Invitational at Northwestern High School Saturday, December 19 to finish in second place.
The wrestlers will have a nine-day respite for Christmas before returning to mat action at the Northern Badger Tournament at River Falls High School on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 29 and 30.
Robert Mackey Duals
Glenwood City won four of its five duals to finish as the runner-up at the Robert Mackey Dual Wrestling Invitational held December 19 at Northwestern.
The host school took the title with a convincing 58-23 win over the Hilltoppers, who turned in some impressive victories of their own against the other four competitors.
Glenwood City beat Ashland 48-30, bombed Bayfield/Washburn 57-18, applied a 68-6 shallacking to Shell Lake and defeated the Spartans of Superior 57-18 for its four wins.
A trio of Hilltopper wrestlers finished the tournament with perfect 5-0 records – Marcus Ullom, Jacob Nadeau and Hogan Chouinard.
Ullom remained unbeaten this season with the latest wins which included three pins and a major decision at 138 pounds and a 7-5 win over Josiah Cook of Bayfield/Washburn at 145 pounds.
Jake Nadeau had four falls to go with a 10-3 victory over Ashland’s Eric Gerovac.
Chouinard counted a trio of falls among his five victories.
In addition, Austin Curvello and Carson Strong posted 4-1 marks at Northwestern.
Glenwood City 48, Ashland 30
113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Eric Gerovac (A), dec. 10-3); 120 – Daniel Taylor (GLC) received forfeit; 126 – Tommy George (A) over Bradley Kessler (GC), fall 0:52; 132 – Dontae Thompson (A) over Carson Strong (GC), fall 1:23; 138 – Joe Mitchell (A) over Joe Obermueller (GC), fall 0:51; 145 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Ian Pufall (A), fall 1:02; 152 – Cody Bonte (GC) over Justin Miller (A), fall 1:01; 160 – Joe Boyle (A) over John Pagnotta (GC), fall 0:48; 170 – Spencer Peterson (GC) received forfeit; 182 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) over James Mayotte (A), fall 1:52; 195 – Jon Litersky (A) received forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) received forfeit; 285 – David Hoffman (GC) received forfeit; 106 – Austin Curvello (GC) over Mack George (A), dec. 5-0.
Glenwood City 57, Bayfield/Washburn 16
285 – Brenden Soulier (B/W) over David Hoffman (GC), fall 0:30; 106 – Zack Anglin (B/W) over Austin Curvello (GC), major dec. 14-5; 113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Vannessa Gordon (B/W), fall 0:17; 120 – Bradley Kessler (GC) over Aubry Miller (B/W). fall 3:12; 126 – Carson Strong (GC) received forfeit; 132 – Joe Obermueller (GC) received forfeit; 138 – Trevor Larson (GC) received forfeit; 145 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Josiah Cook (B/W), dec. 7-5; 152 – James LaPointe (B/W) over Cody Bonte (GC), fall 3:10; 160 – John Pagnotta (GC) received forfeit; 170 – Spencer Peterson (GC) received forfeit; 182 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) received forfeit; 195 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) received forfeit; 220 – Double Forfeit.
Northwestern 58, Glenwood City 23
106 – James Nelson (NW) over Austin Curvello (GC), fall 3:30; 113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Brody Burke (NW), fall 2:41); 120 – Calen Kirkpatrick (NW) over Bradley Kessler (GC), major dec. 8-0; 126 – Carson Strong (GC) over Connor Wheeler (NW), technical fall 16-0 (4:21); 132 – Zach Pooler (NW) over Joe Obermueller (GC), fall 2:30; 138 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Hunter Wiese (NW), fall 2:14; 145 – Jameson Pflug (NW) over Trevor Larson (GC), fall 0:44; 152 – Donald Pooler (NW) over Cody Bonte (GC), fall 2:30; 160 – Alex Isakson (NW) over Spencer Peterson (GC), fall 0:20; 170 – Andrew Hanson (NW) received forfeit; 182 – Jacob Carlson (NW) received forfeit; 195 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) over Tyler Ronning (NW), fall 0:55; 220 – Justin Little (NW) received forfeit; 285 – Luca Cockerham (NW) over David Hoffman (GC), fall 0:46.
Glenwood City 68, Shell Lake 6
113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Daniel Nielsen (SL); fall 0:42; 120 – Daniel Taylor (GC) received forfeit; 126 – Bradley Kessler (GC) received forfeit; 132 – Carson Strong (GC) over Jack Skluzacek (SL), fall 1:01; 138 – Joe Obermueller (GC) over Ulan Koxegenov (SL), fall 2:30; 145 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Carter Lawrence (SL), major dec. 13-2; 152 – Dominic Hopke (SL) over John Pagnotta (GC), fall 0:42; 160 – Cody Bonte (GC) over Brandon Hovel (SL), fall 1:05; 170 – Spencer Peterson (GC) over Ben Frey (SL), major dec. 8-0; 182 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) received forfeit; 195 – Double Forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) over Austin Schultz (SL), fall 0:11; 285 – David Hoffman (GC) over Isaac Heines (SL), fall 3:30; 106: Austin Curvello (GC) over Cory Kidder (SL), fall 3:41.
Glenwood City 57, Superior 18
126 – Carson Strong (GC) over James Kirchoff (S), technical fall 16-0 (3:21); 132 – Nick Long (S) over Joe Obermueller (GC), fall 3:30; 138 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Branden McClure (S), major dec. 11-3; 145 – Brandon Olson (S) over Trevor Larson (GC), fall 1:20; 152 – Cody Bonte (GC) over Joseph Carter (S), fall 2:44; 160 – Spencer Peterson (GC) over Omar King (S), fall 1:30; 170 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) over Troy Rep (S), fall 3:31; 182 – Double Forfeit; 195 – Dylan Evavold (S) received forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) over Oscar Flaherty (S), fall 3:20; 285 – David Hoffman (GC) received forfeit; 106 – Austin Curvello (GC) received forfeit; 113 – Daniel Taylor (GC) received forfeit; 120 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Logan Stone (S), fall 1:54.
GC Quad
Glenwood City dominated its annual quadrangular meet December 15, scoring more than 50 points in three of its duals and twice eclipsed the 60-point plateau.
The Hilltoppers emerged unbeaten with impressive victories of 66-6 over Thorp, 64-6 against Turtle Lake/Clayton and 52-21 over Unity.
Glenwood City won 12 out of the 14 matches in its duals against Thorp and Turtle Lake/Clayton.
“I was pleased with how the kids came out and wrestled, Glenwood City head coach Shane Strong said. “The competition was not as strong as we would like for our experienced kids, but the mat time was very good for our new kids in the program.”
Conspicuously absent from this year’s quad was Baldwin-Woodville. A regular, the Blackhawks were not able to attend this year due to a scheduling conflict. Strong noted that the Middle Border conference, of which Baldwin-Woodville is a member, had scheduled a dual between B-W and Ellsworth for that same night, forcing the Blackhawks to withdraw from the quad.
Thorp, in its first year as an independent program after dissolving its cooperative with Stanley-Boyd, filled the void. Since the Cardinals only have a handful of wrestlers, Glenwood City invited the St. Croix Central junior varsity squad to augment numbers when Thorp wrestled the other teams.
“It worked out well for our inexperienced guys to get some mat time,” noted Strong.
Some of Glenwood City’s overwhelming success at the quad was simply due to numbers or lack thereof. The Toppers, unlike the other three teams in the meet, were able to fill all but one weight slot. Of the 34 wins Glenwood City wrestlers earned in the quad, 19 came via forfeits. Both Unity and Turtle Lake/Clayton had to forfeit five weight classes to the host while Thorp had nine empty spots.
“You never like to see forfeits in the line-up for any school,” stated Coach Strong. “But we are seeing that more every year in many programs.”
“The traditional powers in wrestling still can field full line-ups, but I believe schools in general are struggling with numbers, especially smaller schools.”
Despite the large number of forfeits, Glenwood City still won a significant number of its head-to-head battles as it finished 15-6 in those “contested” matches.
And team success, of course, is predicated on individual achievement.
Seven Hilltopper wrestlers finished the four-team invitational held in the Glenwood City gymnasium with unblemished 3-0 marks with four others going 2-0 or 1-0.
Austin Curvello (106), Jake Nadeau (113), Carson Strong (126, 132), Marcus Ullom (138), Cody Bonte (152), Spencer Peterson (170) and Hogan Chouinard (220) won all three of their matches on the day. Joe Obermueller (132) and Collin Schone (285) won two matches while Dan Taylor (120)and David Hoffman (285) each received a forfeit.
Ullom and Strong remained unbeaten on the season with the wins. Coach Strong complimented both wrestlers for their early-season performances. The coach also gave kudos to both Jacob Nadeau and Hogan Chouinard on their improvement noting that Chouinard has cut down to 195 pounds and appears quicker and in better shape.
Glenwood City 66, Thorp 6
The Hilltoppers won 12 matches against the Thorp Cardinals including nine via forfeits.
Marcus Ullom earned Glenwood City’s only pin of the dual at 138 when he pinned Chad Pawlak in 58 seconds. Carson Strong and Spencer Peterson won decisions at 126 and 170 pounds.
Thorp’s lone win came at 145 pounds when Anthony Borowski scored a first-period pin over the Toppers Kole Smith.
Both teams forfeited at 195 pounds.
106 – Austin Curvello (GC) received forfeit; 113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) received forfeit; 120 – Bradley Kessler (GC) received forfeit; 126 – Carson Strong (GC) over Quade Webster (TH), dec. 7-2; 132 – Joe Obermueller (GC) received forfeit; 138 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Chad Pawlak (TH), fall 0:58; 145 – Anthony Borowski (TH) over Kole Smith (GC), fall 1:34; 152 – Cody Bonte (GC) received forfeit; 160 – John Pagnotta (GC) received forfeit 170 – Spencer Peterson (GC) over Peyton Montgomery (TH), dec. 4-3; 182 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) received forfeit 195 – Double Forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) received forfeit; 285 – David Hoffmann (GC) received forfeit.
Glenwood City 64, Turtle Lake/Clayton 6
Pins by Jacob Nadeau, Marcus Ullom, Jacob Kopacz and Hogan Chouinard coupled with five forfeits, a pair of decisions and a major decision led the Toppers to a 64-6 win over Turtle Lake/Clayton.
Carson Strong had the major at 126 pounds beating Mason Gates 11-3. Cody Bonte and Collin Schone registered wins at 152 and 285 pounds respectively.
Kort Lien won Turtle Lake/Clayton’s only points with a fall over Kole Smith at 145 pounds.
106 – Austin Curvello (GC) received forfeit; 113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Tyler Quade (TL/C), fall 0:55; 120 – Bradley Kessler (GC) received forfeit; 126 – Carson Strong (GC) over Mason Gates (TL/C), major dec. 11-3; 132 – Joe Obermueller (GC) received forfeit; 138 – Marcus Ullom (GC) over Brandon Hansen (TL/C), fall 0:44; 145 – Kort Lien (TL/C) over Kole Smith (GC), fall 3:24; 152 – Cody Bonte (GC) over Morgan Vennie (TL/C), dec. 9-5; 160 – John Pagnotta (GC) received forfeit; 170 – Spencer Peterson (GC) received forfeit; 182 – Jacob Kopacz (GC) over Kevin Prinsen (TL/C), fall 3:42; 195 – Double Forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) over Brendan Swagger (TL/C), fall 1:14; 285 – Collin Schone (GC) over Jordan Rouzer (TL/C), dec. 3-0.
Glenwood City 52, Unity 21
The Hilltoppers and Eagles each had a pair of pins but Glenwood City received five forfeits compared to one for Unity which accounted for much of the difference in GC’s 52-21 triumph.
Carson Strong and Hogan Chouinard scored the falls while Jacob Nadeau added a 9-1 major decision.
106 – Austin Curvello (GC) received forfeit; 113 – Jacob Nadeau (GC) over Blane Tendrup (U), major dec. 9-1; 120 – Daniel Taylor (GC) received forfeit; 126 – Derek Johnson (U) over Bradley Kessler (GC), dec. 7-4; 132 – Carson Strong (GC) over Julien Tillery (U), fall 1:37; 138 – Marcus Ullom (GC) received forfeit; 145 – Kole Smith (GC) received forfeit; 152 – Cody Bonte (GC) over Joey Schmitz (U), dec. 8-4; 160 – Marcus Qualle (U) over John Pagnotta (GC), fall 5:30; 170- Spencer Peterson (GC) over Vincent Carlson (U), dec. 3-0; 182 – Tony Carlson (U) over Jacob Kopacz (GC), fall 4:32; 195 – Patric Tillery (U) received forfeit; 220 – Hogan Chouinard (GC) over Dylan Peper (U), fall 2:54; 285 – Collin Schone (G) received forfeit.