GC grapplers take sixth at Trinity, subdued by Wildcats
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
After having 12 days off, Glenwood City’s wrestlers returned to action this past week and finished off their pre-holiday schedule with a pair of late-week road trips.
The Hilltoppers’ wrestling squad traveled to River Falls last Thursday, December 19 to dual the Division 1 Wildcats before crossing the St. Croix River and the state border two days later to take part in the Trinity School at River Ridge Tri Hawk Wrestling Invitational in Eagan, MN.
River Falls mauled Glenwood City 61-13 in that Thursday showdown at River Falls High School but the Toppers rebounded on Saturday, December 21 as they placed sixth in the Trinity Tournament despite having just six wrestlers compete in the varsity competition.
Glenwood City will enjoy a brief respite for the Christmas holiday before returning to mat action this coming Friday and Saturday, December 27 and 28 at the annual Northern Badger Wrestling Classic back at River Falls High School.
Trinity Tri Hawk Invitational
Although Glenwood City had only a half dozen wrestling compete in the varsity portion of the 22nd Annual Tri Hawk Wrestling Invitational held at Trinity School at River Ridge in Eagan, MN last Saturday, all six grapplers placed fifth or higher to give the Hilltoppers a six-place showing in the 12-team tournament.
Freshman Ian Radintz improved to 9-1 on the season with a first-place finish in the Trinity Tournament. Radintz scored a pair of major decision and a three-point in the finals at 106 pounds to take the gold.
A pair of teammates garnered silvers. Junior Andy Grant and sophomore Thomas Moede took home second-place medals at 120 and 138 pounds, respectively, after finishing the day 2-1.
Glenwood City also got a fourths from seniors Tucker Lagerstrom at 170 pounds and Andrew Berends at heavyweight while James Knight was fifth at 132 pounds.
Those results scored Glenwood City 88 team points and sixth place. New Richmond took the team championship with 140.6 points, Royalton was second with 133.5, Bloomington Kennedy came in third with 119 and Mahtomedi and host Trinity School at River Ridge tied for fourth with 107 points each.
Radintz, currently ranked sixth at 106 pounds in the latest D3 Wisconsin Wrestling Online State poll, scored a 16-2 major decision in the quarterfinals over Zach Greenhouse of Bloomington Kennedy and then followed it up with a 13-0 shut out in the semifinals to major Simon Kruse of St. Clair, MN. In the first-place match, Radintz bested another St. Clair wrestler, Eli Kruse, 6 to 3 to take gold.
Andy Grant and Thomas Moede both had first-round byes and then scored wins in their next matches to make the finals.
Grant, who was listed at honorable mention at 113 in the state polls, dispatched New Richmond’s Bode Gabriel 4-1 in a 120-pound semifinal while Moede dominated Triton’s Liam Schlichting 14-1 to win his 138-pound semi.
In the finals, Kyaw Htway of St. Paul Humbolt decisioned Grant 6-3 while Moede was the victim of a 3:08 pin by Jacob Leibold of Royalton.
Tucker Lagerstrom finished fourth at 170 pounds in what Glenwood City head coach Shane Strong described as “the toughest bracket in the tourney that included state ranked talent from Minnesota”. The senior finished 2-2 at Trinity losing just 5-3 in the third-place bout.
Fellow senior Andrew Berends also scored a pair of wins – both falls – and a fourth-place finish at 285 pounds.
Despite finishing without a win, James Knight was fifth in a tough 132-pound weight bracket.
In the junior varsity tournament, Marcis DeSmith won the 182-pound bracket with two cradle pins including in the championship where he trailed 8-1 at one time.
Trenton McNamara also was victorious in the JV, 220-pound bracket as he claimed the championship with a pair of sub-minute falls.
Jabin Hojem won his first ever wrestling match to finish in third place at 126 while Noah Brite also finished third at 152 pounds
River Falls Dual
Host River Falls won five matches by falls and four others via forfeits as the Wild Cats manhandled Glenwood City 61-13 in a non-conference wrestling dual at River Fall High School on Thursday, December 19.
“The competition was very tough facing a top-tier Big Rivers school, but I thought our kids competed hard,” stated Glenwood City head coach Shane Strong.
The Hilltoppers won three on the evening including two by extra points.
State-ranked freshman Ian Radintz gave Glenwood City an early 4-3 advantage with a 13-4 major decision over River Fall’s Travis Moelter at 106 pounds.
After a forfeit to the Wild Cats, Junior Andy Grant stuck Ethan Cernohous just 1:50 into their 120-pound bout on a low leg cradle to give the Toppers a 10-9 lead.
But after that River Falls would take the next six matches to build an insurmountable lead before GC senior Tucker Lagerstrom earned the Toppers only other win – a 6-2 victory over Tyler Haydon at 170 pounds.
Andrew Berends came close to giving the Toppers another win in the dual’s opening match as he fell 2-1 in the heavyweight match.
River Falls 61, Glenwood City 13
285-Gabe Glaubitz (RF) dec. Andrew Berends (GC), 2-1; 106-Ian Radintz (GC) majored Travis Moelter (RF), 13-4; 113-Aidan Peterson (RF) received forfeit; 120-Andy Grant (GC) pinned Ethan Cernohous (RF), 1:50; 126-James Hampton (RF) majored Gabe Knops (GC), 12-2; 132-Cooper Andrea (RF) pinned Jabin Hojem (GC), 1:08; 138-Owen Larson (RF) pinned James Knight (GC), 1:18; 145-Vito Massa (RF) received forfeit; 152-Miles Longsdorf (RF) pinned Noah Brite (GC), 1:09; 160-Gavin Kohel (RF) received forfeit; 170-Tucker Lagerstrom (GC) dec.Tyler Haydon (RF), 6-2) 182-Garrett Borth (RF) pinned Marcis DeSmith (GC), 0:59; 195-Austin Mueller (RF) received forfeit; 220-Marcus Cudd (RF) pinned Trenton McNamara (GC), 0:39.