Radintz, Millermon cop SCF wrestling titles, Toppers finish 8th while Bulldogs are 14th
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ST. CROIX FALLS — Ladened with talent, the annual St. Croix Falls Wrestling Classic has become one of the premier tournaments in northern Wisconsin.
And the 2023 edition was no different, drawing numerous state-ranked wrestlers and teams, including Glenwood City and Boyceville, from both sides of the St. Croix River to the tournament that was held this past Saturday, January 21 at St. Croix Falls High School.
The Hilltoppers, who are ranked eighth in Wisconsin’s Division 3 state team poll according Wisconsin Grappler, finished eighth in the 22-school competition for a second consecutive year with 95 points. Glenwood City senior Ian Radintz laid claim to his second straight individual championship at St. Croix Falls by upending a two-time state champion while junior Savanna Millermon pinned her way to gold on the ladies side.
Boyceville, led by its top two finishers Sebastian “Bash” Nielson and Zach Hellendrung who scored 32 of the Bulldogs’ 34 points, placed 14th.
The tournament was the lone action for both teams as they had their respective Dunn-St. Croix duals postponed due to last Thursday’s winter storm.
But, the two squads will keep busy this week.
Glenwood City will host a pair of conference duals, a makeup against Mondovi on Tuesday night and the other versus Spring Valley/Elmwood Thursday. The Toppers will then close out their regular season the following day, Friday, January 27, with a tournament in Menomonie.
Meanwhile, Boyceville competed in a multi-school meet in Bloomer on Tuesday and will travel to North Branch, MN this Friday, January 27 for a invitational. The Bulldogs will wrap their regular-season slate with conference duals at Spring Valley/Elmwood next Tuesday, January 31 and in Durand on Thursday, February 2.
Glenwood City
Senior Ian Radintz avenged all three of his season losses when he defeated Cumberland’s Dawson Johnson, a two-time defending state champion, 4-2 in the 126-pound final at St. Croix Falls Saturday.
Radintz, who prior to saddling Johnson with his first loss of the 2022-23 mat campaign, made his way to the title match with a bye and a pair of pin falls.
Radintz (24-3) has been ranked second behind Johnson in most of this season’s Division 3, 126-pound state polls.
Glenwood City also saw another one of its grapplers reached the top of the podium in St. Croix Falls. Savanna Millermon scored a pair of 20 second pins in her matches against Louella Tavernoier of Hopkins, MN and Stillwater’s Maya Jelinek to place first in the girls’ 107-pound weight class.
Two other state-ranked Hilltoppers – senior Gabe Knops and sophomore Wyatt Unser – finished third in their respective weight brackets.
After suffering just his second loss in 26 matches this season, a 9-5 semifinal setback to Totino Grace’s Jackson Refsnider, Wyatt Unser, ranked second among the state’s D3 113-pound wrestlers, rebounded and won the bronze medal with a 6-2 win over Levi Thompson of Princeton, MN in the third-place match at 113.
Ranked seventh at 138 pounds, Gabe Knops (21-7) scored a 12-4 major decision over Princeton’s James Kohl in his weight’s third-place bout. Knops split his other two matches, winning via pin in the quarterfinals before being pinned by Stillwater’s Lindson Turner in the semis.
Sophomore Mitchel McGee (20-10) took fourth at 145 pounds after finishing his day at 2-2 with a pin and a bye.
Senior James Knight (120) and freshman Landon Obermueller (106) finished in eighth place at their respective weights.
Andrew Blaser (152) and Connor Gross (220) both finished 1-2.
In the Junior Varsity tournament, the Hilltoppers had a pair crowned champions. Zeb Holden placed first at 132 pounds and Will Standaert took the gold at 160 pounds. Jackson Logghe (182) copped a second, Jake Wood (113) and Logan McVeigh (120) both finished third and Blake Fayerweather (285) copped a fifth.
Boyceville
In his final St. Croix Falls tournament, senior Bash Nielson topped the list of Bulldog finishers last Saturday as he placed third at 195 pounds.
Nielson (25-7) opened with a bye and followed with a second-period pin of St. Croix Falls’ Mayson Utgard. He was in turn pinned by Ian Smith of Northwestern in the semifinals but came back to earn a pin over Sam Wilson of Kenosha Christian Life to earn the bronze.
Following an opening-round bye, freshman Zach Hellendrung (26-6) won a 4-1 quarterfinal decision over Devon Walker of Northwestern. Unfortunately, he lost his final two matches, one by major decision and the other via a fall, and finished fourth at 220 pounds.
Boyceville’s other three varsity competitors – Zane Pierce (106), Noah Evenson (120) and Landyn Leslie (126) – did not place.
In the Junior Varsity competition, Jack Kurschner (126) won the gold, Victor Pattermann (132) took second, Alex Obermueller (132), Paul Kurschner (152) and Owen Konsti (195) all copped thirds, Ryker Benitz (132) and Wilson Avalos (170) were fourth and Mark Knops (182) finished fifth.