2017 Bi-State Preview

Jon Bailey (left) and Hayden Krein (right) will return to Bi-State to defend their 2016 titles.

The Spartans will have their work cut out for them if they wish to achieve the same team and individual success as they did last season at the Bi-State Classic.  In 2016, they finished first in division one, third overall and saw Jon Bailey capture his second Bi-State title and Hayden Krein his first.

As a team, the Spartans have not been wrestling at full strength and have not wrestled a tournament with a full team.  That should change going into 2018, but Bi-State will see another tournament without a full contingent of Spartan wrestlers.

For up-to-the-minute results, please click here during the tournament to be taken directly to the Trackwrestling Bi-State Classic page.

Let’s check out some of the weights…

120
Jon Bailey will have a ton of work cut out for him if he wants to become a three-time Bi-State champion.  The bracket includes two Minnesota heavyweights in Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Jeron Matson who is a two-time Class A state champion.  Class A in Minnesota is the same as division three in Wisconsin while Class AAA is equivalent to division one.  Bailey may also have to face Stillwater’s Reid Ballantyne–the Minnesota AAA 106-pound state championship last year.

Joining Matson and Ballantyne is three-time state qualifier Isaac Wiegel from Belmont/Platteville.  Wiegel placed 3rd at 113 in D2 last year and fourth 106 in D2 in 2016.  Muskego’s Parker Bevilacqua finished 5th at 106 in D1 last year while Lodi’s Garrett Moll is a two-time D2 state qualifier.  Bailey is a two-time state placewinner finishing 3rd at 113 in 2017 and 4th at 106 in 2016.

Overall, there are 13 state placewinners in this bracket and nine former Bi-State medalists.

126
Another tough bracket, 126 pounds will feature two wrestlers with five state championships between them.  Luxemburg-Casco’s Bryce Bosman is a two-time D2 state champion while Stratford’s AJ Schoenfuss is a three-time state champion.  G.E.T/Melrose-Mindoro’s Julian Purney was a state finalist in D2 last year at 120 and finished second.

138
This bracket will be one to watch.  Three-time D3 state champion Jeremy Schoenherr should be the favorite, but three-time state placewinner Mason Phillips will not be an easy out.  Holmen’s Tanner Schultz is a two-time state qualifier and one of the top D1 wrestlers at 138 this season.  Between Minnesota and Wisconsin, this bracket will feature 11 state qualifying wrestlers with 22 state tournament appearance between them.

152
Brett Von Ruden tops all wrestlers in the 152-pound bracket with three state tournament appearances but he will face a tough battle with Middleton’s Kevin Meicher leading the way.  The Middleton junior was a state champion as a freshman in 2016 at 126 while finishing as a runner-up last year at 138 pounds.  Mauston’s Jarett Dolata finished 3rd last year at 138 in D2 while Goodhue, Minnesota’s Kelby O’Reilly was a 3rd place finisher at 138 pounds last year in Class A.

160
Hayden Krein is projected as the top seed as he will go for his second Bi-State title.  The three-time state placewinner and 2016 state champion is joined by three other three-time state qualifiers.  Iowa-Grant/Highland’s Max Maylor is the 2nd ranked wrestler in D3 at 160 this year and a two-time state placewinner finishing 3rd at 152 last year.  Other three-time state qualifiers include Medford’s Kolten Hanson and Hudson’s Jacob Anderson.  Anderson is ranked 4th at 160 in D1 while Hanson is ranked 2nd at 160 in D2.  Maylor is currently ranked 2nd at 160 in D3.

Overall numbers
The 2017 Bi-State Classic features 106 state qualifiers with 158 state tournament appearances, 73 podium finishes and 16 state championships.  There are only seven previous Bi-State champs wrestling this week and in many years where wrestlers finished the season with a state championship, they did not leave Bi-State as a champion.

When it comes to rankings, there will be 16 wrestlers ranked number one in their division or class with both 120 and 152 featuring three top-ranked wrestlers.  There are two top-ranked wrestlers at 126, 170 and 285.  On the whole, there are 45 wrestlers ranked in the top three of their weight class in either Wisconsin or Minnesota.

State champions include…

• 120  –  Jeron Matson (2), Kenyon-Wanamingo, MN Class A 113 in 2017, 106 in 2016
• 120  –  Reid Ballantyne (1), Stillwater, MN Class AAA 106 in 2017
• 126  –  Bryce Bosman (2), Luxemburg-Casco, D2 113 in 2017, 106 in 2016
• 126  –  AJ Schoenfuss (3), Stratford, D3 120 in 2017, 120 in 2016 and 106 in 2015
• 138  –  Jeremy Schoenherr (3), Stratford, D3 138 in 2017, 126 in 2016 and 113 in 2015
• 145  –  Ryan Hannah (1), Viroqua, D2 132 in 2016
• 152  –  Kevin Meicher (1), Middleton, D1 126 in 2016
• 160  –  Hayden Krein (1), Sparta, D1 152 in 2016
• 170  –  Shane Liegel (1), River Valley, D2 160 in 2017
• 220  –  Hunter Lupeke (1), Spencer/Columbus Catholic, D2 195 in 2017

It’s going to be a tough tournament and in many cases, it will probably be tougher to win the Bi-State Classic than the state tournament.

Teams

There will be 18 ranked teams among the 61 teams at this year’s tournament including the top ranked team in all three Wisconsin divisions.  Ranked teams include…

• Holmen  –  #1 in D1
• Hudson  –  #5 in D1
• Marshfield  –  #7 in D1
• Waunakee  –  #9 in D1
• Pulaski  –  HM in D1
• Stillwater, Minn.  –  HM in AAA
• Luxemburg-Casco  –  #1 in D2
• Prairie du Chien  –  #4 in D2
• Melrose-Mindoro/G.E.T.  –  #5 in D2
• River Valley  –  #6 in D2
• Lodi  –  #7 in D2
• Spencer/Columbus Catholic  –  #11 in D2
• Viroqua  –  HM in D2
• Stratford  –  #1 in D3
• Kenyon-Wanamingo High School in Kenyon, Minn.  –  #3 in A
• Goodhue, Minn.  –  #6 in A
• Athens  –  #10 in D3
• Iowa-Grant/Highland  –  HM in D3

Following the action

For up-to-the-minute results, please click here during the tournament to be taken directly to the Trackwrestling Bi-State Classic page.

From Andy Polhamus with details on how to catch the action…