4:47 pm – Add another sectional champion to the list. Kyle Burkhalter became Sparta’s third champ with a 13-5 major decision victory over Belmont/Platteville’s Vincent Anderson. Congrats Kyle!
4:10 pm – Spartan 145-pounder Michael Murnane fell in the sectional finals by pin in 3:53 to River Valley’s Joe Crook. Murnane will now wrestle Marshall’s Devin Weber (44-3) for second place in the bracket. Murnane is still going to state. This match is purely for seeding purposes.
4:07 pm – Tristan Zurfluh is going to state! Zurf won his second wrestleback match 7-2 over Dodgeville’s Jasper Meeker. Then Monroe’s Kevin Klopfenstein lost in the finals and Zurfluh lost the 2nd place match by rule since Klopfenstein already beat him in overtime in the opening round of sectionals.
With Zurf advancing to state, the Spartans match the program record for wrestlers qualifying for state at six, which was set last year. If Dawley can win his next match at 195, the Spartans will set a new record for state tournament qualifiers.
3:56 pm – Brock Polhamus joined Dylan Winchel in becoming another sectional champion. Polhamus dominated Monroe’s Aaron Hesgard 12-2 in the finals to join Roddick as the only two Spartans to ever qualify for the state tournament as freshman and sophomores. Congrats Brock!
3:27 pm – At 120 pounds, John Roddick was pinned in 2:37 by Adams-Friendship’s Trevor McManus.
3:24 pm – Dylan Winchel absolutely dominated Viroqua’s JJ McClelland. Winchel won 15-6 to defeat McClelland in the sectional finals for the second year in a row. And just like last year, Winchel lost matches in the run up to sectionals to McClelland and none of them too close before winning dominantly over McClelland in the sectional finals.
We’re also talking about McClelland, the kid who was 43-1 coming into the match with Winchel and ranked #1 at 113 pounds by Wisconsin Wrestling Online.
2:41 pm – Tristan Zurfluh and Daniel Dawley both won their first wrestleback. Chase Bernett did not get to the wrestleback round after the guy who beat him lost his semifinal match. Winchel, Roddick, Polhamus, Murnane and Burkhalter are all in the finals and have earned a trip to state. Zurfluh and Dawley can join them if they each win one more match.
1:24 pm – Kyle Burkhalter is Sparta’s fifth state tournament qualifier with a dominating 10-1 victory over Monroe’s Dusty Burkhalter. Kyle will now wrestle Belmont/Platteville’s Vincent Anderson (26-7). The third state tournament appearance for Burkhalter ties a program record.
12:59 pm – Michael Murnane is Sparta’s fourth state qualifier with a 7-0 victory over Clinton’s Tim Clothier. Murnane will now wrestle River Valley’s Joe Crook (36-8).
12:45 pm – Sparta is now three for three in the sectional semifinal round. Polhamus joined Roddick as the only Spartans to ever advance to state as both freshman and sophomores with a 2-1 victory over Evansville/Albany’s Jordan Meyer. Polhamus will now wrestle Monroe’s Aaron Hesgard.
12:34 pm – John Roddick is Sparta’s second state qualifier with a dominating 12-3 major decision victory over Marshall’s Josh Murray. Roddick will now wrestle Adams-Friendship’s Trevor McManus in a rematch of last weekend’s regional final that McManus won 10-6.
112:29 pm – Round two action is underway and we have our first state qualifier in Sparta’s Dylan Winchel. That’s two state tournaments appearance in two years for the 113-pounder. He qualified with a pin over Brodhead/Juda’s Justin Sangermano in 1:00.
12:09 pm – After one round of wrestling, Spartan wrestlers are 5-3 as Chase Bernett was just pinned in 3:07 by Jefferson’s Brendon Krull. Spartan wrestlers that lost need the guy who beat them to win their next match if they hope to continue their season. That looks good for Zurfluh and Dawley, but a little more difficult for Bernett.
12:04 pm – Daniel Dawley dropped a 4-0 decision to Belleville/Monticello/New Glarus’ Jack Nelson in his opening round 195-pound bout.
12:00 pm – It’s noon and the Spartans are now 5-1 as Kyle Burkhalter pinned Richland Center’s Silas Coleman in 3:41 to be the fifth Spartan to reach the sectional semifinals. Next up for Burkhalter is another Burkhalter, Dusty Burkhalter of Monroe. The Spartan Burkhalter blanked the Monroe Burkhalter 1-0 at the Reedsburg Scramble way back in December. Next up for the Spartans is 195-pounder Daniel Dawley then Chsae Bernett.
11:35 pm – After five matches in Richland Center, the Spartans are 4-1. Dylan Winchel, John Roddick, Brock Polhamus and Michael Murnane all won their first round matches. Tristan Zurfluh dropped a close 3-2 decision to Monroe’s Kevin Klopefenstein. Winchel defeated Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka-Steuben’s Clayton Beers 8-4, Roddick pinned Evansville/Albany’s Brandon Robinson in 3:38, Polhamus defeated Richland Center’s Hunter Whitney 12-6 and Murnane pinned Columbus’ Mitchell Hasey in 5:25.
Kyle Burkhalter, Daniel Dawley and Chase Bernett have yet to wrestle.
