2005-06 Prep outlook: Wrestling

Flashback
2004-05 conference champions:
Badger - DeForest, Mount Horeb-Barneveld (Northern Division duals); Stoughton (Southern Division duals, conference meet).
Big Eight - Janesville Craig (duals), Janesville Parker (conference meet). Capitol - Wisconsin Heights (duals, conference meet).
Little Ten - Hartford (duals, conference meet).
Rock Valley - Brodhead-Juda (duals, conference meet).
Scenic Bluffs-Ridge & Valley - Cashton (Scenic Bluffs duals; Scenic-Ridge conference meet); Kickapoo-La Farge (Ridge & Valley duals).
Six Rivers - Sugar River (duals, conference meet).
Southern Lakes - Delavan-Darien (duals); Milton (duals, conference). SWAL - Dodgeville (Division 1 duals), Lancaster (Division 1 duals), Prairie du Chien (Division 1 duals); Mineral Point (Division 2 duals; conference meet).
Trailways - Deerfield (duals, conference meet).

Best WIAA team tournament showings:
Division 1 - Stoughton lost to eventual runner-up Hartland Arrowhead 44-16 in the state semifinals.
Division 2 - Lodi lost to eventual runner-up Lomira 34-33 in the state semifinals.
Division 3 - Mineral Point lost to eventual champion Wrightstown 32-31 in the state semifinals.

The big questions

Will Mineral Point or Stoughton be the first to crown a 41st WIAA state champion? Both perennial powers passed Milwaukee South last season by crowning their 40th state champions - Rick Nelson for Stoughton and Matt Gevelinger for Mineral Point (after Curtis Fiedler became No. 39 earlier in the 2005 state finals). Of the three, only Fiedler is back, so the Pointers have the edge in the quest for separation.

What has become of Lodi coach Jack Reinwand? He retired in March after nearly 30 years as Blue Devils coach. Reinwand was 373-54-2 during that time, coaching Lodi to 21 conference titles - including the last 13 years in a row - and the Division 2 state team tournament five of the last six years. Eight of his wrestlers won 11 state titles and 83 accounted for 143 conference titles - including Chris Persike, a three-time conference champion who has replaced Reinwand as Lodi's coach. Persike is not the only new face in the Lodi program. Junior Tony Madigan has transferred from Waunakee - where he won a Northern Badger Conference title in 2004 and was a runner-up in 2005 - and join his cousin Jake Madigan, a two-time state qualifier (sixth last year) with an 89-7 career record.

What has become of DeForest senior Sergio Mireles? The defending Division 1 state champion at 125 is not eligible to compete this season because of an athletic code violation, his father, Oscar Mireles said. Sergio, who transferred from Madison East after his sophomore year, still attends DeForest and carries a 4.0 grade-point average. His first-semester class load has included two advanced placement classes (literature and psychology) at DeForest and two college courses at the University of Wisconsin. Sergio will attend Cornell of the Ivy League in the fall. "It is a big loss for our team and the sport," DeForest coach Mark Hemauer said.

Which tournaments are the ones not to miss? There are three this week - the Badger State Invitational (back at the University of Wisconsin Field House Thursday after two years in Mineral Point), the Bi-State Classic in La Crosse and the Mid-States in Whitewater. But wrestling fans will want to circle Jan. 21 on their calendar. That's when defending Division 1 state champion Wisconsin Rapids and defending Iowa 3-A state champion Waverly-Shell Rock headline the field at the DeForest Invitational.

Fast forward
2005-06 conference favorites: Badger - DeForest (North);
Stoughton (South).
Big Eight - Janesville Craig.
Capitol - Cambridge.
Little Ten - Beaver Dam.
Ridge & Valley - North Crawford-Seneca.
Rock Valley - Brodhead-Juda.
Scenic Bluffs - Cashton.
Six Rivers - Sugar River.
South Central - Lodi.
Southern Lakes - Milton.
Southwest Wisconsin Conference (formerly SWAL 1) - Dodgeville. Southwest Wisconsin Activities League (formerly SWAL 2) - Mineral Point, Iowa-Grant.
Trailways - Deerfield.

RETURNING AREA STATE QUALIFIERS
(Last year's weight classes)
DIVISION 1
103 pounds:
Danny Gonzalez, sr., Delavan-Darien (37-5 at 103);
Hayden Silvers, so., Baraboo (29-7);
Tony Cleary, jr., DeForest (25-11);
Ryan Curwick, jr., Beaver Dam (28-5).
112: Matt Gaffney, so., Portage (42-7);
Casey Sobrilsky, so., Beaver Dam (26-7; sixth).
119: Ryan Reda, sr., Madison East (21-16).
125: Brad Larson, so., Stoughton (35-12).
130: Robert Guzman, jr., Delavan-Darien (27-10).
135: Alex Charo, sr., Delavan-Darien (37-6; fourth);
Andy Iverson, sr., Stoughton (35-10).
140: None.
145: Ben Sarbacker, jr., Verona (47-4; second);
Randy Young, sr., Baraboo (33-9).
152: None.
160: Phil Rodriguez, sr., Fort Atkinson (17-7);
Brian Zimmerman, sr., Oregon (25-10).
171: None.
189: John Jones, sr., Oregon (27-7);
Nick Ryan, sr., Watertown (34-7).
215: None.
Hwt: Isaac Knuth, sr., Reedsburg (40-5; sixth).
DIVISION 2
103: Bobby Wunnicke, so., Dodgeville (39-2; first);
Adam Thiesen, so., Adams-Friendship (38-8; fourth);
Jase Langkamp, jr., Lancaster (39-9; fifth);
Ross Dary, jr., Waupun (28-13).
112: Tim Baumel, jr., Adams-Friendship (39-9; fourth);
T.J. Wunnicke, jr., Dodgeville (38-3; sixth);
Jeffrey Crook, jr., River Valley (24-11);
Zach Elliott, jr., Prairie du Chien (34-10).
119: Jake Madigan, jr., Lodi (43-3).
125: Travis Droessler, sr., Belmont-Platteville (40-3; second);
Cole Schmitt, so., Sugar River (38-5; sixth).
130: Chad Zess, jr., East Troy (42-6).
135: Kendall Vogel, jr., Westfield (40-4; second);
Andy Cox, sr., East Troy (35-6);
Grant Miller, so., Dodgeville (27-8).
140: Joe Clothier, sr., Clinton (33-3; third);
Casey Bode, jr., Prairie du Chien (37-10).
145: Scott Fahey, sr., Sugar River (34-1; third);
Justin Kitzman, sr., Waupun (32-11);
Bryant Kearney, sr., Lodi (36-10).
152: Jason Loewi, sr., Madison Edgewood (25-15).
160: Eric Coughlin, sr., Columbus (32-2);
Jamin Seippel, sr., Lancaster (29-11).
171: Andrew Eastlick, sr., Belmont-Platteville (39-5).
189: A.J. Vogt, sr., Cuba City-Southwestern (30-9).
215: Lucas Clayton, sr., Belmont-Platteville (30-13; sixth).
Hwt: None.
DIVISION 3
103: Andrew Dahl, so., Cashton (37-4; first);
Robert Daggett, sr., Cambridge (44-3; second);
Andy Doyle, sr., Brookwood (40-5; fourth);
Cody Sorge, sr., Riverdale (22-15).
112: Garrett Kite, jr., Iowa-Grant (31-11);
Stephen Seng, sr., Cassville (31-5).
119: Troy Clements, sr., Kickapoo-La Farge (39-6).
125: Greg Burke, jr., Mineral Point (38-8; third);
Cade Sarbacker, jr., Iowa-Grant (34-6; fourth);
Willie Powell, sr., Marshall (44-5).
130: Curtis Fiedler, sr., Mineral Point (33-5; first);
Brandon Arentz, sr., Cashton (37-3; fifth);
Ben Oleson, jr, New Lisbon (24-13).
135: None.
140: Tyler Bollant, sr., Iowa-Grant (42-6; third).
145: Mike Seitz, sr., Royall (40-5).
152: Travis Halverson, sr., Iowa-Grant (32-5; third).
160: Jason Campbell, sr., Riverdale (25-8);
Jeremiah Hatfield, jr., Cashton (36-11).
171: None.
189: Rory Edge, jr., Iowa-Grant (40-3; second).
215: Matt Lehr, sr., Poynette (20-16).
Hwt: Derek Laufenberg, sr., Cashton (39-11);
Grant Pauls, sr., Ithaca (30-7).

Mark your calendars
Thursday: Badger State Invitational at UW Field House.
Thursday and Friday: Bi-State Classic at La Crosse; Mid-States Classic at UW-Whitewater.
Jan. 27: Mineral Point at Iowa-Grant.
Feb. 4: Conference meets -
Badger at DeForest,
Big Eight at Janesville Craig,
Capitol at Lake Mills,
Rock Valley at Orfordville,
Scenic-Ridge at North Crawford,
Six Rivers at River Ridge,
South Central at Lodi,
Southern Lakes at Elkhorn,
SWC-SWAL at Mineral Point,
Trailways at Pardeeville.

Feb. 11: WIAA regionals.
Feb. 18: WIAA sectionals.
Feb. 23 and 25: WIAA state individual tournament at the Kohl Center.
March 3 and 4: WIAA state team tournament at the Kohl Center.