Beck leads Bronco wrestlers early on this season

By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Heavyweight wrestler Tony Beck has been setting the pace for the Union Grove High School wrestling squad in the early part of this season.
Beck was one of only three wrestlers to win a match in a 64-12 loss to Burlington Nov. 29, and was the only Bronco to go undefeated at the Tom Manley Duals at East Troy Saturday.
Beck pinned Burlington’s Tyler Kirkeeng, earning half of the Broncos 12 points on the daY.
Head coach Andy Weis noted that Beck, a junior, had taken Kirkeeng down a couple times and was leading by about four points when he got the pin.
The other two wins for Union Grove in this Southern Lakes Conference dual came at 120 pounds and at 195.
At 120, Brett Kieslich earned a hard-fought 10-9 decision over Lucas Shenkenberg. Kieslich, a freshman, has “been doing a really good job,” Weis said.
Adam Braley, a sophomore, scored an 11-5 decision over Koty Agnes.
“He wasn’t in any real trouble throughout the match, “Weis said. “He wrestled really well.”
Braley is a transfer this year from Port Washington.
With nine new grapplers on varsity this fall, the Broncos were no match for Burlington, even though the Demons have a number of new varsity grapplers.
“Burlington is tough again this year,” Weis said. “They just keep reloading them.”
As a team, Union Grove won just one match at the Tom Manley Duals, while losing four, at this eight-team invitational.
The Broncos defeated Cudahy 66-18, but lost to West Allis Central 47-31, Eat Troy 42-38, Whitnall 51-24 and Kenosha Christian Life 51-30.
Besides Beck, the other top Bronco wrestler was  Kieslich, who went 4-1, with three pins and a decision.
The one match Kieslich lost (to Cudahy), he got caught in a bad position and the Cudahy wrestler took advantage to score a pin.
Beck went 5-0 on the day with three pins, a technical fall and a forfeit win.
Weis felt like his team could have won the East Troy dual. Both teams split the 14 matches, but all of East Troy’s victories were by pin.