By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
With one individual champ, two seconds and a third, the Waterford High School wrestling squad garnered seventh place out of 19 teams at the Badger State Wresting Invitational held Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
The Wolverines tallied 112 points in the event won by Sycamore with 201 points.
Justin Ratkovec won the 106-pound weight class. After an opening-round bye, Ratkovec, who is 14-4 overall this season, won a 12-0 major decision in the quarterfinal match, before edging Nick Palzkill of Waukesha West 2-1 in the semifinals.
Ratkovec than earned a 9-1 major decision in the finals over Franklin’s Xianou Xiong.
Waterford wrestlers had several big matches against state-ranked wrestlers.
Kody Azarian, at 126, and Max Fisher, at 138, each finished second, losing in the finals.
Azarian (who is ranked No. 2 in Division 1 at 126) faced Devin Lemanski of Edgar (the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 126 in Division 3) and was pinned by Lemanski in four minutes 31 seconds. Azarian is now 15-1 overall.
Fisher (ranked No. 9 in Division 1 at 138) took on Iowa Grant’s Tucker Sarbacker (the No. 3-ranked wrestler in Division 3 at 138) and lost a very close 8-7 decision. That dropped his season record to 15-1.
Fisher had defeated Garrett Schmelling of Merrill, the No. 6-ranked wrestler at 132 in Division 1, by a 3-1 decision in the semifinals.
Cody Nannemann, 14-2 at 152, captured third at 152, losing in the semifinals 6-3 to Edgar’s Anthony Lemanski.
Nannemann is ranked No. 10 in the state in Division 1, while Lemanski is No. 2 in Division 3.
In his third-place match, Nannemann dominated Garrett Keller, the No. 6-ranked wrestler in Division 2, by a 13-0 major decision.
Liam Pritchard took fourth at 170, while Dan Mcgilvary was seventh at 113.
Waterford took only nine wrestlers to the invitational.
The Wolverines will participate in the Merrill Invitational on Friday, Dec. 28, and Saturday, Dec. 29.
The boys will host Union Grove in a Southern Lakes Conference dual on Thursday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m.
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