By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
It was another banner week for the Burlington wrestling squad.
The Demons took the two-hour trip to Fond du Lac Dec. 21 and came home with their second tournament title of the season.
Once again, the Demons showed off their superior depth in winning the 24-team tournament, scoring 236 points and reiterating their main event status as one of the top teams in the state of Wisconsin.
The Fondy Cardinal Invite champs finished ahead of second-place Stevens Point’s 205 points.
It was the third straight year the Demons have won the Marty Loy.
“It was a great win this weekend, a complete team effort,” said Burlington head coach Jade Gribble. “It’s a pretty solid tournament. It was a great way to finish off before our break.”
Bay Port took third with 193.5 points, and Random Lake nabbed fourth with 181 points.
Burlington had four champions, JJ Bird at 120 pounds, Max Ehlen at 152, Ben Kumprey at 170 and Qwade Gehring at 182.
Bird, who improved to 15-2 on the season with a 4-0 mark, earned three pin falls before knocking off Random Lake’s Ethan San Felippo in the first-place match, 5-3.
Ehlen, who is now 14-2, picked up a pin and two decisions before edging Kewaskum’s Braden Maertz, 6-3, in the first-place match.
Kumprey picked up two quick pins and a 5-0 decision before facing teammate Jake Skrundz in the first-place match, where Kumprey won in a 4-0 no contest.
Skrundz, wrestling at 170 pounds, took second place thanks to a technical fall, major decision and pin fall.
At 195 pounds, Zach Wallace placed second.
Wallace received a bye before finishing 2-1 on the day.
In the first-place match, Wallace was pinned by Bay Port’s Drake Anderson in 1:49.
The Demons had three wrestlers finish in sixth place, Ty Kiesler at 113, Grant Koenen at 126 and Eli Kiesler at 160.
Ty Kiesler put forth a valiant effort in his fifth-place match, falling Mosinee’s Kade Kmosena, 5-4.
Ty Kiesler picked up three victories on the day.
Eli Kiesler finished 4-2 for the day, and Koenen went 3-2.
Burlington 53, Union Grove 20
The Demons flexed their muscles in Southern Lakes Conference action Dec. 19 at Union Grove High School.
The Demons jumped out to a 22-6 lead after pins from Kumprey and Wallace.
Then, Grove’s Connor Esch answered with a pin at 285, and Luke Peterson and Cooper Willis earned wins for the Broncos to cut the lead to 28-14.
However, it was all Burlington the rest of the way.
Koenen, Nathaniel Cortez, Ben Stevenson, Cody Welker and Ehlen picked up victories to close out the dominant dual victory.
Along with Kumprey and Wallace, Cortez and Welker picked up pins for the Demons against a game Grove squad.
Burlington benefitted from two Grove forfeits.
See the Dec. 26 edition of the Standard Press for full results of Burlington’s meets.
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