By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
The championships just keep piling up for the Burlington wrestling squad.
Saturday’s Westosha Central Regional was just another example of the Demons’ exceptional depth and talent.
The Demons won their third regional championship in a row and seventh in nine years.
Burlington boasted nine individual champions and four others finished in the top four, so 13 will advance to Saturday’s sectional tournament.
The top two wrestlers in each weight class at sectionals move on to the individual state tournament.
“I don’t know if it’s a record number of individual champs, but nine is a lot for sure,” said Burlington coach Jade Gribble. “I’m just excited for those young men and how we are wrestling. There is no doubt this is a very good team with great individuals, and these young men have accomplished a lot up to this point – and we aren’t done yet.”
Burlington won the regional team title with 290.5 points, far ahead of second-place Union Grove’s 183.
The Demons’ individual regional champions include: Jaden Bird (113 pounds), Grant Koenen (120), Max Ehlen (145), Cody Welker (152), Ben Kumprey (160), Jake Skrundz (170), Qwade Gehring (182), Zach Wallace (195) and Zeke Tiedt (220).
“I feel we wrestled well,” Gribble said. “Most of the champions were dominant all day. Zeke Tiedt avenged a loss from the conference finals to win the championship.”
Tiedt, who was beating Central’s Corbin Spencer in the 220 conference championship match before being taken down and beaten by one point in the final seconds, stormed back Saturday.
Tiedt, a sophomore, who isn’t ranked in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, avenged his 3-1 conference loss to Spencer by beating him, 3-1, in overtime, after the two were tied, 1-1, after six minutes.
Other sectional qualifiers included Nolan Myszkewicz, who placed second at 106 pounds, Nathaniel Cortez, who took second at 126, Austin Skrundz, who took fourth at 132 and Ben Stevenson, who placed third at 138.
Bird, Koenen and Gehring all won by pin fall in their championship matches.
Welker and Jake Skrundz each won by technical fall in their title matches, and Wallace dominated with a major decision.
Kumprey won by a 7-2 decision over Wilmot’s Logan Pye.
At 285 pounds, Burlington’s Reese Schulz took sixth place.
Both Myszkewicz and Cortez won their second-place matches. Myszkewicz won a third-place match as well, and Cortez bounced back after losing a tight 7-5 decision in his first-place match.
“I feel good where our kids are at right now,” Gribble said. “They are wrestling with confidence and ready to go.”
“After Tuesday it becomes getting those individuals ready for Saturday. Taking a look at what they need to improve on and be prepared for their competition on Saturday. Sectionals will be very tough this year, and our group of kids is ready and excited to compete.”
Burlington will battle in a WIAA individual sectional Saturday at the Prairie School.
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