By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
On Saturday, Feb. 20, Burlington High School senior Hegeman Tiedt gained a measure of redemption.
One year after losing at sectionals, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound juggernaut needed less than three minutes to pin his opponent at the New Berlin West High School.
Starting Thursday, Tiedt, teammate Nathan Crayton, a sophomore, and five Waterford wrestlers, including sectional champions Jared Krattiger and Justin Ratkovec, will travel 90 minutes northwest to Madison for the WIAA State Individual Wrestling meet.
Waterford’s Sam Winski, Austin Thomas and Jack Trautman all won their second-place wrestle-back matches to clinch slots in the state brackets. Crayton also won in wrestle-back fashion.
The Wolverines won the team title, and their five state entrants is a school record.
It’s not a coincidence that the feat came after the arrival of new coach Tom Fitzpatrick.
“I’m only 15 (years old) right now,” Krattiger said after the meet Saturday. “I’m more prepared than last year. Last year, I thought I was an underdog, but now I know I can go out and dominate.”
“Tom has taught me more little things with technique. Ted Price, Mike Ewert, they’re all former college wrestlers. I wrestle with them. They can still scrap a little bit.”
Krattiger said the wrestling club Higher Level in Burlington deserves credit for the team’s success.
The Wolverine grapplers drive to Burlington as a team just about every day, 365 days a year.
Trautmann said Coach D’Alie makes the guys come to get in a workout even if it’s snowing heavily outside.
“Me, Jared, Austin and Tanner go to Higher Level together,” he said. “We’re all sophomores. Every Wednesday, and sometimes Sundays, we go, just about year-round.”
“It’s taught me not to back down, because Coach D’Alie is all about wrestling with aggressiveness.”
Waterford finished with 125 team points, seven better than second-place Mukwonago (118). Burlington, the other Southern Lakes Conference team in the field, finished sixth with 63 points.
The top two in each weight class at the sectional tournament advance to state.
Tiedt improved to No. 6 in the state in this week’s Wisconsin Wrestling Online ranking at 220 pounds, up one spot from last week.
Ratkovec is ranked second in the state at 126 pounds in the latest Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 1 state poll, but was ranked No. 1 most of the season. Krattiger is ranked No. 1 at 170 in the same poll.
Krattiger finished fifth at 160 last year at state. Ratkovec qualified at 106 as a sophomore and did not win a match.
Krattiger beat Jake Belongia of New Berlin West/Eisenhower (36-2) by major decision (16-6) in the sectional final. Krattiger wrestled Sauk Prairie’s Austin Powell (45-3) Thursday in his opening match at state.
Ratkovec pinned Mukwonago’s Nick Armstrong (36-9) in 1:29 in the sectional final at 126 and opened at state Thursday against Stoughton’s Tristan Jenny (41-10).
Winski pinned Burlington’s Zack Weiler (22-15) in 1:01 in the second-place wrestleback to advance to state. Winski wrestled Oak Creek’s Mitch Langdraf (43-2) Thursday in his first match at state.
Thomas pinned Muskego’s Adam McNally (25-15) in 1:11 in a second-place wrestleback to advance to state, and Thursday at state against Fond du Lac’s Josh Adams (41-2).
Trautman advanced to state after pinning West Allis Central’s Jeff Leflore in 4:48 in a second-place wrestleback. Trautman wrestled Menomonee Falls’ Brandon Schaefer (32-2) Thursday in his first-round match at state.
Follow Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk live at championship Saturday at the Kohl Center, where he will be tweeting @mikeramczyk17 on Twitter. Also, like the Standard Press Sports Facebook page, and stay tuned to www.myracinecounty.com for blogs, photos and video.
- The WIAA Division 1 State Individual Wrestling Tournament started Thursday and continues through Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison.
- See a video of Hegeman Tiedt’s sectional championship on www.myracinecounty.com
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