Krattiger places third after controversial stalling call
By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
Five Waterford Union High School wrestlers returned from the WIAA Division 1 Individual Wrestling State Tournament with medals after running the gauntlet from Feb. 23-25 in Madison at the Kohl Center.
The Wolverines sent seven entries to state after winning the sectional title Feb. 18 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional wrestling tournament at West Allis Central High School.
“Overall, a great tournament,” Waterford coach Tom Fitzpatrick said. “The guys showed they belong, and have lots to build on for next year’s individual and this year’s state team tournament.”
Waterford competes today in the WIAA Division 1 State Team Tournament at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse in Madison.
The Wolverines wrestle Stoughton in the quarterfinals. If they beat the Vikings they will wrestle either Menomonee Falls or Oak Creek, also Friday evening, in the semifinals.
Stoughton is ranked No. 1 in Division 1 in the most recent Wisconsin Wrestling Online team poll. Waterford is ranked 10th, Oak Creek third and Menomonee Falls 12th in the same poll.
If the Wolverines win two matches Friday they’ll wrestle Saturday for the Division 1 team title.
Waterford advanced to the team state tournament by beating Wauwatosa West/East 54-19 Feb. 14 in a Division 1 sectional final at Mukwonago.
Waterford’s highest finish at team state is second, which the program achieved in 1997 in Division 2.
At the individual state tournament, Austin Thomas (145), Tanner Cadman (170), Jared Krattiger (182), Jack Trautman III (195) and EJ Mastrocola (285) medaled.
Fitzpatrick said Sam Winksi (120) fell one match short of placing. Cody Welker (113) struggled against bad luck with a tough first-round draw.
Krattiger (50-1) entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked wrestler in Division 1 at 182, and won his first two matches before wrestling DeForest’s Jackson Hemauer (49-1) in the semifinals.
Fitzpatrick said Krattiger got called for two stalling penalties late in regulation, and lost 3-2 to Hemauer, the eventual state champion. Krattiger beat Neenah’s Beau Yineman 11-5 for third place.
Trautman (28-3) also finished third, beating D.C. Everest’s Sam Stroik 3-1 in the third-place match. Fitzparick said Trautman would not be denied after winning his first match, losing in the quarterfinals and going to the consolation bracket.
“When Jack puts his mind to something, it will get done,” Trautman said. “He was adamant to take third place, and he did.”
Thomas (24-7) beat Bay Port’s Brady Schulfer (31-12) 4-1 in the fifth-place match and finished the tournament with a record of 4-2.
Cadman (40-10) finished sixth after getting pinned by D.C. Everest’s Nathan White in the fifth-place match, but still finished on the medal stand. Cadman won his first two matches and went 2-1 at state.
Mastrocola (41-13) lost 9-1 to Hartford’s Quinn Meinerz (41-5) in the fifth-place match and finished sixth – like Cadman, Mastrocola still finished on the medal stand.
Welker (42-9) lost to eventual state champion Dalton Shea of Milton (44-7) 5-0 in his first match at state and did not get a wrestleback – Shea stayed in the championship bracket for the remainder of the tournament.
Winski (43-9) went 1-2 at state. He beat Oak Creek’s Mitch Landgraf (41-4) 5-0 in his first match in the consolation bracket after losing by technical fall (16-1) to Arrowhead’s Keenan O’Toole (40-4) in the opening round.
Winski lost 2-1 to Madison La Follette’s Francesco Schiro (45-3) in his final match at state. Had he defeated Schiro, Winski would have wrestled fo
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