Dylan Schroeder and Trevor Yager given rare opportunity at Mineral Point

A rare feat for any high school athlete is the chance to play in state championships all four years of his or her career.

The Mineral Point wrestling team, a squad finishing second in the WIAA Division 3 tournament on March 6 and first in the three previous years, gave ample opportunities to its student body to achieve such a feat.

“Growing up, we always wrestled together and freshman year we started to have a little good thing going,” said senior Trevor Yager about the privilege of wrestling for Mineral Point. “It was hard work to get where we were.”

Seniors Dylan Schroeder and Trevor Yager were two of those fortunate wrestlers to get the chance. However, it almost didn’t happen for Yager who wrestled for the first time in the team finals since mid-January. He pinned Coleman’s Mason Mergener in 40 seconds in the 140-pound weight class.

“My favorite memory would be this year when I broke my ankle and came back to win in team state finals,” said Yager, who wasn’t cleared until the Monday before the team finals began. “…I felt like I still had something to prove, but winning (in the finals) put (the thoughts) to rest.”

Yager and Schroeder finished 3-1 in team state wrestling finals by both winning against No. 1 Coleman in this year’s state title match. Schroeder defeated Jacob Engels with a 3-1 decision in the 130-pound weight class.

“I’m still happy with the way it finished,” said Schroeder on Mineral Point not winning their fourth title in a row. “I am really happy to come out of the wrestling state finals with a 3-1 career record, and we have nothing to be ashamed of. It would have been nice to win, but you can’t complain about being runner-up at state.”

Although Mineral Point couldn’t win, they still have one of the most impressive runs in Division 3 state team wrestling. Athens was the only other school to win three consecutive titles (1993-95) since the WIAA changed the format to dual meets in 1992.

“I felt we worked the hardest all four years,” said Schroeder on why Mineral Point finished so strong in the past four years. “We busted our butts in the wrestling gym, but this year we just got beat by a better team. You have to hand it to (Coleman).”

Coleman was the top-ranked school this year; the first year in Schroeder and Yager’s careers Mineral Point wasn’t the No. 1 team in Division 3. Trying to become the first team to win four titles in a row should have held immense pressure; especially trying to do so against the team everyone favored to win the title. But you wouldn’t ever know it talking to the Mineral Point seniors.

“I didn’t feel like there was any pressure on us,” said Yager without a pause. “…It would have been cool to pull the upset, but I am pleased with our team. Sometimes, there will be a team better than you. The best you could ask for is to give it all you can give.”

Yager feels accomplished with his team state finals record, and it attributes his success with how he handled the pressure. He said it feels nice to know he could “handle any situation with whatever the deadline pressure” he may face.

High school sports tend leave these marks on its athletes. It not only strengthens an individual physically but mentally as well. While Schroeder feels the time of wrestling with his friends and the fan support through the past four years made him “a better person,” Yager will use what he learned and try to coach high school wrestling one day.

Perhaps, he will do so at Mineral Point, where he and teammates like Schroeder had the privilege to wrestle for a title every year.

Marshall gets two champions, valuable experience

When Steve Theobald won the Class C state wrestling title at 145-pounds in 1984, he became Marshall High School’s first individual state wrestling championship. Ever since then, the Cardinals have been waiting for another wrestler to claim a title.

The drought ended Feb. 27, when sophomore Hunter Weber dismantled Clinton’s Daniel Banh, 7-1, in the Division 2 112-pound WIAA individual state final. Weber’s win vindicates a second place finish in last year’s Division 3 103-pound weight class.

“[It feels] a lot better than losing last year in the finals,” Weber said, still catching his breath from the championship match.

Marshall did not have to wait nearly as long for their next champion because junior Spencer Meinholz gave those watching a “thrill” winning the 160-pound weight class in overtime, 6-4, beating Jacob Morrissey of Oconto Falls.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen in overtime,” Meinholz said. “That was definitely a thrill.”

The Cardinal wrestler joked about the motivation to win after seeing his teammate take the 112-pound championship.

“Last year he was in the finals,” Meinholz said of Weber. “This year, I told him you can’t have all the glory.”

Meinholz and Weber will have an opportunity to defend their titles next year. They may even have company in the late rounds of the state tourney next year.

Freshman Cole Hansen (130 pounds) finished sixth at the state meet. He lost in the semi-finals to Cullan Morrissey of Oconto Falls. Morrissey finished runner-up to Tomahawk’s Zach Zehner.

The top two finishers in the weight class are seniors and won’t be around next year when Hansen works to get back to the state meet, and he has plans to qualify again.

“My goal was just to make it to a state meet,” Hansen said after the fifth-place match. “Now I know what it’s like. I have that experience.”

Sophomore Thurston Schuster caught some tough matches in his first trip to the state meet. Next time around, he’ll be a year older and a year wiser. Plus, his coach has all the confidence in the world in the 145-pound wrestler.

“Thurston is as great a wrestler as we got,” coach Doug Springer said during the state meet, adding a couple of momentum shifts simply went against his sophomore grappler.

With all the Cardinal state qualifiers having at least another year of school, the team has a lot of upside. Other Marshall wrestlers have state meet potential as well.

Freshman Devin Weber, Hunter’s brother, placed fourth at the Richland Center sectional at 103-pounds. Junior Zach James also qualified for the sectional meet at 285-pounds.

With a lot of returning wrestlers, Springer’s comments about Hansen’s trip to state can likely be applied to all the young mat men.

“It’s good experience,” Springer said of Hansen’s season. “When he comes back in the future, it’s not new. He knows what to expect.

“It’s an experience and it’s something to build on.”

Myren's sportsmanship shines at WIAA wrestling meet

There were countless story lines at this weekend’s WIAA individual state wrestling meet.

There were 13 students looking to defend their individual titles and 15 former champions in all at the tournament. And, as always, there were hundreds of wrestlers looking to claim their first title in 14 weight classes in three divisions.

There was one story that stood out among the rest.

After winning his opening match by a 9-8 decision, Whitehall junior Cole Myren was facing Iowa-Grant’s Bryant Edge in the Division 3 215-pound semi-final. Myren was one of 26 wrestlers entering the state meet with an undefeated record at 37-0.

Edge performed an illegal slam, and as a result, Myren had the option of accepting the victory and moving on to the finals. Instead, the junior chose to continue wrestling.

Myren displayed tremendous sportsmanship and respect for his sport. By wrestling, he saved himself and the 215-pound bracket from possible controversy.

The next morning, members of the media were praising his decision rather than debating who should be in the finals.

Despite his sportsmanship, Myren (39-2) lost his match with Edge. He placed fourth Saturday afternoon when he lost by major decision, 15-4, to Aaron Karlen (37-4).

Myren earned his fourth place medal, and he can be proud of that.