Spencer-Columbus, NGL each send two to state

Spencer-Columbus brothers Ashton and Treyton Ackman will once again head down to Madison together for the WIAA Division 2 state wrestling meet, while Neillsville-Greenwood-Loyal sees the beginning of a new era of wrestling with a pair of freshmen on the state mat meets. Luke Dux will travel to Madison this week as a sectional champion at 106 pounds, and Gunner Hoffmann will go as a runner-up after losing by a single point to a defending state champ in the sectional finals.

The Ackmans were the only Rocket representatives at the Feb. 22 Division 2 sectional meet at Osceola, and they pulled off the doubler by both qualifying for this week’s state tourney at the Kohl Center. Ashton took second place at 113 pounds. while Treyton survived a tough bracket at 120 pounds to finish third.

Ashton ran his season record to 39-4 by winning three of his four sectional matches. He started with a relatively easy 9-0 major decision over West Salem/Bangor freshman Bradyn Glasspoole (28-9) in the quarterfinals, then scored a 5-2 decision over Bloomer/Colfax sophomore Luke Blanchard (40-7) in the semis. That put Ackman up against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro sophomore Tanner Andersen (40-9) in the finals, and despite Ackman’s superior season record, he couldn’t generate any offense. Andersen pulled off the 5-1 decision, which meant Ackman had to protect his secondplace finish in a wrestleback against Osceola junior Thomas Oswald (39-6). Ackman handled that task with ease for an 8-0 decision.

Ashton’s trip to state will be his third. He also qualifi ed as a freshman and a junior. In his final state meet, he’ll start with a preliminary round match against Oconto Falls senior Brendan Konitzer (32-13). The winner of that match advances to meet Viroqua senior Josh Frye (44-4).

Treyton Ackman had a difficult row to hoe at Osceola. He started well, pinning Northwoods sophomore Camren Benesch in just 26 seconds. That pitted him against Luck/Frederic/Grantsburg/Siren sophomore Taedon Nichols and his 37-3 season record.

Ackman stayed even with Nichols at 5-5 through two periods, but gave up two takedowns in quick succession to fall behind 10-6. After the eventual 12-7 loss, Treyton had to earn his state trip the hard way. In his first consolation match, he won by forfeit over Prescott freshman Alex Iberg (14-10). That put him one win away from his second straight state meet, and he got it with a 17-7 major decision over Ellsworth senior Cole Nelson (23-8).

At state, Treyton , now 40-5 on the season, will first face Beloit Turner senior Devon Harbison (42-5). The winner gets Waupaca sophomore Kaleb Mannel (38-11).

Dux continued his standout freshman season by running his season mark to 34-4 with three fairly easy wins at Osceola. He started with a 16-1 technical fall over Baldwin-Woodville freshman Cole Braasch (26-15), then moved into the finals with a 13-7 decision over Rice Lake sophomore Carter Schulz (33-10). In the finals, Dux was never challenged, and took a 7-0 win over Northwoods freshman Tommy Brown (34-7) to earn a first-round bye at the state meet.

In his first ever match on the state mats, Dux will face either Oconto Falls sophomore Graeson Pankratz (26-12) or Lodi sophomore Parker Heintz (34-12). Hoffmann breezed through the 220-pound sectional bracket to get another match in the fi nals against defending state champ Jake Rau of Medford. After a 43-second pin of Baldwin-Woodville freshman Mason Baribeau (8-24) and then a fall in 1:36 over Rice Lake junior Kayden Warren (11-11), Hoffmann faced his third match of the season against Rau (35 2). Hoffman won the first two tight matches and the third one was no different. This time, though, it was Rau who got a late secondperiod takedown to tie the match at 3-3. Hoffmann gave up the intentional escape to start the third period, banking on a takedown, but couldn’t get it and fell 4-3. That put him in a wrestleback for second place against Ellsworth sophomore Kyle Anschutz (29-14), and he handled that with ease with a pin in 1:34. Now 37-2, Hoffmann will start his state meet with a match against Kiel junior Jason Klauck (22-7). The winner moves on to a quarterfinal match against Antigo senior Nick Roller (43-5).

NGL senior Nathan Buchanan fell one win short of a state trip at 170 pounds. He started the sectional with a pin of St. Croix Central senior Braedon Bloom (29-10) in 1:20, but then lost a 14-4 decision to eventual sectional champ Carter Paulson (38-1) of Rice Lake. Buchanan bounced back with an 8-1 win over Ellsworth sophomore Ryan Matzek (24-15), but needed one more win to advance. He couldn’t get it as he lost a 7-2 decision to Baldwin-Woodville sophomore Max Ramberg (36-7) to see his season end at 32-8.

Two other NGL wrestlers had only one chance at Osceola. At 132 pounds, freshman Keeghan Anding (26-13) lost a 6-0 decision to Ellsworth senior Bailey Poellinger (30-15), then didn’t get a second match when Poellinger lost in the next round.

The same thing happened to NGL junior Tommy Friemoth at 160 pounds. He lost a 9-5 decision to Barron senior Chase Peltier (34-9) and his season ended at 27-12 as Peltier dropped his next match.

DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO