MADISON, Wis. — Several area wrestlers punched their tickets to Saturday's title bouts after strong semifinal performances Friday night at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center.
More than 3 dozen local wrestlers competed in the state semifinals Friday. When the night wrapped up, multiple area athletes secured spots in Saturday's championship matches across Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and the girls division.
In Division 1 at 113 pounds, top-seeded Camden Rugg (51-0) kept his perfect season alive for Union Grove, scoring a near fall on his way to a 12–0 major decision over West Bend's August Lubinski.
Watch: Local wrestlers advance to state championship matches at Kohl Center
At 120 pounds, Arrowhead's top-seeded Zahn Beal (41-5) and South Milwaukee's George Hamilton were tied 1–1 before Beal secured a takedown just before the buzzer, sealing a 4–1 decision and a trip to Saturday's championship.
At 126 pounds, Brown Deer/Messmer/Shorewood's Maximus Hay (30-0) racked up takedowns throughout the match, cruising to a 20–3 technical fall over West De Pere's Thomas Heraly.
Oconomowoc's Kellen Wolbert (51-0) is now one win from history. His pin at 150 pounds over Holmen’s AJ Alesch sends him to Saturday's finals, where he'll chase a fourth straight state title.
At heavyweight, Hartford Union's Ayden Grulke (51-2) powered his way to a major decision with a key takedown over Keukauna’s Nehemiah Lendobeja, earning a spot in the title match.
In Division 2 at 132 pounds, East Troy's Brady Collins (52-2) secured a 9–6 victory on a late takedown over Belmot/Platteville’s Briggs Weigel.
At 157 pounds, Kewaskum's Bryston Scoles (42-0) stayed undefeated with a 22–3 technical fall over West Salem/Bangor’s Mason Chambers, moving one step closer to his first state championship.
At 215 pounds, top-seeded Port Washington's Garett Kawczynski (37-0) earned a 4–1 decision over fifth-seeded Kade Splinter of Stoughton, putting Kawczynski on track to defend his title.
In the girls division, Fort Atkinson's Hayli Fletcher (49-0) held strong at 132 pounds, earning a 15–11 decision over New Richmond's Faye Schachtner. Fletcher will wrestle for her first state title Saturday.
For all of Friday's results, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
