Leader Staff
Photo by Mary Langenfeld Jacob Banker, of Bonduel ,wrestles against Joey Cibulka, of Poynette, in the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament at the Kohl Center on Thursday . Banker pinned Cibulka in the second period.
Photo by Mary Langenfeld Menomonee Indian High School senior Antonio Mahkimetas wrestles James LaPointe, of Bayfield/Washburn, in the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament Thursday at the Kohl Center in Madison. LaPointe defeated Mahkimetas, 11-5.
Two of the three area wrestlers who competed Thursday at the WIAA Division 3 state tournament in Madison advanced with victories.
Bonduel junior Jacob Banker advanced with a pin, Wittenberg-Birnamwood senior Stetson Potrykus won a decision, and Menominee Indian senior Antonio Mahkimetas saw his season come to an end.
Banker (33-5), the Bears’ only state qualifier, won his preliminary match at 170 pounds over Poynette’s Joey Cibulka by a second-period pin.
Banker needed three minutes and 32 seconds to secure the victory and will go up against Iowa-Grant/Highland’s Brady Peat (40-6) in the quarterfinals Friday morning. Banker and Peat met in the wrestlebacks at state last winter, with Banker advancing to the third-place match with a 6-5 decision victory. Banker finished third, and Peat took fifth.
Potrykus (37-7) faced Brookwood’s Joey Perrigo (34-10) in the preliminary round at 152 pounds and won a 7-2 decision. Potrykus earned a match with Cadott’s James Pfeiffer (37-4) Friday morning for a chance to advance to the semifinals later Friday night.
Although he lost, Mahkimetas accomplished his goal of advancing to the state tournament — the school’s first state qualifier since 2014.
His 160-pound preliminary round match Thursday, Mahkimetas was even, 5-5, with James LaPointe of Bayfield/Washburn (26-1) after two periods. In the third period, though, LaPointe got Mahkimetas (36-10) on his back.
“That kind of took the wind out of sails,” Menominee Indian head coach Kirk Bahr said.
LaPointe took the match, 11-5, and will meet Riverdale’s Bradon Roen (19-2) in the quarterfinals Friday.
MIHS held a pep rally and sendoff for Mahkimetas earlier in the day, and Bahr worried whether the emotional exertion throughout the day could have affected his senior’s performance.
“There’s a lot of stuff and emotions that go on that can kind of mess you up physically,” Bahr said.
The Eagles will return eight wrestlers to next year’s squad, and Bahr said the group is dedicated to getting better. Alzono Haack, expected to be the team’sheavyweightnext season, traveled to Madison to watch his teammate compete.
For Bahr, there’s nothing else Mahkimetas could have done to be a better role model for the rest of the Eagles.
“I know he gave it his all and gave his heart to the sport,” Bahr said.