Jacy Zollar sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Jacy Zollar Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School sophomore Chad Moegenburg, right, tries to find an opening for a takedown in his WIAA Division 3 state championship match against Coleman’s Koltin Grzybowski. Moegenburg dropped a 16-6 major decision to Grzybowski to finish second in the 113-pound weight class.
Leader Photo by Jacy Zollar Wrestlers earning medals in the 113-pound weight class at the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament Saturday included, from left, Walker Retz, Boyceville, fourth; Chad Moegenburg, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, second; Koltin Grzybowski, Coleman, first; and Mason Lull, Fennimore, third.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School sophomore Chad Moegenburg landed on the podium with a second-place finish at the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling tournament Saturday in Madison.
Moegenburg, making his first trip to state, lost the championship match to defending state champion Koltin Grzybowski, of Coleman, at the Kohl Center.
“That was definitely very cool,” Moegenburg said. “It wasn’t my first big tournament, but that was the most packed arena I’ve ever wrestled in.”
Grzybowski also defeated Moegenburg in the sectional tournament the previous week.
Moegenburg won three matches to advance to the championship round. In the semifinal against Mason Lull, of Fennimore, he fell behind 5-0 before pinning Lull in 4 minutes, 47 seconds to secure a spot on the podium.
“That match was definitely the hardest,” Moegenburg said. “I was trying to make a comeback, and was able to get to 5-4 after being scoreless for much of it, and then stuck him on my feet and got the pin.
“So that one felt really good to win, especially because I didn’t really expect to make the finals going into the tournament, and I had three tough opponents to get there.”
Moegenburg had plenty of motivation to make the finals.
“We had a bet that I could shave one of the assistant coach’s beards if I made the semis. And then, if I made the finals, I got to shave (head coach) Troy (Ostrowski’s) head,” he said. “I really wanted to do that, so it definitely gave me an extra push.”
Moegenburg dropped a 16-6 major decision in the title match to Grzybowski (45-2).
“I just tried to go into that match not being afraid,” Moegenburg said. “I knew he was a state champ for a reason, but he’s also human and can make a mistake at any moment. So I was just trying to eliminate as many of my own mistakes as I could, and then hope that I could capitalize on any he might make.
“But I went into the match as the underdog, which I kind of liked. He’s the one with the back-to-back title on the line, so he really had a lot of the pressure.”
Moegenburg ends his sophomore season at 44-9, almost 10 wins ahead of last year.
He achieved his goal of making state, but he hopes to take it up a notch next year.
“Making state was awesome this year, but I want that championship,” Moegenburg said. “Taking second, you’re one win away from everything you’ve worked all season for. So I’m definitely hungry to get to the top.
“Now that I’ve been to state, I’ll be a lot more relaxed and know what to expect, so I’ll be ready for it.”