Coming off a fourth-place showing at the WIAC Championship Tournament last season, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team is hoping a year in the program will help improve their results.

“We were young last year, and now with a year of experience, some guys have to get out of the fifth- and sixth-place matches and get into the first and third,” head coach Chris Walter said.

Walter also thinks that the team has a lot of room to grow, and the team’s record is not easy to predict.

“It’s too early to tell how this season will go,” Walter said. “It depends on the progress of our incoming freshman class.”

Walter believes the team’s success will be keyed by returning athletes Cole Ferguson, Mason Bohm, and Mike Uliana, all Pioneer wrestlers entering their second season in the program.

“They all placed at the regional tournament last year,” Walter said. “They have one year of college experience under their belt, so they’ve been through it, and now it’s just to capitalize on it and take the next step.”

Walter believes that the West Regional tournament and the Will Abele Invitational in Collegeville, Penn., will be the toughest tournaments for the Pioneer wrestling team.

The Will Abele will also be difficult due to the fact that there will be different athletes and wrestling styles than the teams are accustomed to.

Ferguson, a sophomore criminal justice major, took sixth at regionals last season and had more than 20 wins as a freshman.

“I always look forward to the first tournament because it decides where you’re at,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson agrees that that West Regionals will be the tallest task for the Pioneers.

“If I can get to the regional tournament, I can make my way to nationals,” Ferguson said.

Bohm, a sophomore industrial engineering major, took second at the Knoxville tournament, third at the MSOE invite and sixth at the regional NCCA tournament last season.

“I’m looking forward to regionals and hopefully placing for nationals this season,” Bohm said. “There are a lot of returners on the team, and I think we can give a good run to [Universities of Wisconsin-] Whitewater and La Crosse.”

“The toughest part of the season will be keeping guys healthy because we already have a couple injuries,” Bohm said.

Uliana, a sophomore building construction management major, placed third at the MSOE invite and sixth at regionals last season. Uliana hopes to qualify for nationals this season.

“I feel pretty good as a team and very strong as an individual,” Uliana said.

The Pioneers begin their season on Saturday with an intra-squad dual meet that will solidify the 30-man roster.