he University of Wisconsin-Platteville wresting team headed to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete in the West Regional Tournament on March 1.
This qualifying tournament determined the top three wrestlers in each weight class, and these wrestlers will now advance to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship.
Head coach Chris Walter helped to prepare the 10 varsity starters by shortening up practices in order to avoid injuries for Saturday’s tournament.
Walter expressed that the team has multiple expectations for the tournament, but one goal stands out among the rest: to accomplish victories against previous tough competitors.
“We have some guys on the bubble. The main story is to beat guys that have beaten us earlier this season,” Walter said.
Senior Trenton Larson reflected on his performance in the past, maintaining an optimistic attitude and a goal-oriented mindset for future competition.
“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t have getting to nationals as a goal. Now that I have gotten this far and [have been] getting better, I’ve put in a lot more work and effort into getting there,” Larson said.
Although Larson will not advance after Saturday’s event, he was an important aspect of the team’s overall success this season, which includes placing fifth in the WIAC Championship.
Prior to the event, sophomore Cole Ferguson assessed his preparation methods in the past, aspiring to maintain a much stronger mentality and focus for the season.
“I’ve worked a lot harder than last year to prepare. Mentally, I think I’m more ready,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson’s hard work paid off, as he will be representing UW-Platteville at nationals, after placing third in his 125 pound weight class this past Saturday.
In the second round, Ferguson won by an 8-6 decision over Matt Damp of Lakeland College.
In the semifinals, Mike Fuenffinge of Augsburg College defeated Ferguson 16-3, but Ferguson fought back through the consolation bracket, beating John Wells of St. John’s University, Minn., 5-3 and Gabe Foltz of Concordia-Moorhead 7-4, taking third place overall.
“The whole team will go to cheer on Ferguson at nationals,” Walters said.
The NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship will take place March 14-15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
