News
Hatchet Alyssa Lampe was posted a 6-0 record and won the 103-pound weight class championship at the 54-team Oshkosh On The Water wresting tournament. She made tourney history as she became the first female wrestler ever to win the title and was named Outstanding Wrestler.
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On The Water Classic has state-tourney feel
By John Casper Jr. 12/28/05
of The Northwestern
Of the 54 teams that will compete at the Oshkosh Lourdes On The Water Wrestling Classic no more than a handful will compete at the state team tournament later in the season.
Of the 500-plus wrestlers, maybe 30 or 40 will advance to the individual state tournament.
Therefore, for a majority of the teams and wrestlers at On The Water, which begins Thursday at Kolf Sports Center, this week's tournament is their own state championship.
"I haven't really thought of it like that," said Oshkosh North coach Mike Meunier, who coached Winneconne at last year's On The Water. "To be honest, I'm not 100 percent sure what to think. We have a lot of kids that haven't been around wrestling, and with the amount of teams that are there and the size of the bracket, it will be a brand-new experience for them."
It's quite common for high school teams to participate in holiday tournaments with dozens of other squads. The fact that all schools have the week off between Christmas and New Year's allows for teams from all reaches of the state to compete, meaning wrestlers will face other wrestlers they wouldn't have had the chance to during the regular season.
While the crowd at these tournaments can't compare to a sold-out Kohl Center, it's definitely more than what shows up for a weekend eight-team multi-dual on a Saturday morning.
Despite the added allure of the crowd and the high-profile nature of the holiday tournaments, Oshkosh West coach Jared Esala is doing his best to prepare his team with the mindset that this is just like any other dual.
"I want them to put forth the same intensity and effort in every other match regardless if we are wrestling a smaller school or are in the finals of the state tournament," Esala said.
Still, Esala admitted that the team may approach this tournament differently considering the sheer number of schools and different wrestling styles his wrestlers will see.
Another interesting aspect of On The Water is the different goals each team has for itself.
Teams like Freedom, Hartford and Oshkosh West have finished in the top 5 the last few years at the tournament, and without seven-time defending champion Luxemburg-Casco in the field, they ostensibly have their sights set on the title.
"We haven't really made a specific goal on this tournament," Esala said. "I'm letting them compete with thinking about their individual goals in this tournament, but they definitely think they are a top 5 or top 10 team."
However, there are other teams like Valley Christian, who cannot field a whole team, but have a state-caliber wrestler on the roster. Warriors senior Jon Binning, a state qualifier last year, won't see the type of competition he'll see this week until regionals in February.
Then, there are teams like North, which hope to use this tournament as a springboard for the rest of the season.
"I hope some of these kids see this as a positive experience," Meunier said. "We have a big dual coming up against Appleton East. If things go right, hopefully we can break out winless streak.
"This can kind of make or break a kid's season."
John Casper Jr.: (920) 426-6661 or jcasper@thenorthwestern.com
Oshkosh Lourdes On The Water Wrestling Classic
Top seeds by weight class
103 — Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk) 16-1; Joe Behm (Winneconne) 18-0; Jeff Van Handel (Freedom) 13-0; Dylan Suchocki (Stevens Point Pacelli) 5-0.
112 — Malachi Root (Green Bay Preble) 15-1; Jay Plemon (Park Falls) 13-1; Kyle Kleuskens (Freedom) 13-0; Cody Siolka (Bonduel) 11-1.
119 — Brad Blersch (Oconomowoc) 15-0; Kyle Roth (Stevens Point) 10-2; Ryan Vosters (Freedom) 13-0; Luke Harness (Winneconne) 18-0.
125 — Cody Zimmerman (Hartford) 7-0; Jeff Tijan (Hurley) 6-2; Justin Roth (Stevens Point) 11-0; Chris Gallegos (West De Pere) 6-2.
130 — Zeb Secrist (Cochrane Fountain City) 10-1; Cameron Smit (Laconia ) 15-0; Brandon Jenneman (Chippewa Falls) 11-3; Jared Plate (Brillion) 11-1.
135 — Justin Teppo (Waupaca) 8-0; Tony Kazik (West De Pere) 8-0; Mark Wilson (Wilmot) 8-0; Tom Sumnicht (Bonduel) 7-0.
140 — Adam Enderby (Green Bay Preble) 16-0; Derek Onstad (Stevens Point) 10-2; Eric Ogi (Kewaskum) 10-1; Tim McGill (Lomira) 12-0.
145 — Scott Rhoads (Kewaskum) 15-1; Aaron Mittelstaedt (De Pere) 16-0; Travis Bordeau (Menasha) 11-0; Jake Wanty (Waupaca) 11-1.
152 — Dave Bjorkstrand (Burnsville, Minn.) 8-1; Chris Levash (Brillion) 10-2; Kyle Pasek (Mishicot) 13-2; Nick Ninneman (Hortonville) 9-1.
160 — Tommy Creutz (Wilmot) 7-0; Andrew Marcelle (Mishicot) 15-0; Ryan Ullenbrauck (Wausau East) 12-3; Cody Dean (Manawa) 11-1.
171 — Luke Haag (Mishicot) 15-0; Malcom Briggs (Oak Creek) 9-0; Jeff Ladwig (Laconia) 13-2; Louie Braatz (Campbellsport) 9-2.
189 — Justin Hartwig (Manawa) 12-0; Tyler Roebke (Menasha) 10-1; Kyle Orthober (Sturgeon Bay) 17-1; Kyle Crossman (De Pere) 15-1.
215 — Jim Kunz (Oshkosh West) 12-1; Brad Hoh (Kimberly) 11-2; Ethan Neerdaels (Ashwaubenon) 15-1; Max Brandt (Weston) 12-0.
275 — Matt Schumacher (Freedom) 13-0; John Riemer (Elcho) 11-1; Geoff Schmitz (Kimberly) 13-0; Aaron Toll (Laconia) 14-1.
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12/30/05
Two years ago, Tomahawk's Alyssa Lampe made headlines when she became the first girl to qualify for the WIAA state wrestling tournament.
Today, she'll have a chance to become the first girl to win an On The Water championship.
Lampe, a senior, breezed through the first two rounds of the 103-pound division with two pins and faces Dillon Gorman of Mosinee in a quarterfinal.
She finished fifth at On The Water last year, so the championship round on Day 2 is not a stranger to her.
Her brother, Anthony, has a chance at a title, too. He's in a quarterfinal at 119 pounds.
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Gender not a priority Lampe not surprised
By Kevin Damask 12/30/05
for The Northwestern
Tomahawk wrestler Alyssa Lampe can probably imagine what some spectators whisper to each other every time she walks onto the mat.
"Is that a girl?" "Wow, is she actually going to wrestle a boy?" "Is that really fair?"
Well, the truth is it isn't fair. Not for her opponents that is.
Lampe continued to silence critics and break barriers at the Oshkosh Lourdes On the Water Wrestling Classic at Kolf Sports Center on Friday. The senior took first place in the 103-pound weight class, defeating Winneconne's Joe Behm in the championship match.
Aside from becoming the first girl to win at On The Water, Lampe was also named tournament MVP.
"I just focus on winning and not about gender too much," Lampe said.
Lampe thinks that being victorious at one of the toughest prep wrestling tournaments in Wisconsin will make people realize she's a great wrestler, regardless of gender.
"They know that they'll have to watch out for Alyssa Lampe," she said.
Lampe has advanced to the state championship the past two seasons, but failed to win a championship. Last year, she was one point away from winning the state title.
"We have an ultimate goal that is written on her mirror at home, and that is to be a state champ," Tomahawk coach Bob Garrou said. "She's the hardest working kid I've ever coached. She's really knocking down barriers, not only the barriers of wrestling but girls against boys. She's proving that if you work hard, you can be anything you want."
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By John Casper Jr. 12/31/05
of The Northwestern
Jim Kunz spent most of his Friday afternoon lounging in the upper reaches of the bleachers at Kolf Sports Center, visualizing his championship bout in the 215-pound division at the Oshkosh Lourdes On The Water Wrestling Classic.
He didn't waste a whole lot of time winning it.
Kunz, a senior at Oshkosh West, pinned Wausau East's Travis Stolze in 1 minute, 5 seconds for the title.
"The time before the championship match is just a huge mental battle," Kunz said. "You are just trying to tell yourself that you can do it and keep the right mindset."
Kunz was one of two area wrestlers to win On The Water titles. Laconia's Aaron Toll won the 275-pound division in a thrilling 1-0 decision over Matt Schumacher of Freedom.
Winneconne's Joe Behm finished second at 103, Laconia's Cameron Smit finished second at 130, and West's Zach Bennett finished third at 140.
Of all, Kunz had the most impressive tournament. He had three pins and one major decision en route to the title.
"It's a big deal for him because now he knows how good he is," West coach Jared Esala said. "He was extremely happy after he won. He had a big smile on his face and he told me that it felt really good."
With an On The Water championship under his belt, Kunz has made a name for himself in wrestling circles around the state, and will be one to keep an eye on if he qualifies for the state tournament.
"This sounds corny, but it's a dream come true," Kunz said. "It is such a huge tournament with such awesome competition. It's one of the highlights of my high school career."
Toll was equally ecstatic.
Unlike Kunz, he spent the wait before his championship match pacing in the background. His match came down to the wire when he earned a point for an escape.
"I was just trying to make sure I got the win," said Toll, who lost to Schumacher in the finals of a tournament earlier this year. "I'm just really happy that I won."
Championships eluded Behm and Smit, who both lost their first match of the season in the finals.
Behm fell to Tomahawk's Alyssa Lampe, who was later named the MVP of the tournament and was the first girl to win an On The Water title. Still, finishing second in a 54-team tournament is nothing to frown upon.
"I don't think it's going to change anything," Behm said of his confidence. "I just have to work harder."
Smit lost his championship match to Zeb Secrist of Cochrane Fountain City, 12-0.
"I have to work on getting my arms straighter," Smit said. "And work on standing up."
Bennett fought back from a loss in his first match on Friday to finish third, a great confidence booster for someone who missed all of last season with a broken arm.
"I think this is going to give me a lot of confidence knowing that I can stick around with the big guys," Bennett said.
Elsewhere, Winneconne's Luke Harness finished fifth and Oshkosh North's Lucas Seelow finished sixth.
West senior Clayton LeRoy finished eighth after a head injury forced him to forfeit his last three matches.
"He landed wrong out of bounds, hit his head and saw stars," Esala said. "To be on the safe side, we took him out for the rest of the day."
Stevens Point won the team title. Laconia had the best showing of any area team and finished 10th.
John Casper Jr.: (920) 426-6661 or jcasper@thenorthwestern.com.
Oshkosh Lourdes On The Water Classic
Team scores
1. Stevens Point 313, 2. Freedom 284½, 3. Ashwaubenon 229, 4. Green Bay Preble 221, 5. Menasha 212, 6. Oak Creek 210½, 7. Tomahawk 208, 8. Manawa 196, 9. Mishicot 196, 10. Laconia 174, 11. Bonduel 165, 12. Hortonville 159, 13. Winneconne 156½, 14. Kewaskum 154, 15. Oshkosh West 153, 16. Oconomowoc 151, 17. Gillette 149, 18. Waupaca 149, 19. Hartford 148, 20. De Pere 147½, 21. Milwaukee Custer 147, 22. Chippewa Falls 143, 23. Wilmot 131½, 24. Mosinee 129½, 25. Coleman 126.0, 26. Wausau East 126.0, 27. Brillion 123½, 28. Sturgeon Bay 121½, 29. Campbellsport 119, 30. West De Pere 110½, 31. Burnsville, Minn., 108½, 32. Lomira 106, 33. Oshkosh North 94, 34. Ripon 90, 35. New Berlin Eisenhower 86½, 36. Kimberly 85, 37. Milwaukee Lutheran 83, 38. Park Falls 80, 39. Hurley 79, 40. Elcho 78½, 41. Markesan 78½, 42. Weston 68, 43. Chilton 64, 44. Illiana Christian, Ill., 56, 45. Cochrane Fountain City 54, 46. Grafton 50, 47. Amherst 38, 48. Oshkosh Lourdes 37, 49. Stevens Points Pacelli 32, 50. Valley Christian 24, 51. North Fond Du Lac 23, 52. Three Lakes 22, 53. Milwaukee Pulaski 15, 54. Southern Door 7.
Championship matches
103 — Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk) dec. Joe Behm (Winneconne), 7-3. 112 — Malachi Root (Green Bay Preble) dec. Jay Plemon (Park Falls) 6-1. 119 — Brad Blersch (Oconomowoc) dec. Ryan Vosters (Freedom), 9-3. 125 — Cody Zimmerman (Hartford) major dec. Nick Hagar (Tomahawk) 12-3. 130 — Zeb Secrist (Cochrane Fountain City) major dec. Cameron Smit (Laconia) 12-0. 135 — Justin Teppo (Waupaca) won by injury default. 140 — Adam Enderby (Green Bay Preble) dec. Derek Onstad (Stevens Point), 4-3. 145 — Scott Rhoads (Kewaskum) dec. Aaron Mittelstaedt (De Pere), 2-0. 152 — Dave Bjorkstrand (Burnsville, Minn.) pinned Kyle Pasek of Mishicot, :49. 160 — Tommy Creutz (Wilmot) dec. Cody Dean (Manawa), 10-4. 171 — Luke Haag (Mishicot) dec. Dan Silvernail (Tomahawk), 3-0. 189 — Justin Hartwig (Manawa) dec. Tyler Roebke (Menasha). 215 — Jim Kunz (Oshkosh West) pinned Travis Stolze (Wausau East), 1:05. 275 — Aaron Toll (Laconia) dec. Matt Schumacher (Freedom), 1-0.
Friday's local results
Oshkosh North
103 — Matt Bruley (ON) dec Cody Cullen (Waupaca) 4-2; Dillon Gorman (Mosinee) pinned Bruley, 0:59; Bruley dec Dylan Suchocki (Stevens Point Pacelli), 5-3; Ethan Pipping (LAC) pinned Bruley, 0:32. 135 — Justin Teppo (Waupaca) dec Lucas Seelow (ON), 8-1; Seelow major dec Luke Multhauf (Hartford Union), 13-2; Seelow dec Jon Van Ness (Brillion), 3-1. Mark Wilson (Wilmot Union) dec Seelow, 7-2. Alec Schindler (Chippewa Falls) overtime over Seelow, 6-4. 189 — Nick Wolff (ON) major dec Blake Fitzgerald (New Berlin Eisenhower), 9-0; Lenard Hale (Milwaukee Custer) major dec Wolff, 11-3. Wolff dec Justin Gezella (Ashwaubenon), 2-1; Quentin Reuter (Oak Creek) dec Wolff, 12-7. 275 — Jacob Grasee (ON) pinned Derek Genske (Brillion), 4:42; Eric Allen (MARK) pinned Grasee, 0:53; Justin Petersen (Stevens Point) dec Grasee, 5-2; Grasee injury default.
Oshkosh West
140 — Tim McGill (Lomira) dec Zach Bennett (OW), 8-4; Bennett dec Dwayne Hale (Milwaukee Custer), 8-2; Bennett dec Eric Ogi (Kewaskum), 8-2; Bennett dec Matt Szwet (Coleman), 7-4; Bennett overtime over John Titley (Menasha), 10-8. 145 — Jake Wanty (Waupaca) dec Clayton LeRoy (OW), 2-1; LeRoy major dec Zach Schuett (Elcho), 13-3; John Kaphingst (Freedom) injury default over LeRoy; Joe Farrell (Gillette) injury default LeRoy. 152 — Trevor Kinney (Menasha) tech fall Lao Xue Xiong (OW), 3:05 16-1. 215 — Jim Kunz (OW) major dec Aaron Jackson (Green Bay Preble), 17-5; Kunz dec Nate Groshek (Stevens Point) 4-0. 275 — Justin Petersen (Stevens Point) dec Cory Toellner (OW), 4-2.
Valley Christian
112 — Jay Plemon (Park Falls) dec Jon Binning (VC), 5-2; Tyler Kurszewski (Stevens Point) dec Binning, 2-0; Binning pinned Danny Allen (Hartford Union), 1:55; Stephen Gladwell (De Pere) dec Binning, 4-2.
Laconia
103 — Ethan Pipping (LAC) major dec Jeremy Kuklinski (Milwaukee Pulaski), 14-0; Brett Napiwocki (Stevens Point) dec Pipping, 4-0; Pipping dec Sam Delain (Sturgeon Bay), 8-3; Pipping pinned Matt Bruley (ON), 0:32. 125 — David Renier (De Pere) dec Jon Dean (LAC), 9-7. 130 — Cameron Smit (LAC) dec Ben Provisor (Stevens Point), 5-3; Smit major dec Brandon Jenneman (Chippewa Falls), 11-2; Zeb Secrist (Cochrane Fountain City) major dec Smit, 12-0. 215 — Chris Weber (Mishicot) dec Kyle Rozek (LAC), 3-2. 275 — Aaron Toll (LAC) pinned Tyler Bain (West De Pere), 1:10; Toll pinned Joe Gallion, 1:58.
Markesan
215 — Ethan Neerdaels (Ashwaubenon) dec Tim Uecker (MARK) 3-0; Uecker pinned Nathan Raith (Elcho), 2:36; Brad Hoh (Kimberly) dec Uecker, 6-1; Uecker pinned Tyler Salmeri (Sturgeon Bay), 2:08. 275 — Matt Schumacher (Freedom) dec Eric Allen (MARK), 2-1; Allen pinned Jacob Grasee (ON), 0:53; Zak Saevre (Ashwaubenon) dec Allen, 12-5; Jason Polcyn (RIP) dec Allen, 7-3.
Ripon
140 — Dwayne Hale (Milwaukee Custer) dec Sam Prellwitz (RIP), 5-3. 189 — Chad Beck (RIP) dec Justin Sisel (Mishicot) 7-1; Kyle Orthober (Sturgeon Bay) dec Beck, 4-2; Quentin Reuter (Oak Creek) dec Beck, 4-2; Beck (RIP) dec Justin Gezella (Ashwaubenon), 8-2. 275 — Jason Polcyn (RIP) pinned Adam Sprangers (Menasha), 3:38; Polcyn (RIP) pinned John Riemer (Elcho), 0:53; Tyler Bain (West De Pere) dec Polcyn, 9-8; Polcyn dec Eric Allen (MARK), 7-3.
Winneconne
103 — Joe Behm (WINN) dec Sam Delain (Sturgeon Bay), 1-0; Behm pinned Jeff VanHandel (Freedom), 5:23; Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk) dec Behm, 7-3. 112 — Dustin Wells (Oconomowoc) dec Cole Gilmore (WINN), 5-3. 119 — Luke Harness (WINN) dec Anthony VandeHei (Hortonville), 5-3; Brad Blersch (Oconomowoc) decision Harness, 11-8; Anthony Lampe (Tomahawk) dec Harness, 8-6; Harness dec Anthony VandeHei (Hortonville), 11-6. 125 — Josh Plate (Brillion) pinned Matt Longworth (WINN), 1:36. 160 — Nate Dobberstein (WINN) pinned Levi Thibedeau (Chippewa Falls), 0:31; Andrew Marcelle (Mishicot) pinned Dobberstein, 1:38; Dobberstein pinned Cedric Rollins (Milwaukee Custer), 0:50; Brandon Olson (Gillette) pinned Dobberstein, 4:05.
Other top 6, local top 12 finishers
103 — 3. Jeff VanHandel (Freedom), 4. Brett Napiwocki (Stevens Point), 5. Dillon Gorman (Mosinee), 6. Martino Balsinger (Chippewa Falls), 9. Ethan Pipping (Laconia), 10. Matt Bruley (Oshkosh North). 112 — 3. Cody Siolka (Bonduel), 4. Charlie Wanty (Waupaca), 5. Tyler Kurszewski (Stevens Point), 6. Kyle Kleuskens (Freedom), 10. Jon Binning (Valley Christian). 119 — 3. Anthony Lampe (Tomahawk), 4. Kyle Roth of Stevens Point, 5. Luke Harness (Winneconne), 6. Anthony VandeHei (Hortonville). 125 — 3. Jeff Tijan (Hurley), 4. John Buntrock (Ashwaubenon), 5. Josh VanderMeulen (Bonduel), 6. Dustin DeGreef (Green Bay Preble). 130 — 3. Ben Provisor (Stevens Point), 4. Brandon Jenneman (Chippewa Falls), 5. Jared Plate (Brillion), 6. Taylor Kolb (Freedom). 135 — 3. Mark Wilson (Wilmot), 4. Tom Sumnicht (Bonduel), 5. Alec Schindler (Chippewa Falls), 6. Lucas Seelow (Oshkosh North). 140 — 3. Zach Bennett (Oshkosh West), 4. John Titley (Menasha), 5. Matt Szwet (Coleman), 6. Tim McGill (Lomira). 145 — 3. Jake Wanty (Waupaca), 4. John Kaphingst (Freedom), 5. Travis Bordeau (Menasha), 6. Dustin Hoffman (Oak Creek), 8. Clayton LeRoy (Oshkosh West). 152 — 3. Doug Nowak (Coleman), 4. Chris Levash (Brillion), 5. Nick Ninneman (Hortonville), 6. Brad Johnson (Manawa). 160 — 3. Jeremy Breen (Oak Creek), 4. Luke Rynish (Hortonville), 5. Kirk Will (Milw. Lutheran), 6. Patrick McConaughey (Oconomowoc), 10. Nate Dobberstein (Winneconne). 171 — 3. Malcom Briggs (Oak Creek), 4. Dave Fisher (Gillette), 5. B.J. Sullivan (Hortonville), 6. Jared Filo (Hartford). 189 — 3. Kyle Othober (Sturgeon Bay), 4. Lenard Hale (Milw. Custer), 5. Billy Mayer (Campbellsport), 6. Jacob Turowski (Kewaskum), 10. Nick Wolff (Oshkosh North). 215 — 3. Ethan Neerdaels (Ashwaubenon), 4. Nate Groshek (Stevens Point), 5. Brad Hoh (Kimberly), 6. Chris Weber (Mishicot), 7. Tim Uecker (Markesan). 275 — 3. Tyler Bain (West De Pere), 4. Zack Saerve (Ashwaubenon), 5. Geoff Schmitz (Kimberly), 6. Joe Gallion (Wausau East), 7. Jason Polcyn (Ripon), 8. Eric Allen (Markesan), 11. Jacob Grasee (Oshkosh North).
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Photo gallery(New) of her winning a match at the 2005 Wis. state:
A few photos(New) of a match at the 2005 Wis state: