Three Port wrestlers nail down first-place honors at Marty Loy Invitational

A team championship wasn’t within reach for the Port Washington wrestling squad at the Marty Loy Invitational last Saturday in Fond du Lac, but the Pirates still managed to pin down top honors.

Three Port juniors — Alex Dieringer, Jake Maechtle and Justin Meins — each placed first in their weight class at the tournament, which included some of the state’s best teams.

“All three of our champions dominated all day,” said Port coach Angelo LaRosa, whose squad scored 122 points, good for a sixth-place tie with Fond du Lac in the 25-team standings.

“They were really outstanding.”

Muskego won the title with 226.5 points, well ahead of runner-up Wausau West’s 194.5. Hudson was third with 176 points.

By each winning four matches, Dieringer and Maechtle improved their season records to 12-0, and Meins upped his mark to 11-1.

Dieringer won his first two matches in the 140-pound division with first-period pins and then scored a 22-7 technical fall over Oconomowoc’s Jake Morrison.

In the final, Dieringer again won by technical fall, this time by a 19-4 margin, over previously unbeaten Jason Raasch of Westby.

“Alex had a really tough kid in the finals, and he handled him,” LaRosa said. “He just makes good wrestlers look like JV kids.”

Maechtle scored a 10-2 major decision over Waupaca’s Tyler Hinz in the 135-pound championship match.

In advancing to the final, Maechtle won once by decision and twice on pins, including a 2:54 win over Muskego’s Tyler Quartullo in the semifinals.

“Jake’s just a horse,” LaRosa said. “He kept working hard and had a great day.”

Meins won the 125-pound title with a 9-8 victory over Oconomowoc’s Zach Mommaerts, who brought a 16-0 record to the final.

In his first three matches, Meins won on decisions, including an 11-4 semifinal victory over Wausau West’s Rickie Pody.

“Justin has a huge gas tank and just never gets tired,” LaRosa said. “He picks it up in the third period, and other guys can’t keep up with him.”

The Pirates had nine other wrestlers in the tournament, but only one had a place finish.

Senior Ryan Wischer took seventh at 160 pounds by defeating Burlington’s Joe Alvarez, 5-3, in his fifth and final match of the day.

Wischer’s other wins in a 3-2 tournament showing included 9-4 and 5-0 decisions.

Three other wrestlers — Nate Schnell (130), Trevor Schumacher (145) and Nate Hilton (285) — each scored three team points for Port by winning their second-round matches by pin.

The tournament was the Pirates’ last meet until Jan. 1, when they wrestle at the prestigious Cheesehead Invitational in Kaukauna.

The field will include several nationally ranked teams.

Port Washington 65, Whitefish Bay 18

The Pirates won 10 matches by pin or forfeit in a lopsided North Shore Conference meet at home Dec. 16.

Scoring pins were Meins (135), Dieringer (145), Schumacher (152), Mark Strong (189), Tyler Griswald (285) and Tyler Madden (119).

Wischer (160) won by technical fall.

Port received forfeits at 140, 215, 112 and 130.

The Blue Dukes won by pin at 171 and 103 and received a forfeit at 125.

Grafton 39, Nicolet 36

The host Black Hawks won the last three matches by pin in rallying for a North Shore Conference win Dec. 17.

After falling behind early, Nicolet fought back to win six of seven matches and built a 36-21 lead.

However, Grafton responded with first-period pins from Nick Goetz (145), Nick Glocke (152) and Alex Studelska (160). Studelska defeated Wilhelm Fehlhaber in 1:25 of the final match to seal the team victory.

Goetz pinned Austin Greene in 44 seconds, and Glocke pinned Bobby Herrick in 1:52.

The Hawks’ other wins included a pin by Brandon Schweitzer (285), decision by Billy Depies (130) and forfeits at 171 and 189.

Grafton faced Homestead in another conference dual meet Tuesday and will next wrestle at the On the Water tournament in Oshkosh on Dec. 29 and 30.

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