Anderson’s first tourney victory is special

Junior Syrus Anderson provided the Cedar Grove-Belgium High School wrestling team’s highlight at its home Rocket Scramble on Saturday.

Anderson won the 190-pound bracket with four pins, and four other Rockets had chances to take home gold as well.

“It went well. Guys wrestled tough. We had a few hard matches throughout the day which will give us good film,” coach Quinn Hoopman said.

The team scored 502 points and finished third. Brillion won the 19-team meet with 549 points. Valders had 530.

Port Washington sat out some of its stars to let them rest and allowed younger wrestlers get some mat time. The Pirates scored 490 points and finished fourth.

Anderson (12-8) pinned Klaeton Stibb (3-18) of Horicon in 1 minute, 13 seconds, Logan Ries (6-14) of Sheboygan Falls in 24 seconds and Mac Riemenschneider (18-7) of Jefferson in 5:30.

In the finals, Anderson pinned Braidon Roberts (10-8) of Oconto in 1:19.

This was Anderson’s first tournament victory.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “The first two matches were pretty easy. The third match was real hard. That really pushed me. That last match started out hard, but I ended up winning.”

The win gives Anderson more than a gold medal.

“I’m gaining that confidence, working on technique every day, getting better and better,” he said.

Anderson loves that his first tourney victory came in a home invite.

“It’s definitely more special,” he said.

Hoopman has seen Anderson develop.

“Now every tournament you see a lot of improvement from the last one. He’s putting things together,” he said.

Four Rockets earned second places. Chase Heimerman at 106 pounds came the closest to gold, losing in overtime to Port Washington’s Graysen Koepke, 11-8.

“Sometimes that’s how it goes,” Heimerman said. “I knew there were going to be some tough guys in the bracket.”

Koepke went to 17-5 on the season after being one of two Pirates to place at the brutal Bi-State Classic in La Crosse the weekend prior.

Port coach Angelo LaRosa said it was a good finals match and the two will see each other again in a dual. Koepke, he said, will grow with experience.

“He just needs more matches,” LaRosa said.

Hoopman also looks forward to the dual meet at Port on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

“We’ll be able to make our improvements and see what happens next time,” he said.

Heimerman (19-5) pinned one opponent and beat another by technical fall on his way to the final.

Heimerman’s brother Landon (15-8) was second at 113 pounds. He was pinned in the final by Parker Spierings (30-2) of Brillion in 3:42. Heimerman pinned an opponent and beat another by major decision to reach the final.

“I knew coming in it was a hard tournament, but I just saw through and wrestled hard,” he said.

The Heimerman brothers serve as each other’s biggest competition and supporters. Hoopman said the two were racing each other in sprints during practice on Friday.

“They do push each other,” he said.

Landon said, “It’s really nice because we both sit by each other’s sides and watch each other’s matches and learn from each other.”

Chase said, “We wrestle in practice a good amount.”

They also wrestle at home sans referees.

“No rules at home,” Landon said with a laugh.

Cedar Grove-Belgium’s Seth Race was second at 157 pounds. He won three technical falls and beat Port’s Carter Melichar (17-7) 4-1 in overtime on the way to the finals. Brayden Lenz (23-4) of Valders pinned Race (17-4) in 3:54 for the title.

“I could have done better in the finals. I’ll see him again in regionals and I’ll catch him there,” Race said. “It gives me good confidence and something to work toward.”

Carsen Voskuil was second at 120 pounds, losing a 19-3 technical fall to Aiden Gruenenfelder (24-0) of Pecatonica/Argyle in the final. Voskuil (20-4) pinned two opponents and won a 12-11 decision over Nathan Mielke (14-3) of Wauwatosa to reach the final.

Cedar Grove-Belgium’s Seth Kessen (26-7) was third at 126 pounds. Nolan Anzia (12-8) was fourth at 144. Ben Duwell (12-6) was fifth at 106 and Brayden Prom was sixth at 150.

The Rockets were to wrestle at Big East Conference rival Random Lake on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Port’s Koepke was the Pirates’ only title winner. He won a 19-4 technical fall over Aiden Kasten (11-11) of Whitnall/Greendale, pinned Duwell in 3:54 and pinned Nick Lara (22-2) of Jefferson in 1:59 before the final.

Austin Knapp (13-10) was second at 138 pounds. He pinned three opponents before being pinned by Jace Nicklaus (24-8) of Brillion in 3:27 in the final.

Adam Zalewski (9-6) was third at 150 pounds, and Carter Melichar (17-7) was third at 157. Ashton Steinert (9-12) was fifth at 175. Logan Walker was sixth at 215.

LaRosa held out Garett Kawczynski, Hewitt Dekker, Sam Pasten and Blake Gnodtke. With a couple of those guys in the lineup, the Pirates could have easily won the tourney, he said.

Port hosts the Duffy tournament on Friday, Jan. 10, named after legendary wrestling coach Duffy Brelsford.

“It’s a celebration of our program,” LaRosa said.

Grafton struggles in two duals

Grafton lost at Oak Creek, 84-0, last Friday, then to West Bend East, 59-16.

Nathaniel Kahmann at 190 pounds and Caleb Ernst at 215 both earned pins. Tom Schumacher at 165 pounds won a 21-9 major decision.

Grafton was to host a double dual on Wednesday, Jan. 8. They wrestle in a tournament at Valders on Saturday, Jan. 11.