Garett, Graysen grab gold for Pirate wrestlers

Two Pirates took home gold for the Port Washington High School wrestling team at the Fond du Lac Invite on Dec. 20.

Defending state champion Garett Kawczynski at 215 pounds and Graysen Koepke at 113 both went 5-0.

“They kind of crushed everyone,” coach Angelo LaRosa said.

Kawczynski, the defending state champion, won by medical forfeit, pins in 39 and 41 seconds and 2 minutes, 17 seconds, and won a 19-7 major decision in the finals over New London’s Preston Krueger a state qualifier last year.

“Garett had a tough kid in the finals,” LaRosa said.

Kawczynski, who has finished third, second and first in state, has high goals for his final prep season before competing at West Point.

“On the mat I want to obtain that elusive undefeated season whilst preparing myself as much as possible for wrestling in college,” he said.

“Off the mat I want to give back as much as I can to Port Washington wrestling. They have supported me for the last 10 years, and I feel like it’s my turn to try and help the younger generations reach the success I had, and more.”

Koepke won a 13-4 major decision, 34-second pin, 15-0 technical fall, 4-0 decision and in the finals an 8-0 major decision over Seth Korrigan of De Pere.

“Grayson Winning that tournament is a big deal,” LaRosa said.

Port scored 186 points and finished 10th of 25 teams. Bay Port won with 388.5. Kewaskum was second with 328 and De Pere was third with 314.

Port’s Jackson Hatfield at 190 pounds got second. He won by pin in 1:51, an 11-6 decision, 10-2 major decision and a 2-1 decision before losing, 8-1, in the finals to Simon Schwabe of Random Lake.

Carter Melichar was fourth at 157 pounds, going 3-2. He won a 37-second pin, a 20-3 technical fall in 1:47 and a 22-4 technical fall in 3:19. He lost an 18-2 technical fall in 3:29 and in the third-place match lost, 6-1, to Parker Neu of Hartford.

That match was tied at 1 with 20 seconds left when Melichar went for a winning move and got put to his back, LaRosa said.

Port on Dec. 17 won at home over Kettle Moraine Lutheran, 64-18.

Port’s pins included Elias Manutes at 138 pounds (54 seconds), Austin Knapp at 157 (3:28), Hatfield at 215 (1:38), Kawczynski at 285 (36 seconds), Jaxon Prom at 106 (1:07), Connor Zinuticz at 113 (31 seconds) and Koepke at 120 (1:31).

Carter Melichar won an 18-3 technical fall at 165 pounds and Paladin Mallinson a 16-0 technical fall at 126.

At West Bend Co-op on Dec. 11, Port won, 53-30. Koepke at 120, Sam Green at 132, Chase Barber at 150, Knapp at 157, Grant Melichar at 175, Kawczynski at 215 and Hatfield at 285 earned pins.

Port was to compete in the Bi-State Classic in La Crosse on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29 and 30. The event features hundreds of wrestlers from multiple states.

Port’s top girl wrestler, nationally ranked freshman Cora Stewart is also competing.

“It’s not the kind of place you bring beginners. We’re looking for her to have a huge tournament,” LaRosa said.

Stewart starts hot

Stewart won the title at 120 pounds in the Wrightstown Girls Invite on Dec. 19. She won by pin in 1:36, a 19-4 technicall fall and in the finals pinned Cally Presteen of Shiocton in 42 seconds.

Port’s Ava Knitt went 2-2 and finished sixth.

Port’s three girls scored 34.5 points and finished 14th of 28 teams. Southern Door won with 122.5 points, and Shiocton had 116.

Grafton’s girls impress

Grafton scored 68 points and was sixth.

Senior Audrey Hanson won the 138-pound bracket. She won in a 34-second pin, a 3-2 decision and in the finals beat Madeline Faulkner of Xavier in a 3-1 decision.

Maddie Hatfield was second at 132 pounds. She won by pins in 4:41 and 4:25 before losing a 20-2 technical fall in the finals to Chesney Bartoszek of Wrightstown.

Ellie Federl was third at 126 pounds. She was pinned in 4:53 and won the third-place match in a 1:38 pin over Lilli Griesbch of Shiocton.

Amelia McQuinn at 145 was fifth, going 1-1.

The girls were to wrestle in the Bi-State Classic in La Crosse on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29 and 30.

Gartman leads Grafton’s boys

Ryan Gartman at 106 pounds finished second at the E.H. Stech Invitational on Dec. 19 and 20 in West Allis.

Gartman won by pin in 1:38, 1:17 and 46 seconds before losing a 9-5 decision in the final to Riley Longdin of Slinger.

Grafton’s five other wrestlers didn’t place.

The Black Hawks were to wrestle in the On the Water Classic in Oshkosh on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29 and 30.