Whitnall High School wrestlers defeated Verona, Plymouth and Brookfield Central in tournament action at Wisconsin Dells Saturday. The Falcons lost to Fond du Lac and to the host Dells team.
Whitnall's Anthony Senthavisouk won all five of his matches Saturday. Senthavisouk, ranked fifth in Wisconsin among 106-pounders, scored three victories at 106 and two at 113 pounds.
Zach Price, Ethan Harycki and Mike Langenohl were 4-1 for the day. Josh Rinka, who won three matches Friday night in junior varsity action, took two wins--a pin and a forfeit--without a loss Saturday.
Langenohl pinned his first two opponents, then lost 8-7 in the final, deciding match against Fond du Lac. "He was definitely upset with himself after that match," said coach John Quinlan. "He took it to heart and we had a little talk to clear out the cobwebs, and he was certainly more aggressive in the last two matches."
The 182-pound junior pinned his opponents in both of them.
The Falcons began the day by jumping out to a 48-0 lead over Plymouth, then held on for a 48-29 victory.
Co-captain Zach Barnhart, Langenohl, Senthavisouk, Joe Price and Blake Leslie notched pins. Harycki, Rinka and John Smith won by forfeit.
The pivotal match in the next contest was at 160 pounds in which Whitnall's Ryan Olson lost an 11-9 overtime decision. Had it gone the other way, Whitnall would have beaten Wisconsin Dells instead of losing 36-31.
Langenohl, Senthavisouk, Zach Price and Barnhart pinned their Dells opponents. Blake Leslie posted a major decision and Nick Monty won be decision.
Whitnall then lost 37-34 to Fond du Lac in another contest decided by a single match. The teams were tied at 34 going into the last match, the one that Langenohl came within a point of winning. Earlier in the meet, Whitnall's Joe Price lost an 8-6 overtime decision that also would have changed the final outcome.
Monty was the only Falcon to pin his Fond du Lac opponent. Senthavisouk took a major decision. Harycki, Olson, Zach Price and Max Schwarz won by forfeit.
Whitnall then beat Brookfield Central, 55-19. Dylan Kellner was down eight points before posting a third-period pin. Teammates Leslie, Mark Burakowski, Langenohl and Harycki also added pins, while Senthavisouk, Monty and Kevin Seyedin won by forfeit. Both Prices, Joe and Zach, took major decisions.
Rinka, Senthavisouk and Kellner posted pins and Joe Price took a forfeit as Whitnall jumped out to a 24-3 lead it never relinquished en route to a 48-27 win over Verona. Olson, Langenohl and Harycki also scored pins, and Zach Price and Barnhartadded to the points total with decisions.
"We were pleased with how we did in the last two matches," Quinlan said, "but we weren't so pleased after Fond du Lac. We just didn't wrestle very smart against them. Overall, though, for as young as we are, and we've still got guys who are injured and missing practice, and there are guys we're throwing into the lineup to fill spots, considering all that, 3-2 for the day wasn't too bad.
"We've had to use guys in the upper weights that we knew were going to have a tough time. At those weights, they're giving up 10, 12, 14 pounds when we have to bump them up in class to fill a spot in the lineup," Quinlan said, "but they've responded, like Zach Price going 4-1 today. For the most part, we're proud of how they've come through."
