Eagles’ wrestlers ‘Take their shot’

MADISON — It was quite the learning experience for a trio of Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights wrestlers, who ended their season at the mecca of state wrestling — the UW Kohl Center — for the WIAA Division 1 individual state championships last weekend. Following up on the team’s season-long motto of ‘Taking our shot’, sophomores Max Schroeder and Margaret Barrett, along with freshman Naomi Bermudo did their best to make a statement that the future is bright for the Eagles’ program. “I was just telling coach Henke, people are saying, what happened to Sauk Prairie? They’re not saying that anymore,” Sauk/Heights coach Matt Gaffney said. “We went 5-1 in conference dual meets as a team. We went 11-5 overall as a team. We had three state qualifiers as a team. We’re doing big things.” Although all three Eagles wrestlers were making their state tournament debut, Schroeder won two matches, while Barrett and Bermudo each got their hands raised once. All three underclassmen aspire to make a return trip next season. “The culture is where it needs to be,” Gaffney said. “The accountability is back where it needs to be, and the numbers are back where they need to be. The coaching staff is strong. All is good.”   Schroeder  shines in debut After coming up short at sectionals as a freshman, Schroeder was determined to take the next step this season, qualifying for his first state tournament berth. Mission accomplished. “This was the goal for him all year. He sets his goals high,” Gaffney said of Schroeder finishing second at sectionals to earn his first trip to state. “That was the plan for him to be here. He lost last year in the first round at sectionals to a Rapids kid. But Max hit the weights and is growing, which is the difference. “He’s a mat rat. He did the national scene last summer at Fargo. He also got to be a Cadet Greco National team member, so he’s all in.” Schroeder, who was seeded 10th at 106 pounds, lost his preliminary round match by a major decision, 12-1, to seventh-seeded Jack Falk of Pulaski.  But Schroeder bounced back in the consolation round last Friday morning, defeating second seeded Jaden Torres of Arrowhead by major decision, 15-2. “That was huge. It was exciting winning down there in the Kohl Center. It was a cool atmosphere,” said Schroeder, who was the first male state qualifier for the Eagles since Grant Sorg in 2023. “Not going 0-2 and being able to win there is pretty inspiring. “I just had to believe in myself and know that I’m there for a reason. I had things to prove. I wanted to show people I know how to wrestle. I don’t care who this guy is. I’m going to win.” Schroeder then defeated ninth-seeded Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln’s Jackson Freeman, 7-2, to advance to Saturday’s consolation championships. “I got a couple of good takedowns on my feet early in the match,” Schroeder said. “Going into the third period, winning and on the bottom, I ended up holding my own and escaping with the match and going on to the next day.” Gaffney, who is the last Sauk Prairie individual state champion, said when the season began he expected Schroeder to make it to state his sophomore year. “Max had a real good performance against the Hartland Arrowhead kid who was the two seed. He almost got a tech fall,” Gaffney said. “After he beat the Rapids kid, he was dialed in. He took care of business.  “That gave him a lot of confidence. I got to warm up with him (Saturday). He’s a lot more focused. It was nice for me to get my shoes on and scrap it up with him like we do at practice. It’s really, fun to wrestle with him. He keeps me young and agile.” However, Schroeder (41-7) came up one match short of the medal round. He lost out on his bid to wrestle for fifth place at 106 pounds when he lost to West Bend West’s Angus Labinski by a 13-2 major decision on Saturday morning.  “He didn’t get pinned or tech falled. He went the full five minutes,” Gaffney said of Schroeder. “He battled the whole match. He did well. He left it all on the mat. He tried a lat drop with five seconds left. He could have cashed it in and gotten pinned. But he didn’t. He fought like a warrior.” Gaffney, who won the Division 1 title at 130 pounds in 2008 for Sauk Prairie, said Schroeder has high aspirations as well. “I can’t be more, proud of Max Schroeder,” Gaffney said. “He put a lot of time in this sport. You can let it beat you up, if you let it. He’s a sophomore. I wasn’t even down here as a sophomore. His dad wasn’t down here as a sophomore. What he accomplished this year was impressive.”  Schroeder said the experience on the mat was “pretty cool” after years of watching the state tournament as a fan from the grandstands. “Next year, I need to keep working and keep working for this tournament,” he said. “I know what it’s like. It will be easier knowing what to expect and knowing that I can do it now.”   Dynamic duo  poised for greatness After Lux Rodriguez became the first female to qualify for state for the Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights co-op program a year ago, the challenge for the Eagles was to double the fun this year. Barrett and Bermudo were proud to respond to the challenge. “Walking into the Kohl Center, I looked over at my coach and said ‘Wow!’ It was so cool,” Barrett said. “I had been in the Alliant Energy Center for youth wrestling, but it was completely different at the Kohl Center. I had never been to state to watch. It was a lot of fun to be there with my coaches and teammates.” Barrett, who was seeded 10th at 107 pounds, didn’t waste any time making a statement when she pinned seventh-seeded Aaleeh Le of Wausau in 2 minutes, 8 seconds in their preliminary round match.  But Barrett lost by tech fall to second-seeded Marshfield’s Ava Gardner, 18-0, in 2:39 in the quarterfinals.  “Maggie had a real tough draw getting the returning state champ in the second round,” Gaffney said.  Barrett (21-6) then lost a tough match to Shelby Garcia of Bruce, 9-6, in the consolation round on Friday morning to end her first trip to state. “My first match was cool. I got a standing cradle,” Barrett said. “My second match, I was a little upset because I thought I would do better. I faced her before but unfortunately, I got tech falled.” Barrett said the experience at state left her wanting more, armed with the knowledge that she can compete with the best. “I’m hoping to be back next year. I learned to take one match at a time,” she said. “Don’t worry about all the spectators and everything. Just one match. It’s just a wrestling match.” Gaffney said he was proud that Barrett quickly adjusted to the electric atmosphere at state and proved she belonged there. “Her final match, that was a tough match,” Gaffney said. “She left it all on the mat. It was a very physical match. She’s a big cradle monster. Any time you lose a match at state, it’s money in the bank.” Bermudo, who was seeded ninth, got off to a rough start when she was pinned by eighth-seeded Haley Dezelskein of Holmen in 1:34 at 114 pounds in the preliminary round.  However, Bermudo rebounded to defeat Oconomowoc’s Scarlett Shreve, 11-9, in the consolation round.  Gaffney said he was proud of how Bermudo responded to adversity. “Naomi was down 8-1 in the first round,” Gaffney said of her match against Shreve. “She ended up coming back. She had to choose top and tied it up 8-8 and got a takedown at the end so it was pretty exciting.” Bermudo said she never gave up believing she was going to battle back for the victory. “After going down 8-1 in the first period, I was able to come back on top and pass her,” Bermudo said. “I got a big takedown in the third period, which helped me win the match.” Bermudo (19-6) ended her state debut with a 14-2 major decision loss to 10th-seeded Megan Schuenemann in the consolation round.  “We’re planning on recruiting more girls,” Bermudo said of growing the Eagles’ program. “I’m planning to be back at state next year.”   Best is yet to come Gaffney said the experience the Eagles gained over the three-day state tournament will give the program a boost. “Next year we’ll have over 10 seniors and Max will be a junior,” Gaffney said of the boys team.  Schroeder said the challenge to his teammates will be to add to the Eagles’ entourage at state next year. “It’s pretty cool,” Schroeder said. “Hopefully this gets more kids on the team to be wanting to work harder and be down there with us.” Gaffney agreed. “I told the girls, now you’ve got a year under your belt,” Gaffney said. “You know what it’s like. It’s all money in the bank, as (former) coach (Scott) Smith calls it. Any time you can get on the mat and wrestle, it’s money in the bank.”   Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights individual results: BOYS 106: Max Schroeder (41-7) didn’t place and scored 3 team points. Preliminaries – lost by major dec. to Jack Falk, Pulaski, 12-1; won by major dec. over Jaden Torres, Arrowhead, 15-2; Consolation Round 2 -- won by dec. over Jackson Freeman, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln, 7-2; Cons. Semifinal – lost by major dec. to August Lubinski, West Bend West, 13-2.   GIRLS 107: Margaret Barrett (21-6) didn’t place and scored 4.0 team points. Preliminaries – pinned Aaleeh Le, Wausau West, 2:08; Quarterfinal – lost by tech fall to Ava Gardner, Marshfield, 2:39 (18-0); Consolation Round 2 – lost by dec. to Shelby Garcia, Bruce, 9-6.   114: Naomi Bermudo (19-6) didn’t place and scored 1 team point. Preliminaries – lost by pin to Haley Dezelske, Holmen, 1:34; Consolation Round 1 -- won by dec. over Scarlett Shreve, Oconomowoc, 11-9; Consolation Round 2 – lost by major dec. to Megan Schuenemann, Plymouth, 14-2.