Ellsworth and Spring Valley/Elmwood made it through to Team Sectionals wrestling, with their seasons coming to an end with duals against some of the state’s best teams.

Ellsworth got second place at the Black River Falls D2 Sectional, beating Regis/Altoona 51-22, losing to GET 57-20, beating Mauston/Necedah 39-35 and securing second with a 41-29 win over West Salem/Bangor. Getting second put Ellsworth in the running for the Team State wildcard spot, but Osceola was ultimately selected.

“We gave ourselves a shot to go on at the Team State Tournament. As an overall performance, we all came to wrestle,” Ellsworth Head Coach Carson Huppert said. “Beat some guys that placed higher than them at the Individual Sectional last week. Overall, like I’ve been saying all year, they show up for their teammates, and themselves and the community, so it was really cool to see them do it again one last time.”

Huppert said there were some massive wins throughout the tournament, but the biggest was junior 106-pounder Parker Lampman beating a top-ranked D2 106 wrestler in Regis/Altoona’s Drey Kren. Returning all the Sectional wrestlers with the exception of 285-pound senior captain Jeremiah Johnson, Ellsworth got the taste in their mouth of competing with the best.

“It’s exciting, that’s for sure. Everyone can see that they’re knocking on the door to get into the State Tournament… Going into next year, we should be one of the favorites to do that,” Huppert said. “The future looks bright.”

SVE lost its lone dual 46-22 to Cadott. In the first season back with a full lineup, the Cardinals fought through a lot of tough duals and were rewarded with a trip to the Auburndale Sectional.

“Team Sectionals was a tough Sectional with some very solid teams. Even though we lost our first dual, I was proud of how our guys fought all the way to the very end. A couple of our key guys were out due to injury, which definitely affected the dual's outcome, but the lineup adjustments did not change our mindset,” SVE Head Coach Ryan Turner said. “There was no quitting or hanging heads, the team continued to compete hard in every match. It is a long season, and battling through the ups and downs, managing injuries, and still putting ourselves in position to wrestle at Team Sectionals says a lot about this group. I am proud of how they stayed committed and fought through the grind to get to that point.”

SVE’s senior class is not only sizable, but also extremely talented. The Cardinals will be looking to fill in both a ton of high placements and a hole left in the leadership group.

“We are really going to miss this senior class. Our five seniors, Tyler Vanasse, Jack Steinmeyer, Austin Krentz, Doost Kaker and Drew Peters have all battled since their freshman year and have consistently improved each season,” Turner said. “They have helped lead by example and set the tone for what it means to be part of this program. We are losing two senior captains and a two-time State participant, so that is a significant skill set and leadership presence to replace. Beyond the accolades, they have invested a lot into this team, and their impact will be felt for years to come.”