The River Falls High School wrestling team made noise in multiple brackets of the Division 1 Sectional tournament at Eau Claire North on Saturday, as the Wildcats had two sectional champions and four wrestlers punch a ticket to the Kohl Center in Madison later this week.

The Wildcats’ four qualifiers include junior Jenna Lawrence, the girls’ 107-pound sectional champion, Travis Moelter, who won the boys’ 126-pound sectional championship, and senior Zack Peterson and sophomore Lincoln McCarty, who finished runner- up at 195 and 285 pounds respectively.

After winning the 126-pound regional championship last weekend, Moelter continued his excellence at the Division 1 Sectional at Eau Claire North on Saturday, Feb. 18. Moelter won his first-round match via pinfall and then secured a 5-1 decision victory over rival Hudson Raider junior Noah Moltzan in the semifinal round.

With the win, Moelter advanced to the title match against Sparta sophomore Devon Lietzau, who he defeated by major decision (9-0) to claim the 126-pound title. River Falls head coach Kevin Black spoke about Moelter’s nearly flawless run through the regional and sectional championship brackets.

“Travis had a great day and he’s had a really great past four weeks of training,” Black said. “He had a big win three weeks ago and rolled through regionals basically mistake-free. He’s been incredible in practice and looks healthy, fresh and strong. He dominated on Saturday and was mistake free again. He had big goals starting this season and is in a great position to wrestle his best this weekend.”

River Falls’ other sectional champion was Lawrence, who was a class above the rest in the girls’ 107-pound bracket on Saturday. After receiving a bye in the first and second rounds, Lawrence won both her semifinal and championship matches by pinfall less than four minutes into each match. Coach Black spoke about how she got through the bracket.

“We knew that going into the tournament, she had to control her weight well, which she did, and keep her nerves at bay,” Black said. “She exhausted herself a bit in her first match because she was quite anxious. We had some great learning opportunities about controlling our energy and using those feelings to help her stay focused and compete well. She’s so much fun to watch and has been a ton of fun on the team this year. The boys really support her and appreciate her dedication and commitment.”

The Wildcats’ two other state qualifiers include Peterson and McCarty, who both finished runner-up in their brackets after bumping up a weight class for the postseason because it fit their wrestling styles better.

Peterson won his first two matches by decision to advance to the 195-pound sectional championship match against Hudson senior Ben Draveling. After a hard-fought three periods, Draveling claimed the sectional championship in a thrilling 5-4 decision.

While Peterson was working through his bracket, McCarty was making his way to the 285-pound heavyweight championship match. McCarty’s toughest battle was his first-round matchup against Holmen freshman Tristen Brennan.

The pair battled to a 3-3 draw after three periods, which forced a one-minute overtime period. That’s when McCarty scored a takedown to secure a 5-3 victory to advance to the semifinals, where he won a 5-2 decision to make the title match.

That’s where McCarty ran into Marshfield senior Adrian Kruger, who bested the River Falls sophomore in a 4-1 decision to claim the sectional title. Coach Black spoke about both Peterson and McCarty advancing to the state tournament.

“It was fun to see Zack and Lincoln make it through,” Black said. “We saw the fields and thought it was best for them to bump up a weight class because it was a better fit for their styles. They liked the idea and decided to make the jump. I think one of the reasons they pushed through on Saturday was because they were able to own their decision to pursue a specific path to the state tournament and weren’t going to be denied no matter what was ahead of them.”

River Falls junior Jacob Range narrowly missed qualification with his third-place finish at 152 pounds. Seniors Thade Drier and Caleb Mielke, and sophomores Jonas Longsdorf and Vinny Costabilo all missed qualification with first-round defeats at the sectional tournament.

The Wildcats who qualified will be traveling to Madison this week with competition slated to begin on Thursday. Coach Black spoke about the mentality of going to square off against the best in the state.

“We want them to be excited and hungry,” Black said. “They should arrive with excitement and energy and not worn down or burnt out. A lot of wrestlers – even state qualifiers – are counting down the days to the end of a long season. We try to taper in a way that they’re the most excited they’ve been all season. If they show up in Madison in a great mood and ready to compete, I think we’ll be able to see them perform their best. We just always hope they can be their best and do their best and leave it all on the mat.”

River Falls is slated to begin competition at the Kohl Center in Madison on Thursday, Feb. 23. Wrestling is slated to begin at 3 p.m.

River Falls junior Jenna Lawrence has her arm raised in victory after winning the 107-pound sectional championship on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Eau Claire. Lawrence’s run through the bracket earned her a place in the individual state championships in Madison. Photo courtesy of River Falls High School Wrestling