Spring Valley junior Sam Schmitt and River Falls junior Jacob Hutchins each reached the lofty 100-win marker, a milestone for each in their pursuit of high State placements at the end of the season.

For Hutchins, he got it done over the weekend at the St. Croix Falls Invitational on the way to a runner-up finish.

“Jacob has really made some strides from his freshman year to last year as a sophomore. He was one match away from placing at the State Tournament, and this year he’s upped it another level,” River Falls Coach Cam Loomis said. “He’s just really physically strong and wrestles with an intense, athletic style… People stop when they know he’s coming up because it’s usually a high-flying, high-scoring match.”

Hutchins is the third Wildcat to reach the milestone this year (joining Waylon Deaton and Oliver Larson, all three are juniors). Junior 144-pound wrestler Rieder Loomis could also secure 100 wins down the stretch. Hutchins, the 190-pound standout, has a chance to show out at the state level.

Schmitt, SVE’s 144-pound wrestler, is one of the leaders of a Cardinal squad that is poised to make a splash.

“Sam is the definition of consistency and commitment. What makes the milestone even more impressive is that he is only a junior. He is a second-year captain who leads not only by example but has really grown into being more vocal as well, especially with our younger wrestlers. As a wrestler, he is tough, disciplined, and continues to improve year after year. As a teammate, he sets the standard for how to work, how to compete, and how to carry yourself. He is also a tremendous student and is on track to be the valedictorian of his class, which says a lot about the type of person he is. Reaching 100 wins is a great accomplishment, but it is really just a reflection of the habits he has built over time, both on and off the mat,” Coach Ryan Turner said.

Along with a pair of recent conference dual wins, the team won 45-33 over Unity and 38-36 over Ellsworth in a triangular. The team is rock solid, beating great teams including a No. 3-ranked Osceola team. Tournaments like the Northern Badger showed the Cardinals can step up to the plate against larger schools and compete.

“It starts with culture. Our guys understand that effort, preparation, and accountability matter just as much as size or numbers. We focus heavily on fundamentals, conditioning, and mental toughness, and our wrestlers buy into the process,” Turner said.

Turner said Landon Forster is a guy flying under the radar for the Cardinals.

Over the weekend at the Shell Lake Tournament, SVE won for the second year in a row. Individual champions were Delia Larson (185 girls), Austin Krentz (138), Asher Turner (165) and Jack Steinmeyer (215). A week prior, Krentz, Asher Turner (138), Steinmeyer and Tyler Vanasse (285) were champions at a weekend tournament. All year long, the Cardinals have gotten it done with a long list of wrestlers capable of winning tournaments.

Ellsworth had the weekend off competition but has tough duals to close the year against Somerset, Amery, Hudson, River Falls and Eau Claire North. The Panthers have a deep lineup including Wisconsin Grappler ranked wrestlers (as of Jan. 13) like Parker Lampman and Hunter Bench. For Ellsworth to get it done as a team, it has always been about each wrestler doing their job day in and day out.

River Falls and Prescott competed against some tough competition over the weekend in St. Croix Falls. One of Minnesota’s best in St. Michael-Albertville and one of Wisconsin’s best in St. Croix Falls both competed at the tournament.

“It was a tough tournament. A lot of good individuals there,” Loomis said. “Waylon Deaton, really, again stood above the rest, just in the way he competed. Obviously it showed by winning the individual title.”

Loomis said a lot of the Wildcats are moving around weight classes and coming off illnesses. The goal is to regroup and refocus ahead of the final weeks of the dual season. He said Rieder Loomis and Brexton Hoernke are two wrestlers who could fly under the radar and have some success in the postseason.

River Falls took fourth as a team at the tournament with Deaton winning, Hutchins and Larson taking second and Hoernke placing third.

For Prescott, Bryce Feran took second, Gunnar Doyle fifth, Trevor Lansing fifth, Aydn Allsop sixth, Cayden Riley took eighth, Savanna Whiting second, Addy Allsop second, Lily Kern fourth, Aluna Bauman fourth and Emma Schmitz fifth.

“Awesome tournament. A lot of very good competition there,” Coach Nick Zajac said. “Our guys as a group wrestled well.”

With a large group of underclassmen this season, the first stretch of the season served as a learning experience. Now, the underclassmen are growing up fast and setting up the upper classmen in the higher weight classes with chances to finish the job.

“They’re figuring out that it’s a lot different than middle school. It takes a lot more work, a lot more focus in certain areas to be successful,” Zajac said. “They all have a drive. They’re all stepping up.”

Luke Maier, Cayden Riley and Adyn Allsop are three wrestlers Zajac said could make an under the radar run in the postseason. Prescott recently took down Amery, Somerset and Baldwin-Woodville in conference duals and went 3-1 in Durand with wins over Osseo, Cashton and Durand-Arkansaw.

“This is the first time Prescott has wrestled with a full lineup in dual meets and been competitive. My goal has just been to bring the culture… start building a tradition,” Zajac said.