MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team finished 6-of-17 teams at the MSOE Invite on Saturday. Six Pioneers placed, including juniors Isaac Wiegel and Nathan Wynsma finishing runner-up.
Wiegel made way to the 1st place match at 125 pounds by following a first round win by pinfall with back-to-back major decisions. The Pioneer pinned MSOE's Jacob Rice in 3:44. Next a 15-1 major decision in the quarterfinal preceded a 15-5 major decision over UW-Whitewater's Tyler Klien in the semifinal. Wiegel faced another conference foe in the final and fell 14-11 to UW-Eau Claires's Jack Marley.
Wynsma stacked up four wins to get to the championship match, starting by pinning Trinton College's Alonzo Smiley (1:16). The Pioneer followed that victory with a win by technical fall (18-2) over UW-Oshkosh's Muzi Siseltha. Wynsma went on to combine a 4-1 decision in the quarterfinal and a 4-0 decision in the semifinal to advance to the 1st place match where Chase Schmidt of UW-Eau Claire won by medical forfeit.
At 157 pounds, freshman Owen Norman took 4th place. Norman pinned Elmhurst's Jaden Morga (6:32) and added a win by technical fall (25-7) and 14-3 major decision to advance to the consolation semifinal. The Pioneer won by 15-12 decision to advance to the 3rd place match where he fell by a 15-5 major decision to Augsburg's Kaden Reetz.
Senior Jacob Sklenar fourth and won four of his six matches. Sklenar started off the day with wins by 12-8 decision and 15-7 major decision. The Pioneer then advanced to the semifinal after a 3-1 win in sudden victory against UW-Eau Claire's Niall Schoenfelder. After dropping the next match, Sklenar held on for a win by 5-4 decision to advance to the 3rd place match. Cornell College's Cael Mclaren eventually edged the Pioneer 10-9.
Senior Max Schmitz finished 5th place at 197 pounds and started the day by pinning his first opponent, Beau Yineman of UW-Oshkosh (1:44) followed by winning the next match by 13-7 decision. Schmitz dropped the next two matches and then won the 5th place match by medical forfeit.
UW-Platteville had another wrestler, freshman Nolan McKittrick, place in the 125 pounds bracket. McKittrick finished 6th after the Pioneer pinned Loren Semler of Carthage College (0:38) in the first round and won by 5-2 decision in the quarterfinal.
The Pioneers will return to action for the last time before the new year next Saturday, Dec. 11 at Wartburg and Olivet at 10 a.m.
