2021 WIAC Wrestling Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will strive for a fifth consecutive first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestling Championship (presented by Culver’s). The 66th version of the league meet will be hosted by UW-Stevens Point at the Multi-Activity Center on Feb. 28.
 
The Eagles collected the 19th title in program history a year ago, accumulating 157 points to exceed UW-Whitewater’s second-place total of 129.50 points. UW-Eau Claire finished third with 108 points, UW-Platteville fourth with 84.50, UW-Stevens Point fifth with 79 and UW-Oshkosh sixth with 78.50. UW-Whitewater will be unable to participate in this year’s championship due to COVID-19 protocols.
 
UW-Whitewater ranks second on the conference’s all-time list with 17 championships, while UW-Stevens Point has won eight and UW-Oshkosh one. Former programs to win titles include: UW-River Falls (11); UW-Superior (6); UW-Stout (2); and UW-Milwaukee (1).
 
At this year’s championship, 10 individual first-place finishers will be crowned, along with a team champion. Each school will be permitted to enter two wrestlers per weight class and only the highest finishing wrestler from each institution will factor into the team scoring. Competition will begin at 1:00 pm.
 
Returning individual champions from a year ago consist of:  UW-La Crosse’s Isaac Lahr (197 pounds) and Grant Zamin (157); and UW-Stevens Point’s Matt Berlin (133). Zamin was also the conference champion at 157 pounds in 2019 after a runner-up finish in 2018.
 
Lahr was selected the conference’s Newcomer of the Year last season, while Berlin was tabbed the Wrestler of the Year. Berlin also posted a runner-up performance at 141 pounds at the 2019 championship.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Konrad Ernst claimed the 285-pound title at the 2018 and 2019 championships after finishing as the runner-up in 2017.
 
Runner-up performances from a season ago included:  UW-Eau Claire’s Jake Drexler (149), James Huntley (197) and Evan Lawrence (174); UW-La Crosse’s Noah Hertel (157), Tristan Jenny (125) and Josh Stenger (133); and UW-Platteville’s Nathan Wynsma (165). Stenger added runner-up finishes at the 2018 and 2019 championships.
 
UW-Oshkosh’s AJ Schoenfuss and Beau Yineman were the runners-up at 125 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively in 2019, while UW-Stevens Point’s Luke Smiley was the runner-up at 149 pounds in 2018.
 

# # # # #