2023 WIAC Wrestling Championship Preview University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will aspire for a seventh consecutive first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestling Championship (presented by Culver’s). The 68th gathering of league teams will be hosted by UW-Stevens Point at Quandt Fieldhouse on Feb. 11. The Eagles captured the 21st conference title in program history a year ago, accumulating 145 points to surpass UW-Eau Claire’s second-place total of 138 points. UW-Platteville placed third with 123.50 points, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 89, UW-Whitewater fifth with 85.50 and UW-Stevens Point sixth with 69. 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). The National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Division III Tournament Team Rankings distributed on Feb. 2 include the following WIAC teams: UW-La Crosse (sixth); UW-Whitewater (ninth); UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville (tied 12th); and UW-Oshkosh (tied 21st). 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 9:00 am. Returning individual champions consist of: UW-Eau Claire’s Zach Sato (2022 - 141 pounds) and Jared Stricker (2022 - 174 pounds); UW-La Crosse’s Seth Brossard (2022 - 165 pounds), Nolan Hertel (2021 and 2022 - 157 pounds), Ben Kawczynski (2022 - 285 pounds) Tyler Schackle (2021 - 141 pounds); UW-Oshkosh’s Beau Yineman (2021 and 2022 - 197 pounds); UW-Platteville’s Brock Parker (2022 - 149 pounds); and UW-Whitewater’s Jaritt Shinhoster (2020 - 174 pounds, 2022 - 184 pounds). Stricker was tabbed the conference’s Newcomer of the Year a season ago. Hertel added a runner-up finish at 157 pounds in 2020, while Yineman took second at 197 pounds at the 2019 championship. Runner-up performers from last season included: UW-Eau Claire’s Tyler Fleetwood (133 pounds); UW-La Crosse’s Kalyn Jahn (184 pounds); UW-Oshkosh’s Luc Valdez (125 pounds); UW-Platteville’s Tyler Hannah (197 pounds); and UW-Whitewater’s Jake Burford (149 pounds). Jahn also produced a runner-up performance in 2021 at 197 pounds, while UW-Platteville’s Nathan Wynsma finished second at 165 pounds in 2020. Qualification for the NCAA Division III Championship will be based on regional competition held Feb. 24-25. All six WIAC teams will compete in the Upper Midwest Regional hosted by Concordia University (Wis.). The national championship will be held March 10-11 in Roanoke, Va., and hosted by Ferrum College (Va.). # # # # #