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Past Years Voting Results

Position                                                                                   Voting Window

2013-14 Coach of the Year                                                  04/03/2014 - 04/09/2014 

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)
    2014 Division 1 State Champions. Ranked nationally by multiple polls. Over 300 career dual wins. 11 state champions. Truly values building better young people.

53 Votes

  • Jim Nelson (Sun Prairie High School)
    Jim Nelson led Sun Prairie High School to its fifth conference title in the past six years. He did so with a very inexperienced team. Of the 14 varsity wrestlers, 6 were taking the mat as a first year varsity member and 5 of those were freshman. It was enjoyable to watch Coach Nelson as he worked diligently to nurture and develop the young wresters, while fine tuning the skills of the veterans in the wrestling room. The Sun Prairie wrestling program went from a team lacking experience, to a team with a lot of pride and determination in just a few short months. This happened because of the great leadership and work ethic of Coach Nelson. All the individual wrestlers in Sun Prairie’s program came together to become a very respectable team and more importantly, great young men thanks to the leadership of Jim. Sun Prairie had 9 sectional qualifiers, 4 state qualifiers and 2 individual state champions. One of the things that set Jim Nelson apart from many head coaches is his willingness to listen to and use the talents of his assistants and volunteers in the wrestling room. Arrogance is never part of the wrestling room under his guidance. Coach Nelson shows a lot of faith in his staff and not only asks them for opinions and input on decisions that affect the team, but uses that input. Coach Nelson makes sure everyone in the wrestling room has an important role on the team. Jim has an amazing ability to bring out the best in his wrestlers and coaching staff and works extremely hard year round to look for ways to better the program and to promote the sport he loves.

21 Votes

  • Chad Steldt (Ellsworth High School)
    Coach of 4 time state champ, coach of three state champs this year. ,Coached 3 teams to Team State Coached State Championship for the first time this year

13 Votes

  • Carter Turner (Spring Valley High School)
    Sent 7 individuals to state and came home with 4 state place-winners. Team was ranked #1 most of the year and finished as state runner-ups.

13 Votes

  • Jon Nelson (West Allis Central High School)
    In his first two seasons as head coach Jon has a dual meet record of 44-18, two team regional championships, and 6 state qualifiers. This season he won the EH Stech tournament for the 3rd time in school history and qualified 5 wrestlers to state (2 State Champions as champions and one 5th place finisher).

8 Votes

  • Troy Ostrowski (Wittenberg- Birnamwood)

7 Votes

  • Sam Rugg (Westfield High School)
    South Central Conference Champions, Regional Champions, Qualified 5 wrestlers to the state tournament

4 Votes

  • Efrain Ayala (UW-Oshkosh)
    Two NCAA III National Qualifiers; UW-Oshkosh placed 4th/12 at the NCAA III West Regional

2 Votes

2013-14 Assistant Coach of the Year                                 03/17/2014 - 03/27/2014 

  • Chris McDaniel (Kaukauna High School)
    #1 Ranked Team all year. 7 Wrestlers at State, 3 Wrestlers in the Finals, 1 Champion. Runner Up at Team State last year, Team State this year. Team Nationally Ranked. HUGE part of this success.

25 Votes

  • Joel Kuhl (Two Rivers High School)
    Joel Kuhl is the IS the reason for the continued success of Two Rivers. The original turnaround four years ago was largely due to the off-season and pre-high school elite training. But Coach Kuhl has continually kept the program progressing, with his understanding of the importance of off-season training at elite clubs, camps and freestyle and greco. During the season Joel runs every practice, spends countless hours preparing for upcoming opponents. He always is prepared with numerous scenarios for match-ups in duals. He utilizes the other assistants skills to help each wrestler grow. There are so many facets that make a coach a great one, Joel Kuhl may be the assistant in title, but he is the brains and backbone of this program, a future great head coach.

14 Votes

  • Bradley Nutting (Pewaukee High School)
    The work Coach Brad Nutting did this winter with the Pewaukee wrestling team lifted the squad from a 2013 third-place Regional finish all the way to the 2014 Team State Finals. His efforts in practice with the upper weights were responsible for a huge improvement in their skills and a giant increase in individual wins. In competition, his collegiate-level insight was responsible for numerous adjustments as the Pirates claimed the conference title and a school-record 21 victories. This award will be shared with fellow coaches Tony Senner, Phil Carerros and Mike Zillmer.

12 Votes

  • Matt Gaffney (Portage High School)
    Coach Gaffney is a prime example of a coach that does it all. The community of Portage is very honored to have Coach Gaffney work with our wrestlers at the youth, middle school, and high school level. Coach Gaffney has his own wrestling club in Portage called “Next Level Wrestling,” where he works with wrestlers of all ages. He is also the Co-Head Coach of our middle school program, and he volunteers his time as an assistant coach at Portage High School. He brings a vast knowledge of the sport to our teams. His ability to teach both basic and highly advanced technique is second to none. Because Coach Gaffney works with wrestlers at all levels, he creates relationships with our wrestlers that help to foster a close-knit, family-like feel to our team. It is because Coach Gaffney that our team works together like a family; it is because of him that we have welcomed new styles of wrestling into our practice room; it is because of him that Portage is becoming more competitive with every coming year. He is not looking to make one wrestler better or one team better. Coach Gaffney is looking to make our entire program better. To me, that is the definition of an excellent assistant coach. He sees the whole picture, and he is very deserving of this honor.

10 Votes

  • Philip Kersten (Birnamwood High School)
    Phil has been with our program for 14 years. He started out as a middle school coach, and then has been my assistant for 12 years now. He is one of the best `right hand men` a head coach could have, and I think he is well deserving of this award.

10 Votes

  • Ben Engelland (Kimberly High School)
    Ben has been with the Kimberly Wreslting program for only a few years. His current impact will be felt in the upcoming years. The number of wrestlers involved in Kimberly is growing and the quality is improving. Ben is great for our sport. He is very interested in helping student/athletes succeed. I look forward to the day my son competes for him.

9 Votes

  • Brian Viola (Sauk Prairie High School)
    Brian Viola has been with the Sauk Prairie program for 9 years. He is a huge part of Sauk Prairie`s success. He is a student of the sport and a great strategist. Above that, he truly cares about the kids and their experiences and really connects with all of our kids. His passion and dedication are contagious. He is a big reason why SP has been at team state the last 2 years and won the Badger N & S Conference tournament 3 of the last 4 years. And just as important, why our numbers have steadily grown in the wrestling room.

9 Votes

  • TJ Burke (Mineral Point High School)
    TJ Burke has been at Mineral Point for 9 yrs. He could easly take a head coaching job at any high school and be very successful. He is dedicated to his poistion and works great with kids.

6 Votes

  • Matthew Bright (Turner High School)
    Since coming to Turner, Coach Bright has helped to see our program going in the right direction. In no small part due to Matt Bright our numbers have gone from mid teens to mid 30`s in a very short time. He often goes the extra mile with the kids after practice to help them study or just have an ear that will listen. I highly recommend Matt Bright for Assistant Coach of the Year.

5 Votes

  • Michael Steffen (St.Croix Falls High School)

5 Votes

  • Bob Skubal (Tomahawk High School)

4 Votes

  • Ryan Smalley (Westfield High School)
    Ryan has been a part of the Westfield program for 7 years now. He has been my assistant coach for 6 years. Westfield finished South Central Conference Champions, Regional Champions, and sent a program record 5 kids to the state tournament. Ryan was a key to the success Westfield had this year.

4 Votes

  • Jesse Huset (Portage High School)
    Coach Huset is an exceptional coach, teacher, and role model for our young men at Portage High School. All year long he is always looking for ways that we can improve our program. One of Coach Huset’s greatest assets is his ability to teach/coach less experienced wrestlers how to wrestle. Often times during practice, Coach Huset will pick a boy to work with for the entire practice. Many coaches may pick an experienced wrestler so that they can help him to perfect his already solid technique, but Coach Huset usually does the opposite. He tends to work with the young men that are new to the sport or need a lot more work. He understands that the younger or less-experienced wrestlers are the future of our team and the future of our sport. After a practice working with Coach Huset, these young men go from not knowing a proper stance to being able to take a nice solid shot and finish it. This is a coaching skill that many of us overlook, but it’s coaches like Coach Huset that turn young, non-wrestlers into quality varsity wrestlers before they graduate. Coach Huset represents Portage High School and the WWCA with great humility and class and is very deserving of this honor.

3 Votes

  • Tim Tointon (De Pere High School)
    Tim has been with me for only a few years, but his contribution has been huge. He has helped not only to improve the wrestling in our room, but has provide insight to make our entire program better from top to bottom.

2 Votes

2013-14 Wrestler of the Year                                              03/17/2014 - 03/27/2014 

  • Jens Lantz, Ellsworth _
    4time state champ, 3 time Bi-state champ,4conf. titles, 4 reg. titles, 4 sect. titles. Ellsworth Scholar Athlete
    Nominated to the WIAA scholar Athlete. Amember of two state championship teams and one Runner-up team. Outstanding embassador for the sport of wrestling

69 Votes

  • Jens Lantz, Ellsworth _
    4 High School State Championships. Need I say more?

37 Votes

  • Jared Scharenbrock _
    Jared Scharenbrock`s career record in high school is 191-2. He placed 2nd, 1st, and 1st at state. In 2013 he placed 7th at Folkstyle Nationals, 2nd at Northern Plains Freestyle, 3rd at Northern Plains Greco, 1st at State Freestyle, and 2nd at State Greco. He is a four time conference and regional champ. He is a three time sectional champ.

12 Votes

  • Robert Lee _
    2x State Champion. Beat Fargo Champion in the Finals. Cheesehead Champion. Fargo Placer. Pulaski Invitational Champion. National Champion and OW Award Winner. 2x FVA Wrestler of the Year

4 Votes

  • Ethan Soderstrom - Lancaster _
    Placed 5th as a freshman, state champion as a sophomore and junior, and he placed 3rd this season. The reason he deserves nomination for this award is the fact he wrestled all season with a broken bone in his shoulder. He found out early January. He was cleared by his doctor; he could wrestle as the injury could not get any worse. It would require surgery and 6 months recovery time. He chose to hold off on surgery until after the season, which will cost him his senior year of rodeo, which is his #1 sport. He unselfishly chose to wrestle to help his team try to reach their goals while going after his own. Lancaster did win their conference and Ethan placing third at state was truly remarkable considering his injury.

3 Votes

  • tyler schmidt _
    tyler is a two timestate champ who wrestles where he is needed sometimes having to wrestle the big heavyweights even though he is really light. He is a real team person who will do anything to help the team.

3 Votes

  • Wrestler of the year _
    Jens Lantz

2 Votes

2015-18 District 5 Representative                                     03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)

22 Votes2015-18 District 6 Representative6 03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Mark Peterson (Campbellsport High School)

20 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Carter Turner (Spring Valley High School)
    Sent 7 individuals to state and came home with 4 state place-winners. Team was ranked #1 most of the year and finished as state runner-ups.

20 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Troy Ostrowski (Wittenberg- Birnamwood)

24 Votes

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    Arnie is hands down a deserving candidate for the district 2 coach of the year. Arnie does a great job every year and this season is no different. The amount of time and effort Arnie puts into Wisconsin wrestling is tremendous. We (Merrill) are very fortunate to have him as a coach. This seasons accomplishment are a tribute to his efforts.

5 Votes

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    7th staright year taking a team to State. Many individual qualifiers and placewinners. Conference Champ. Winner of Oshkosh on The Water Classic.
    Team state champs this year, Winning four state titles in last five years. Six state medalists in 2014.

4 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Chad Steldt (Ellsworth High School)
    Coach of 4 time state champ, coach of three state champs this year.
    ,Coached 3 teams to Team State
    Coached State Championship for the first time this year

9 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                            03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)
    2014 Division 1 State Champions. Ranked nationally by multiple polls. Over 300 career dual wins. 11 state champions. Truly values building better young people. Would like to nominate for state coach of the year

48 Votes

  • Paul Gehrke (Two Rivers High School)
    Make no mistake Paul Gehrke is a remarkable coach. Two Rivers has risen to the top of the EWC winning it`s 3rd consecutive EWC Dual title and 2nd consecutive Tournament title this year. They had 5 state place winners including 4 finalists, 2 state Champions and a third place finisher. Paul is without a doubt committed to the athletes he coaches and to the Sport of Wrestling.
    Correction: It was the 4th EWC dual title and 3rd consectuive tournament title this year.

11 Votes

  • John Hatfield (Random Lake High School)

4 Votes

District 5 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Jim Nelson (Sun Prairie High School)
    Jim Nelson led Sun Prairie High School to its fifth conference title in the past six years. He did so with a very inexperienced team. Of the 14 varsity wrestlers, 6 were taking the mat as a first year varsity member and 5 of those were freshman. It was enjoyable to watch Coach Nelson as he worked diligently to nurture and develop the young wresters, while fine tuning the skills of the veterans in the wrestling room. The Sun Prairie wrestling program went from a team lacking experience, to a team with a lot of pride and determination in just a few short months. This happened because of the great leadership and work ethic of Coach Nelson. All the individual wrestlers in Sun Prairie’s program came together to become a very respectable team and more importantly, great young men thanks to the leadership of Jim. Sun Prairie had 9 sectional qualifiers, 4 state qualifiers and 2 individual state champions. One of the things that set Jim Nelson apart from many head coaches is his willingness to listen to and use the talents of his assistants and volunteers in the wrestling room. Arrogance is never part of the wrestling room under his guidance. Coach Nelson shows a lot of faith in his staff and not only asks them for opinions and input on decisions that affect the team, but uses that input. Coach Nelson makes sure everyone in the wrestling room has an important role on the team. Jim has an amazing ability to bring out the best in his wrestlers and coaching staff and works extremely hard year round to look for ways to better the program and to promote the sport he loves. It is with great pride that we nominate Coach Nelson as the District 5 coach of the year.

14 Votes

  • Gregory Jentz (Fennimore High School)
    I feel Greg`s team was one of the most improved teams from the being to the end. He also finds a way to fill a full team come tournament time.

7 Votes

  • Bob Empey (Stoughton High School)
    Co-head coaches Bob Empey and Dan Spilde led the Stoughton team to success with a tough schedule including Fargo, ND, Cheesehead, and more. Bob and Dan rallied the team late in the season to avenge an earlier loss sending the team to team state, and coached wrestlers to the state tournament including a runner up and a state champ.

3 Votes

District 6 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Sam Rugg (Westfield High School)
    South Central Conference Champions, Regional Champions, Qualified 5 wrestlers to the state tournament

23 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Jon Nelson (West Allis Central High School)
    In his first two seasons as head coach Jon has a dual meet record of 44-18, two team regional championships, and 6 state qualifiers. This season he won the EH Stech tournament for the 3rd time in school history and qualified 5 wrestlers to state (2 State Champions as champions and one 5th place finisher).

12 Votes

  • Darrell Roecker (Wisconsin Lutheran High School)
    Darrell has built the Wisconsin Lutheran team into a top notch program. This year he sent 4 wrestlers to the state tournament. They came away with 4 place winners. 2-4th places, 1-5th place, and the first Champion in Wisco history. The amazing thing is Tepra Wright didn`t even wrestle until 3 years ago.

10 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2014 - 03/20/2014 

  • Efrain Ayala (UW-Osshkosh)
    Two NCAA III National Qualifiers; UW-Oshkosh placed 4th/12 at the NCAA III West Regional

3 Votes

  • Matthew Zwaschka (MSOE)
    One NCAA III National Qualifier; MSOE 6th/12 at NCAA III West Regional with 5 placers in Zwaschka`s first season

0 Votes

2012-13 Assistant Coach of the Year                                03/20/2013 - 03/30/2013 

  • Chris Martin (Lancaster)
    One of the main reasons that the young men that Lancaster has are doing this good.

70 Votes

  • Brian Suchocki (Merrill High School)
    Brian Suchocki - `Sukes` - Merrill - Sukes has been an unselfish assistant coach in Merrill for over 15 years. He has coached and been involved in all aspects of the program - Brian has coached our kindergarten, grade school, middle school, and high school wrestlers - he also coaches in the summer for the Wisconsin Junior and Cadet Freestyle and Greco National Teams. Sukes would make a great Head Coach - DO NOT CONTACT him if you have an opening, we are not willing to give him up or let him go. Great Guy! Great coach! Great choice for ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR!

25 Votes

  • Joel Kuhl (Two Rivers High School)
    Came to Two Rivers 3 years ago and has helped this team get to the top of not only the conference, but also the state. Helped Two Rivers has win 3 straight undefeated conference titles after a 27 year drought, helped coach 21 sectionals qualifiers, also had 8 state qualifiers over that span with 6 bringing home medals, and has helped Two Rivers compile a 47-3 dual record in that same stretch earning them a #2 ranking in Division 2 during the 2012-13 season.

10 Votes

  • Peter Paulson (Clear Lake High School)
    Pete has been a huge part of the success of the Clear Lake program. Thanks to Pete CL has represented our area in the state team tournament 3 times in the last 6 years.

8 Votes

  • Eric Torkelson (Adams Friendship High School)
    Throughout the past 10 years, Eric has been a critical component to the success of the Adams-Friendship Wrestling Team. Over his tenure, the Green Devils has won 5 team conference titles, qualified 28 wrestlers for the State tournament with 22 place winners, including 3 State Champions.

8 Votes

  • Gordy Blackburn (Sun Prairie High School)
    Gordy Blackburn is a dedicated, successful wrestling coach for our wrestling program at Sun Prairie High School. He just completed his 9th season at Sun Prairie where we have won four Big 8 titles in that time period. His knowledge and ability have helped out the wrestlers in our program. He is always looking to improve every kid in our program through his strong work ethic. He puts in countless hours during the season and in the off-season to plan for the upcoming season.

7 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Mario has been a key figure in the MSOE wrestling program for the past 11 years and spent several years at UW-Whitewater before relocating and joining MSOE. He works full-time in a demanding job and then drive 30 miles each way to get to practice and work with the team to improve thier skills. He also volunteers to coach at many camps and clinics. He has a true passion and love for the sport. Mario has been instrumental in the success that MSOE has experienced.

7 Votes

  • Ross Buchinger (Appleton North High School)
    Great with the kids! One of the oustanding coaches in the area.

6 Votes

  • Buck Engel (Sparta High School)
    Buck does an outstanding job with our program motivating kids and getting kids out for the sport.

6 Votes

  • Brian Viola (Sauk Prairie High School)
    Brian has been a dedicated coach for the Sauk Prairie Wrestling program. He realizes that an important part of a successful team is the depth of your roster and that the wrestler needs to be ready when they are needed at Varsity. He helps develop this by taking the Varsity Reserve wrestlers to as many team tournaments as possible to instill in them that they are part of the team on not just individuals. In the last 2 years Brian has been developing the Sauk Prairie Varsity Reserve Dual Tournament to bring in other teams so they can do the same. These wrestlers have been an important part of their team this year becoming Badger Conference Champions, Regional Champions, Sectional Team Champions, and one of the top four teams at the Team State Tournament.

6 Votes

  • Brandon Bradley (Warhawk Wrestling Club)
    Brandon spent his third year at uw whitewater and was instrumental in developing NCAA qualifiers at the three weight classes he works closely with Brandon works wrestling camps throughout the state and was on the team Wisconsin freestyle staff the past two summers if Fargo

5 Votes

  • TJ Burke (Mineral Point High School)
    TJ Burke has been at Mineral Point for 7 yrs. He could easly take a head coaching job at any high school and be very successful. He is dedicated to his poistion and works great with kids.

4 Votes

  • Michael Steffen (St.Croix Falls)

4 Votes

  • James Kreitlow (Rhinelander High School)
    Jim is the former head coach at Rhinelander. He is now a volunteer assistant coach. jim has not missed a practice in 2 years as an assistant coach and has been very instrumental in the resurrection of the high school program at Rhinelander. Jim is very unselfish with his time as he also helps coach the youth.

3 Votes

  • Andrew Lukasko (Edgar High School)
    Andrew has been a huge addition to Edgar Wrestling this season bringing enthusiasm and experience to practice. He has been a major part to wrestlers` success this season.

3 Votes

2012-13 Coach of the Year                                                 03/20/2013 - 03/30/2013 

  • Brad Shefchik (Bay Port High School)
    Lost to Wausau West in State Semi-Final 32-30. Had 6 State Medalists and 8 overall Qualifiers. This was a breakout year for a always tough program and most of it has to due with years of hard work implemented by Mr. Shefchik.

53 Votes

  • Tim Fader (UW Whitewater)
    8 NCAA III National Qualifiers; WIAC Champions; NCAA III Midwest Regional Champions

23 Votes

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    scott is aborn leader that gets the most out his home grown talent. He works to make wisconsin werstling better by working with all wrestlers from around the area. the guy will never be outworked at making wrestling better.
    scott gets the most out of his home grown wrestlers. He works hard to make Wisconsin wrestling better and the wrestlers around our area to be better wrestlers. scott is totally comitted to making his teams fundamently sound. his teams are tough every year .

20 Votes

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)
    He is very committed to the Sauk Prairie wrestling team from the youth levels all the way to the high school level. He had a great run to the semifinals for the team state tournament. He realizes that an important part of a successful team is the depth of your roster and that the wrestler needs to be ready when they are needed at Varsity. He helps develop this by taking the Varsity Reserve wrestlers to as many team tournaments as possible to instill in them that they are part of the team on not just individuals. In the last 2 years Scott has helped develop the Sauk Prairie Varsity Reserve Dual Tournament to bring in other teams so they can do the same.

13 Votes

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)
    doing a great job on bringing a program to new heights

9 Votes

  • Isaac Lundquist (Cumberland High School)
    Heart O` North Conference Champions. Five state qualifiers and one state place-winner.

6 Votes

  • Kent Morin (Wauwatosa East/West)
    Conference Duals and Tournament Champs, Regional Champs, Lost at Team Sectionals 30-27, 22-4 overall dual record, 3 state qualifiers who all return next year

6 Votes

  • Shane Koehl (Badger High School)
    Badger won the Southern Lakes Tournament and represented the Southern Lakes and District 6 at the State Team Tournament

5 Votes

2012-13 Wrestler of the Year                                          03/20/2013 - 03/30/2013 

  • Jacob Morrissey, Oconto Falls

48 Votes

  • Seth Liegel
    Two-time state champion who went undefeated the past two seasons. Also, committed himself to the Badgers staying in state and helping improve Wisconsin Wrestling.

32 Votes

  • jacob Stilling
    Jake is a Division 1 2x State Champion.. Jake has a career 171-16 record. Jake pinned his way through the 2013 state tournament on his way to his 100th career pin. Jake will be wrestling for the Wisconsin Badgers next season. Jake has also represented Wisconsin in Freestyle and Greco throughout his high school career. jake has been a model wrestler for our program. He carries great respect throughout the state with the way he competes and how he respects the sport of wrestling!

30 Votes

  • Luke Nowak (Edgar High School)
    Luke Nowak is a Senior at Edgar High School. He displays dedication, hard workmanship and is a positive role model to anyone involved in wrestling. He served as his team`s Captain for three years and always held teammates to high expectations both in and out of practice. His senior year, Luke went undefeated (45-0) pinning all but four opponents. 4x Marawood Conference Champion 4x Regional Champion 4x Sectional Champion 4x State Qualifier Freshmen 4th Place Finisher Sophomore 2nd Place Finisher Junior State Champion Senior State Champion 2x State Champion

19 Votes

  • 285 from Desoto- Johnson
    8 VotesWWCA President Elect  03/20/2013 - 03/30/2013 
  • John Quinlan (Whitnall High School)

59 Votes

  • Barry Schmitt (Independence High School)

48 Votes

  • Jon Watson (Wilmot Union)

21 Votes

2014-2017 District 3 Representative                                 03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)
    Young inthused coach,wants to be involved

7 Votes

  • Shawn Groshek (Adams Friendship High School)

4 Votes

  • Douglas Leclair (Logan High School)

4 Votes2014-2017 District 4 Representative4 03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

26 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Isaac Lundquist (Cumberland High School)
    Heart O` North Conference Champions. Five state qualifiers and one state place-winner.

5 Votes

  • Darin Anderson (Clear Lake High School)
    The only District One team to advance to Team State. West Lakeland Conference Champions. Five state qualifiers with one state place-winner.

2 Votes

  • Brad Holzer (St Croix Central High School)
    Eight sectional qualifiers and three state place winners.

1 Votes

  • Jamie Olson (Boyceville High School)
    Dunn-St. Croix Conference Co-Champions (w/Spring Valley-Elmwood). Four state qualifiers with one state place-winner.

1 Votes

  • Carter Turner (Spring Valley High School)
    Dunn-St. Croix Conference Co-Champions (w/Boyceville). One state qualifier who was also a state place-winner.

0 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                         03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)

21 Votes

  • Troy Fabry (Wausau West High School)
    Troy has led the Warriors to the State team championship, with 6 Wrestler`s at the State Individual tournament, with 5 placing.

6 Votes

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    In what was suppose to be a down year, Coleman took 8 individuals to state with one state champ and six other state place winners. Runner up as Team.

4 Votes

  • Kevin Koch (Edgar High School)
    Edgar had another successful wrestling season under Kevin Koch, leading wrestlers to their 9th Consecutive Conference Championship. This season, Edgar had 5 wrestlers win the Marawood Conference. Edgar High School took 4 wrestlers to the Individual State Tournament finishing with 3 Champions and a 3rd place finisher (13-1 for the weekend).

3 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)
    doing agreat job or bringing a program to new heights.

10 Votes

  • Grant Peissig (Menomonie)
    -Lead Menomonie to its first Big Rivers Conference Championship since 1965 with only 3 seniors on the roster -20-2 dual meet record, only losses were to Wausau West & Bay Port -Won the second Regional Title in school history. Lost to Wausau West in the sectional final -Coached younger brother & undefeated state champion Eric Peissig -Menomonie is one of the most improved programs in the state since Coach Peissig started 3 years ago

7 Votes

  • Chad Steldt (Ellsworth High School)

3 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Brad Shefchik (Bay Port High School)
    Lost to Wausau West in State Semi-Final 32-30. Had 6 State Medalists and 8 overall Qualifiers. This was a breakout year for a always tough program and most of it has to due with years of hard work implemented by Mr. Shefchik.

22 Votes

  • Gerald Hoerth (Chilton High School)
    Coach Hoerth did outstanding job with his team this yaer. He was 18-2 in dual meets,Conference Champs, Regional Champs,Sectional Champs, and State Team Quaifier. He had two Runner-ups in the state individal tournament.Coach Hoerth has earned the spot for District 4 Coach of the Year

6 Votes

  • Justin Lancaster (Freedom High School)

0 Votes

  • John Pashouwer (Little Chute High School)
    Coach Pashouwer has earned a place at the team sectional the last 2 years and had a wrestler in the state finals for the first time in many years.

0 Votes

District 5 Coach of the Year                                            03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)
    He is very committed to the Sauk Prairie wrestling team from the youth levels all the way to the high school level. He had a great run to the semifinals for the team state tournament.
    He realizes that an important part of a successful team is the depth of your roster and that the wrestler needs to be ready when they are needed at Varsity. He helps develop this by taking the Varsity Reserve wrestlers to as many team tournaments as possible to instill in them that they are part of the team on not just individuals. In the last 2 years Scott has helped develop the Sauk Prairie Varsity Reserve Dual Tournament to bring in other teams so they can do the same.

8 Votes

  • Brad Sturmer (Lancaster High School)
    Hard to argue what is going on in Lancaster. Brad`s the reason.

7 Votes

  • Troy Clary (Ithaca High School)
    Troy had 6 wrestlers qualify for this year`s state individual wrestling tournament (school record). He had one (1) state champion, a runner-up, a 4th place finisher, and a 6th place finisher.

2 Votes

District 6 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Shane Koehl (Badger High School)
    Badger won the Southern Lakes Tournament and represented the Southern Lakes and District 6 at the State Team Tournament

12 Votes

  • Jon Wierzbicki (Mukwonago High School)
    Mukwonago won the Classic Eight Tournament and qualified for the Division 1 Team State Tournament

7 Votes

  • Michael Bauer (West Bend West High School)
    West Bend West won it`s first Little Ten Conference Tournament Championship in many, many years.

2 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                            03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Kent Morin (Wauwatosa East/West)
    Conference Duals and Tournament Champs, Regional Champs, Lost at Team Sectionals 30-27, 22-4 overall dual record, 3 state qualifiers who all return next year.

7 Votes

  • Craig Austin (Whitnall High School)
    Along w/ co-Head Coach John Quinlan they did a great job of taking a team with only 1 returning wrestler with a winning record and starting 10 sophmores and a freshmen and turned in a 2nd place finish in conference and regionals and had 2 state qualifiers. A solid 2nd half of the season turned a 7-8 record at Christmas into a 21-11 dual meet record

5 Votes

District 8 Coach of the year                                                03/10/2013 - 03/19/2013 

  • Tim Fader (UW Whitewater)
    8 NCAA III National Qualifiers; WIAC Champions; NCAA III Midwest Regional Champions

3 Votes

  • Gregg Lewis (UW Parkside)
    4 NCAA II National Qualifiers; 6-4 dual record; 1st at Wheaton Invitational in early February.

1 Votes

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    One NCAA III National Qualifier; 3rd in Conference; 3-4 dual record.

1 Votes

2011-12 Assistant Coach of the Year                            03/20/2012 - 03/30/2012 

  • Bob Koehler (Kaukauna High School)
    Prior to 1997 Kaukauna High School had only two individuals qualify for state from the 130 weight class and below over its first 33 years as an organized sport. Since Bob`s arrival the past 15 years Kaukauna has qualified 39 individuals from 103-130 and brought home 21 medals from the state tournament and this turnaround is attributed to Bob`s work as the `lightweights` coach. His impact goes beyond the practice room. As a non-teaching coach, he counsels students on academics and life skills as if they were his own children. He formed and coached our k-2 program in 1998 and coached it for 10 years. He coined it the `Kaspers`...the friendly Ghosts. It thrives today with 100 participants learning gymnastics and combative games. For these reasons and many more, Bob has been a huge asset to the Kaukauna program

34 Votes

  • Brian Suchocki (Merrill High School)
    Brian has been an important part of the Merrill staff for over 10 years. His upper weights all qualified and several placed at the state tournament this year. He puts in a lot of time in the off-season with the Merrill program as well as with the Cadet Greco Team.

17 Votes

  • Pete Paulson (Clear Lake)
    Pete has been a huge part of building a solid program in Clear Lake. He is a big reason for Clear Lakes success and has helped coach two team state teams. and also taking this years team which was unranked and took the 2 ranked team down to the last match but just fell short of another state appearance. His teams have won several conference titles including five out of the last seven. many state entrants and 3 state champs including a state champ and a runner up this year.

16 Votes

  • Eric Torkelson (Adams Friendship High School)
    Eric has been instrumental in turning around a program in which he was a part of during his high school career. Over the ten years he has coached at A-F, the Green Devils have claimed 39 SCC individual champions, 5 SCC team titles, 27 state qualifiers, 19 place winners including 3 state champions. His technique and understanding of the sport of wrestling are second to none.

13 Votes

  • Chris DeJardin (Parkview Middle School)
    Chris has been with Lancaster Wrestling for approximately ten years. He has put countless hours towards the program year round and is a big reason why Lancaster has 6 state qualifiers this season.

12 Votes

  • Daniel Laurent (Kimberly Middle School)
    Dan has done a great job in his role of Head MS coach. Also, was instrumental in setting up (through countless hours of time and effort) a middle school mega-conference that will help promote area/state wrestling overall. 
    The Mega conference concept has provided area wrestlers many more matches compared to the past. This has not only helped kids improve skills and abilities, it has improved the number of wrestlers participating which is the true test of a great coach and positive role model.

12 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Mario has been a model coach for the past ten years at MSOE. As a part-time coach who works a demanding full-time job in industry, he drives 30 miles each day to come to practice to help prepare the team for competition. Our success is in large part a result of Mario`s hard work and dedication. 
    Mario also has helped with numerous camps including folkstyle, greco, and freestyle. He has helped many kids in our area experience affordable camps where there were no other opportunities available. Mario has a passion for the sport of wrestling.

9 Votes

  • Nick Reed (Arrowhead High School)
    Nick has been behind the scenes at Arrowhead for many years helping to build and maintain a successful program. Nick is a model for what it means to be a good husband, a good father (4 girls!), and a good coach.

8 Votes

  • Pete Barsness (Holmen High School)
    Former High School Head Coach and Middle School Coach for Holmen, Pete has been involved with turning this program over into a very respectable and consistent team.

7 Votes

  • Matthew Marohl (LaCrosse Logan High School)
    Matt is a former Head Coach at Logan High School who willingly stayed on as a assistant after stepping down this season. He has been a dedicated professional who has served the program and the program and he people with committment and passion in so many capaicitires.

7 Votes

  • TJ Burke (Mineral Point High School)
    TJ Burke has been at Mineral Point for 6 yrs. He could easly take a head coaching job at any high school and be very successful. He is dedicated to his poistion and works great with kids.

4 Votes

  • Michael Steffen (St.Croix Falls)
    Mike has done an excellent job for the nine years he has been with the program. Each year the St. Croix Falls teams are very competitive thanks in big part to Mike. He is very good with the kids. Mike goes out of his way to help all of the kids involved with the program.

4 Votes

  • Shawn Hughes (Antigo High School)

3 Votes

  • Kevin Anderson (La Crosse Logan High School)

1 Votes

  • Kurt Kemnitz (Marquette University High School.)

0 Votes

2011-12 Coach of the Year                                                 03/20/2012 - 03/30/2012 

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    Kevin`s wrestlers always demonstrate great amount of class and sportsmanship. Individually Coleman sent 11 to state more than any other school with 9 of them placing, 9 in the semis and 4 in the finals. Coleman dominated at the team tourney posting the largest margin of victory in D-3 since the team format inception with a 59-5 victory in finals. Great team and great coaches!

63 Votes

  • Craig Bevilacqua (Bradley Tech High School)
    Led his team to the conference championship for the past 5 years. 11 Conference champions, 8 qualifiers for the WIAA State Tournament and two state champions Craig has done great work in keeping this program rolling despite the severe ups and downs that can be found in city athletics. He has allowed his wrestlers to reach their potential while becoming respectful, positive people. Craig and his staff, which includes Cory Husher and Tony Smith, have created an environment in which each wrestler feels pride and a sense of family.

27 Votes

  • Carter Turner (Spring Valley High School)
    Coach Turner has won back to back conference championships in the tough Dunn/StCroix Conference. His team had their first school appearance at the State Team Tournament and finished Runner-up this year. He also coached 6 individuals to the state tournament with 3 place winners. Carter Turner has been an outstanding coach for many years with class and dedication with Spring Valley and truely deserves to be District 3 Coach of the Year.

19 Votes

  • Jade Gribble (Burlington High Shool)
    Jade has only been in the head coach position a short time in Burlington. He has elevated that program to be one of the best in the state. This year Burlington won a second Southern Lakes Conference Championship. This conference has 3 teams competing at the Team State Tournament this year! Burlington`s Wrestlers have always displayed great respect while competing and have a great deal of integrity. This is due directly from Jade`s dedication and committment to the Burlington wrestling program.

16 Votes

  • Brad Sturmer (Lancaster High School)
    This year Brad`s team earned its 1st conference championship since Brad took over as head coach. He took a school record 6 wrestlers to the State Tournament. Took 5 wresters to the semi-finals with 3 making it to the finals. Lancaster has 1 champion, 2 runner-ups, 1 3rd and 1 6th place finisher. Brads team has been ranked all year while only having 1 senior on the team. He coached the Arrows to a 12-3 record, with their only WI loss was to State team qualifier Sparta in the 1st tournament of the year.

10 Votes

  • Dave Meyer (Lomira High School)
    Dave is an outstanding coach who has been at it a long time. Dave`s team was outstanding this year. He had six state qualifiers, won the Flyway Conference, and finished second at the Team Sectionals losing in the finals to Random Lake. Dave is a consumate professional. There are many great coaches in the state, but Dave has been overlooked many times. Dave has been at this for over 30 years, but this may have been his finest year.

7 Votes

  • Darin Anderson (Clear Lake High School)
    Darin again had his team in the sectional team finals before dropping a great dual to Spring Valley /Elmwood. He also had a state champion and a state runner-up. You are about to append the following comments to this nomination: `Darin has built one of the top programs in the area, each year he finds a way to motivate and coach his kids to get them to compete at a high level. Every year they are in the running for a state appearance. This year he took a unranked team and took the second ranked team down to the last match. This was after losing to the same team earlier in the year by 43 points.

4 Votes

  • Paul Gehrke (Two Rivers High School)
    Another step up in the program. The coaches continue to take the Two Rivers program to the next level every year. Conference champs for the second straight year. One of the best, if not the best team to come out of Two Rivers. Placed first in every individual tournament they were in besides Regionals which has Luxemberg Casco. More sectional qualifiers (7) every year, and three wrestlers at the state meet with a runner-up finisher at 285. Seems to have solid wrestlers up and down the line-up. Building a power program on the lakeshore!

3 Votes

  • Bret Corner (Concordia University)
    Conference Coach of the Year; one qualifier to NCAA III National Tournament; finished 3rd in Conf. by 3 pts; won 100th career dual in Nov.

1 Votes

2011-12 Wrestler of the Year                                             03/20/2012 - 03/30/2012 

  • Jarod Donar _
    189-0 4 time state champ Enough said.

94 Votes

  • Hunter Weber _
    He is a 3X state champion who broke the single season state record this year in dominating fashion by pinning 52 of his opponents. He also beat 12 state qualifiers, pinning 5 who did not place, a 5th, a 4th, a 2nd, & a champion. Hunter also majored a champion10-3 and decisioned a 3rd and 2nd.

25 Votes

  • Kegan Gennrich _
    Kegan Gennrich(Hortonville) Sr. Kegan`s body of work for the 2011-2012 season is second to none. Kegan finished the season 48-1 and was the DI 160 pound State Champ. Kegan faced a who`s who in Wisconsin wrestling while splitting time between 170 and 160 pounds. Notable wins: A 9-5 decision over 1x runner up and 2x State Champ Jacob Morrissey, giving Jacob his only loss in 2 years. Kegan pinned State runner up Mike Mergener, and also beat State runner up Jordan Schaal 8-2. He has a 7-0 win over 1x State Champ and 2x State runner up Mitch Berceau in the Pulaski Invite finals. In the State semi finals Kegan beat previously undefeated, and 3x State placewinner(4th, 2nd, 3rd) Matthew Gray, 11-1. In the State Finals he beat Jake Raflik 5-4, a 3x State placewinner (3rd,6th,2nd)for the 2nd time in 3 weeks avenging his only loss of the season. This season Kegan won the outstanding wrestler award at three tournament, Tomahawk Invite, Freedom Invite, and the Pulaski Invite. He won his 3rd straight Oshkosh On The Water Title. Kegan ends his high school career as Hortonville`s all time leader in wins 148 and is only our 2nd ever State Champ.

20 Votes

  • Ricky Anderson _
    If wrestler of the year is based on each year and not a career achievement award Ricky Anderson should be considered. After dislocating his shoulder in football he has worked very hard to get back on the mat to fulfill his dream of being a state champ. After not even qualifying for state last year he worked thru the pain and dealt with a shoulder that was almost useless at times. The shoulder dislocated dozens of times in the last month of the season including in the semi final match at the state tournament. He just popped it back in place and dealt with the pain and went on to win the state championship at 126#.

7 Votes

  • Jacob Stilling _
    Jacob won a very tough 170 LB division 1 state tournament. He dedicates himself to wrestling for wisconsin in all of the off season wrestling, and has had tremendous success. Jacob is an outstanding student leader in our school as well. He has elevated our program by his hard work and dedication in the practice room. He treats this sport with class and respect and is very deserving of this award.

6 Votes

  • Jackson Fox _
    Jackson won probably the toughest weight class in the state,d2 160 by coming in as a third man and beating 2 kids who had beaten him before,who were both state champions.

3 Votes

  • Gabe Grahek _
    Gabe had a career record of 175 - 17 and was a four time WIAA State Placewinner. Gabe is a great leader and example of sportsmanship

0 Votes

  • James Bennett _
    First 4-time State Qualifier for Holmen

0 Votes

2013-16 District 1 Representative                                     03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)

14 Votes

2013-16 District 2 Representative                                      03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Dallas Moe (Antigo High School)

15 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Darin Anderson (Clear Lake High School)
    Darin again had his team in the sectional team finals before dropping a great dual to Spring Valley /Elmwood. He also had a state champion and a state runner-up.
    You are about to append the following comments to this nomination: `Darin has built one of the top programs in the area, each year he finds a way to motivate and coach his kids to get them to compete at a high level. Every year they are in the running for a state appearance. This year he took a unranked team and took the second ranked team down to the last match. This was after losing to the same team earlier in the year by 43 points.

9 Votes

  • Chase Gudis (Bruce High School)
    Chase has brought to Bruce, its 1st conference championship since the early 90`s he has had on average 3 state qualifiers each year. He has rebuilt a dying program by bringing in solid numbers year after year. Individually, Bruce dominates the individual tournaments, with many wrestlers in the finals or top three. But most impressive is the transformation to the team aspect and being very competitive in dual meets.

7 Votes

  • Dan Clark (St. Croix Falls High School)
    Dan Clark had another great year as SCF wrestling coach. Going 14-2 in duals and winning the Lakeland Conference. The team won 4 tournaments,placing 2nd in two, 4th overall in the Northern Badger. With just 18 kid average each year, he has put together a great program year after year. As for indivdual wrestlers. His team sent 4 to the state tournament with 3 placing. With three underclassmen in Div.2.

5 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    Kevin`s wrestlers always demonstrate great amount of class and sportsmanship. Individually Coleman sent 11 to state more than any other school with 9 of them placing, 9 in the semis and 4 in the finals. Coleman dominated at the team tourney posting the largest margin of victory in D-3 since the team format inception with a 59-5 victory in finals. Great team and great coaches!

16 Votes

  • Troy Fabry (Wausau West High School)
    Continuing the great program at Wausau West, with a Trip to the State Team tournament and 6 individuals to the State individual tournament. Defeating #2 ranked Merrill at the Regionals and dispatching Hudson for the Team Sectional Title, 44-18.
    Sent all 14 wrestlers to Sectionals out of a very tough Regionals including 5 Valley teams and 3 GNC teams.

5 Votes

  • Scott Benitz (Lincoln High School)
    Under the leadership of Scott the Rapids wrestling team won their 4th consecutive Wisconsin Valley, Regional, Sectional and Division 1 State Championships through much adversity.

3 Votes

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    Scott has brought Merrill to be one of the best dual teams in the state. The balance of the team shows that Scott improves all wrestlers and not just the elite wrestlers. Merrill is always in the hunt and their wrestlers always potray class.

2 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Carter Turner (Spring Valley High School)
    Coach Turner has won back to back conference championships in the tough Dunn/StCroix Conference. His team had their first school appearance at the State Team Tournament and finished Runner-up this year. He also coached 6 individuals to the state tournament with 3 place winners.
    Carter Turner has been an outstanding coach for many years with class and dedication with Spring Valley and truely deserves to be District 3 Coach of the Year.

5 Votes

  • Jason Lulloff (Holmen High School)
    First MVC Conference Championship since 2005, 2nd year in a row qualifying for Team State
    Qualified 14 individuals to Sectionals and 5 to state. Displayed solid leadership in helping the team overcome adversity in the tragedy of Ben Fiers.
    Lulloff led Holmen to their first win in school history at Team State.

4 Votes

  • Ned Laughery (Blair-Taylor High School)
    Ned led the Wildcats to the Dairyland Conference championship this year and had two state qualifiers. He has built a very respectable program in a school with a strong basketball tradition.

3 Votes

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)
    Team State Qualifier. Has done an excellent job with the Sparta Wrestling Program.
    has done a great job with the Sparta program. He has energy and enthusiasm.

2 Votes

  • Chad Steldt (Ellsworth High School)
    Chad coached Ellsworth to a Conference Championship and Team State Runner-up finish in his first year as head coach.

1 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Paul Gehrke (Two Rivers High School)
    Another step up in the program. The coaches continue to take the Two Rivers program to the next level every year. Conference champs for the second straight year. One of the best, if not the best team to come out of Two Rivers. Placed first in every individual tournament they were in besides Regionals which has Luxemberg Casco. More sectional qualifiers (7) every year, and three wrestlers at the state meet with a runner-up finisher at 285. Seems to have solid wrestlers up and down the line-up. Building a power program on the lakeshore!

10 Votes

  • John Hatfield (Random Lake High School)
    John has built a very solid team this year by getting many average and below average wrestlers from last year to take huge steps forward. Random Lake is at Team State, sent 8 individuals to State, and finished with 5 state place winners including 1 State Champion.
    Teams like LC have the name, the history, the studs, and maybe even more prominent results, but what John has accomplished with this team is more significant. Specifically, he has made many bad kids good and many good kids great in 1 year with great coaching.

9 Votes

District 5 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Brad Sturmer (Lancaster High School)
    This year Brad`s team earned its 1st conference championship since Brad took over as head coach. He took a school record 6 wrestlers to the State Tournament. Took 5 wresters to the semi-finals with 3 making it to the finals. Lancaster has 1 champion, 2 runner-ups, 1 3rd and 1 6th place finisher. Brads team has been ranked all year while only having 1 senior on the team. He coached the Arrows to a 12-3 record, with their only WI loss was to State team qualifier Sparta in the 1st tournament of the year.

14 Votes

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)

1 Votes

District 6 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Jade Gribble (Burlington High Shool)
    Jade has only been in the head coach position a short time in Burlington. He has elevated that program to be one of the best in the state. This year Burlington won a second Southern Lakes Conference Championship. This conference has 3 teams competing at the Team State Tournament this year! Burlington`s Wrestlers have always displayed great respect while competing and have a great deal of integrity. This is due directly from Jade`s dedication and committment to the Burlington wrestling program.

7 Votes

  • Dave Meyer (Lomira High School)
    Dave is an outstanding coach who has been at it a long time. Dave`s team was outstanding this year. He had six state qualifiers, won the Flyway Conference, and finished second at the Team Sectionals losing in the finals to Random Lake. Dave is a consumate professional. There are many great coaches in the state, but Dave has been overlooked many times. Dave has been at this for over 30 years, but this may have been his finest year.

7 Votes

  • Steve Best (Hartford High School)
    Steve quided his team to a Division I 2nd place finish. This was Hartfords 3rd trip to team state in the last 4 years. The Orioles are Wisconsin Little Ten Conference champions 6 years in a row. They are undefeated in conference duals during that time span. Hartford had 3 wrestlers in the state finals with 2 champions. All of this was possible because of Steve`s dedication and drive. Steve is a perfectionist and expects nothing less from his wrestlers.

3 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Craig Bevilacqua (Bradley Tech High School)
    Led his team to the conference championship for the past 5 years. 11 Conference champions, 8 qualifiers for the WIAA State Tournament and two state champions
    Craig has done great work in keeping this program rolling despite the severe ups and downs that can be found in city athletics. He has allowed his wrestlers to reach their potential while becoming respectful, positive people. Craig and his staff, which includes Cory Husher and Tony Smith, have created an environment in which each wrestler feels pride and a sense of family.

8 Votes

  • Randy Ferrell (West Allis Hale High School)
    2012 Conference dual co-champions 2012 Conference tournament champions 2 sectional champions In four years Randy has turn a struggling program around to become conference champions. He continues to increased the participation numbers while maintaining one of the top team GPA`s in the school.
    This is the first Conference Title in 24 years for the Nathan Hale Wrestling program.

3 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2012 - 03/19/2012 

  • Bret Corner (Concordia University)
    Conference Coach of the Year; one qualifier to NCAA III National Tournament; finished 3rd in Conf. by 3 pts; won 100th career dual in Nov.

4 Votes

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Kevin Morin has done an excellent job with the MSOE wrestling team again this year. The team was undefeated in conference dual meets and tied for first in the NWA conference. 3 more seniors graduate this year with full-time jobs, adding to MSOE wrestling impeccable 100% graduation rate. Kevin is a strong proponent of academics along with athletics.

0 Votes

2010-11 Assistant Coach of the Year                                03/20/2011 - 03/30/2011 

  • Tim Gould (Coleman High School)
    Tim has been the assistant coach at Coleman for the past 20 years and been a huge part of Coleman success over that time period. During that span he has helped coach Coleman to three state titles, two runner up finishes, eight individual champions, ninety five state participants. More than anything Tim teaches Coleman wrestlers about life lessons to do the right things and to be a good person.

25 Votes

  • Pete Paulson (Clear Lake)
    This nomination is for both Clear Lake assistant coaches. Pete Paulson and Tim Martin have both been a major parts of CLs success. Helping build a program that ten years ago had only 7 wrestlers to a team that has made the team state tournament twice in the last four years and four consecutive Lakeland conference championships. Tim has been coaching in the CL system at one level or another since the mid 80s. Pete has also been a major part of our program since the mid 80s. Neither of these coaches work in the school system so the sacrifice a lot in their jobs and personal life to be a part of this program. Their dedication to CL wrestling is second to none. Pete showed his true dedication this season when his wife unexpectedly died the Monday after individual state. We all expected him to take some time for himself but he was back in the practice room with the kids the next day making sure the kids were ready to compete in the team state tournament that weekend and was right beside them as they fell one point short of the finals.

23 Votes

  • Bob Koehler (Kaukauna High School)
    Prior to 1997 Kaukauna High School had only two individuals qualify for state from the 130 weight class and below over its first 33 years as an organized sport. Since Bob`s arrival the past 14 years Kaukauna has qualified 37 individuals from 103-130 and brought home 19 medals from the state tournament and this turnaround is attributed to Bob`s work as the `lightweights` coach. His impact goes beyond the practice room. As a non-teaching coach, he counsels students on academics and life skills as if they were his own children. He formed and coached our k-2 program in 1998 and coached it for 10 years. He coined it the `Kaspers`...the friendly Ghosts. It thrives today with 100 participants learning gymnastics and combative games. For these reasons and many more, Bob has been a huge asset to the Kaukauna program

20 Votes

  • Ross Buchinger (Appleton North High School)
    Ross Buchinger has been an instrumental part of the success at Appleton North. He has been an assistant at Appleton North for the past 10 years. Prior to his arrival, Appleton North had little success. North was built in 1995 and in its first six years it only had four state qualifiers. Since his arrival North has qualified 20 wrestlers to the state tournament. The program went from the bottom of the conference standings to a consitent contender in the FVA conference (the team captured the conference championship in 2004-05). He is a great role model and sets high expectations for everyone involved in the program.

11 Votes

  • Doug Clark (Turner High School)
    Doug helps coach the high school until January and then moves to the middle school to coach that level. Doug also runs the youth program that this year was divided into 3 levels and ran 4 nights a week. He then travels to all the youth tournaments andcoaches the youth there. The youth program had well over 100 participants this year and continues to grow. Doug has coached at Turner for 34 years in almost every capacity.

11 Votes

  • Peter Peterson (Gale-Ettrick Trempealeu High School)
    The Mel-Min/G-E-T wrestling co-op has the dubious distinction of being a program with the largest number of miles between the two participating school districts (30). 
    add
    Pete has been a tremendous influence on the athletes in our program. Normally our guys wouldn`t have much contact with each other from March to November; however, Pete organizes camp and open mat opportunities for the guys in the off season. As a result of his efforts, we have been able to host duals at G-E-T, cut both practice and competition travel time down for our wrestlers, and reduce the amount of time oppnents spend traveling to our home duals. Without Pete, there is a good chance that the co-op between our districts would have failed after only three years.

11 Votes

  • Steve Baradic (Pewaukee High School)
    Steve, Brad Nutting and Jon Singer are responsible for an undefeated conference season and a top-8 State ranking. Coach Baradic has dedicated himself fully to the Pewaukee wrestling team and arranged his college and work schedule so that he can attend each practice, meet and tournament. He eagerly accepts any role requested of him and takes great pride in coaching the Junior Varsity wrestlers while also practicing with the team`s upper weights. This nomination is shared with Coach Brad Nutting, who has structured work hours to offer a daily presence that has resulted in better analysis of the team`s strengths and weaknesses and better understanding of the fundamentals needed for success. Also sharing the nomination is Coach Jon Singer who, despite having numerous responsibilities outside of wrestling, has rescheduled his work and college hours in order to single-handedly develop and run our lifting program and warm-up routine while also instructing and managing at all levels.

9 Votes

  • Mike Howard (East Troy High School)
    Mike has done an outstanding job after joining our staff after more than 30 years at East Troy as a head and assistant coach. He has brought a wealth of knowledge,experience, and gave the kids a new intensity into the practice room. I have been the Head Coach at Whitnall for 27 years and he has definitely been the most influential asst. coach on my staff in all my years. Our team success definitely had alot to do with Mike`s contributions. It is easy to see why East Troy had such a successful program while he was there

7 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Coach Mario has been involved in the MSOE program since 2002 and has been instrumental in the success and growth of the program. He works his demanding full-time job and then drives 30 miles each way to get to practice and constantly stays late to help student athletes that seek him out. He takes vacation days to travel with the college team and be at every competition. He also volunteers his time to many local clinics to promote the sport throughout the year. He is an asset to MSOE and the entire wrestling community throughout the state.

7 Votes

  • Robb Kolodziej (Milwaukee Riverside High School)
    Robb has helped Riverside reach new levels. He truly cares about the wrestlers as individuals and not just athletes. This is evident when he let a wrestler stay at his apartment when his mother through him out of the house. He helps keep kids on track academically, mentally, and socially. He as never asked for anything in return and gives of his own time and money to make sure the wrestlers are successful both on and off the mat.

6 Votes

  • Justin Lancaster (Freedom High School)

6 Votes

  • Chad Steldt (Ellsworth High School)

6 Votes

  • Mike Rogge (Prairie du Chien High School)
    Mike Rogge, or better known as Dr. Rogge has been an intricate part of the growth and development of the Prairie du Chien program. He started as a volunteer, in doing so had to adjust clinic hours to both meet the community’s medical needs and those of the team. Coach Rogge has grown into the king pin of a back to back SWC conference championship program. He is leading the charge of the youth program, organizing fundraisers, club meetings, while being the head assistant for the varsity team. He spear headed the programs largest fundraising event that helps support the K-12 program and devotes many hours to prepare and organize. He has been in charge of the upper weights in Prairie du Chien, leading the success of a state champion and several qualifiers and place winners. His ethics is unmatched when it comes to caring for the student athlete, yet respecting his profession. He supports and encourages all opponents, yet drives to find the chink in their armor to defeat them. Prairie Wrestling over the last decade has had one common component and that has been assistant coach Dr. Mike Rogge.

5 Votes

  • Sean McGinnis (Neenah High School)
    Sean, along with Jim Karrmann, Steve Engelland, Randy Bonikowske, Jeremy Hunter, and all the Neenah Coaches have been extremely loyal to the program and sport of wrestling for many years. Most of them have been in Neenah program 20 or more years and have helped at all levels - youth, middle school, and high school. They are a big part of reason why Neenah has solid numbers year in year out and is able to put quality kids and teams out consistently. This year when there were some health issues on the coaching staff. They all pitched in to pick up the slack. Dependable, loyal, knowledgeable men who are great role models and mentors for the kids.

4 Votes

  • Don Reuss (Delevan-Darien High School)
    Don has played a vital role in the Delavan-Darien wrestling program. Don not only spends countless hours working with our high school program, but our youth program as well.

3 Votes

  • TJ Burke (Mineral Point High School)

2 Votes

  • Bob Ebert (Reedsville High Shool)
    Regional Champs qualifying for Team Sectionals 3 Individual State Qualifiers 1-Champ 1-2nd place 1st Individual State Champ since 1994

2 Votes

  • Daniel Laurent (Kimberly Middle School)

2 Votes

  • Adam Pashouwer (Little Chute High School)
    One of the main reasons that Little Chute High School is back competing on a high level is because of the technique and confidence that Adam has placed in his wrestlers. He instills a hard work ethic and great technique to improve his wrestler`s chances for success.

2 Votes

  • Don Vosters (Freedom Middle School)

1 Votes

  • Eric Ciha (Fond du Lac High School)

0 Votes

  • John Peterson (Little Wolf High School; Manawa)
    John Peterson is a young coach who brings everything to the table where ever he shows up. John has been an assistant coach in Manawa for four years and has developed into a tremendous resource for both wrestlers and the program as a whole. Because of declining participation, Coach Peterson`s contract was terminated after 3 weeks of the season. Coach Peterson accepted a volunteer contract and did not miss a step in all the duties he was called on to do! John is a genuine young man who teaches and coaches with the students as the main priority at all times. It is because of that dedication and drive that I make this nomination!

0 Votes

2010-11 Coach of the Year                                                  03/20/2011 - 03/30/2011 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year for each district.

  • John Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)
    Phenomenal Coach, Players` coach as well as a coaches` coach. What he has done in coaching raises the bar for Wisconsin Wrestling. He will be missed. Coached 5 state place winners with 4 finalists and 3 state champions. Led the team to a runner-up finish at team state. Outstanding person and coach who has his priorities in check. Has developed exceptional `student athletes` which is exemplified in his coaching and his teaching (John was teacher of the year a few years back).

56 Votes

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    2011 Individual State - Champion(2), 2nd(1), 3rd(1), 6th(2) and 2011 Team State Champions

35 Votes

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    After losing 8 seniors from last years team Coleman was able to repeat as D-3 state champs, and send 8 to ind state with 6 state place winners, one champion, two 2nds, two 3rds and a 6th.

30 Votes

  • Paul Gehrke (Two Rivers High School)
    Has taken a team that has been a cellar dweller to a season high ranking of #6 in D2 and undefeated in duals in 2010-11. All with only one senior regularlly in the line-up.
    After 27 years, Two Rivers is again the top team in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. Through hard work Paul has brought a team to the top in a conference that produced 3 state champs. In four seasons as the varsity coach, took a down program to the top of the conference and even in the state rankings for the first time in many, many years. Also, defeated two ranked conference foes, Campbellsport and Kewauskum, this season. Finishing 7th season as middle school coach, which is the main reason for the high school team’s success. A look back at the last few years will tell you where the program was and where it is heading. In the past four season Two Rivers’ dual records went from 2-11 to 5-8 to 9-4 and this year to 13-0. Conference dual records went from 1-6 to 2-5 to 4-3 and this year 7-0. Average points scored per dual meet went from 20 to 29 to 42 and this year 55 and average points given up in a dual went from 54 to 43 to 25 and this year 17. The entire varsity teams total winning percentage has went from 47% to 56% to 61% and this year to 69%. The team went from the near bottom of every tournament to taking home 6 trophies or plaques this season. Four years ago did not have one single sectional qualifier and from then went to 3 to 5 to 6, and qualified at least one person in the state tournament the last three seasons. Had one state champion last season, and a 3rd place finisher and a 5th place finisher this season. Came from last place in the regional tournament, which has Lux-Casco, to 2nd place the past two seasons. The number of varsity wrestlers who won 20 matches in a season was 2 four years ago and then went to 5 then 7 and this season 8. 25 match seasons went from 1 to 3 the past two seasons and to 5 this season. As you can see by the numbers the tide has turned in Two Rivers.

11 Votes

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)
    Team State! First time in program history. Underdogs win all the time in our sport but a true upset is one of the most rare events you will see. Hudson defeating #2 ranked (The Crossface) Wausau West was that rare upset. Hudson also won the Big Rivers Conference as well as the Regional and Sectional with 7 athletes who are freshmen and sophomores. You will see Coach Hansen at all Junior Varsity events as well as youth practices.

11 Votes

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)
    Scott`s team just missed the team state competition this season but managed to knock of Deforest for the Badger North crown this year. Something that has not been done in 5 years. They also ran away with the Badger conference tournament, which included teams of Deforest, Milton, Stoughton & Fort Atkinson. Scott`s kids are not only great wrestlers they are great kids as well. They are all well respected on and off the mat. Hats off to Scott and his coaching staff on a great season.

9 Votes

  • Joel Dutton (Kenosha Tremper)
    Has created a great program that is consistently tough in the Southeast Conference and throughout the state. Team finished 33-6 with tournament wins at the Hartford Duals, Hamilton Duals, Midstates Holiday Tourney, Sheboygan South Duals, Southeast Conference Tourney, WIAA Regional, and State Team Qualifiers before losing to runnerup Arrowhead 38-32. On the individual side, Tremper has sent at least 3 wrestlers to the state tourney for the past 3 years including a rep in the state finals the past 2 years.

8 Votes

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Kevin Morin has done a phenomenal job this season with his team at MSOE. Going 9-2 in duals, finishing 2nd in conference and sending a quality student-athlete on to the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds. While the academics at MSOE are more rigorous than most institutions the Engineers compete against, under the leadership and guidance of Coach Morin, his team excelled this season on the mats and in the classroom.

3 Votes

2010-11 Wrestler of the Year                                              03/20/2011 - 03/30/2011 

  • Jesse Thielke, Germantown High School _
    4-time D1 State Champion Best wrestler in Wisconsin
    He pinned 3 of his four opponents and tech-falled the other in the state tournament to win his fourth state title. He has been invited to the Dapper Dan Classic with a career record of 186-1. He has earned a full ride to Madison to wrestle. National Champion. and much more!

129 Votes

  • Brad Doezel _
    BRAD DOLEZAL - (Spelling Correction) Brad is a role model wrestler, he carried a 3.5 gpa and ALWAYS handled his wins and losses with pride and class - never drew attention to himself with his accomplishments. He had high school record of 172-7, was a 3X Wisconsin Valley Conference Champion, was voted Conference Wrestler of the Year the past 2 seasons. He was a 3X State Champion and a Runner-up in Division 1. Brad also represents our sport and State by competing in the off season. He has placed 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in the National Folkstyle Tournament, has 2 State Greco Championships and 3 State Freestyle Championships, as well as a National Championship and a 6th place finish at the Cadet National Tournament in Fargo. He also is successful in the classroom. 2X Crossface Magazine All Academic First Team and an All State Academic 1st Team 3X. Brad is the full deal - he is great in the classroom, competes great on the mat and he is a great role model for the sport.

22 Votes

  • Alex Dieringer _
    3 time state champion from Port Washington. Classy kid who is going on to wrestle on a D1 scholarship.

8 Votes

  • Taylor Henry _
    2 Time State Champion. Third as a sophmore. 4 time state qualifier at 285. 177-18 career record with 101 pins.

3 Votes

  • Ben Tauchen _
    Bonduel`s first 2x state champ. Fourth place his Soph. year. 168 career wins, 99 career pins, 4x conference champ, 4x regional champ. Valedictorian - Bonduel class of 2011.

2 VotesWWCA President Elect  03/20/2011 - 03/30/2011 

  • Dave McCarthy (Neenah High School)

124 Votes

  • Barry Schmitt (Independence High School)

34 Votes2012-15 District 7 Representative7 03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • John Quinlan (Whitnall High School)
    served 2 terms as district rep in the late 90`s and would like to get back into contributing to the association. We have many important issues currently in our sport and I would like to take part in our discussions with the WIAA and National Association
    Hard worker for wrestling and very organized.

12 Votes

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)
    Craig has been the rep for 2 terms now and has done a great job. Craig would love to continue as your rep until he retires in a few years.

5 Votes2012-15 District 8 Representative8 03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Mike DeRoehn (Lakeland College)

3 Votes

  • Christopher Stratton (UW Oshkosh)

1 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)
    Team State! First time in program history. Underdogs win all the time in our sport but a true upset is one of the most rare events you will see. Hudson defeating #2 ranked (The Crossface) Wausau West was that rare upset. Hudson also won the Big Rivers Conference as well as the Regional and Sectional with 7 athletes who are freshmen and sophomores. You will see Coach Hansen at all Junior Varsity events as well as youth practices.

14 Votes

  • Dave Berrier (Clear Lake )
    Darin has developed a consistently competitive team in our district. Again, this year his squad won Regional and Sectional titles. He will be taking the Warriors to their second State Team Tournament in the last two year.
    Darin took an unranked Clear Lake team and beat the number 2 and 3 ranked teams in the state at the regional. Then his team went on to beat the number 7 ranked team in the sectional finals. Darins team then took the number four ranked team to the limit before falling one point short of the state finals.

10 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    After losing 8 seniors from last years team Coleman was able to repeat as D-3 state champs, and send 8 to ind state with 6 state place winners, one champion, two 2nds, two 3rds and a 6th.

13 Votes

  • Kane Krummel (Stratford High School)
    As Co-head coach, I can speak directly on the positive influence Kane Krummel has had on our team and the strong committment that has kept our program consistant and positive. Kane help coached the Tigers to a Marawood Conference dual meet championship; despite having 8/14 starters with three years or less experience. He does a wonderful job getting new kids to join and the help them become successful.

5 Votes

  • Scott Benitz (Lincoln High School)

1 Votes

  • Donald Lang (Marshfield High School)
    Don would be a great choice for District 2 Coach of the Year. His teams the past few years have been more than competitive, usually ranked and they handle themselves well on the mat. Don does a great job preparing his wrestlers for the WIAA tournament series each year. He has guided 2 stud wrestlers for the past 4 years and we`ve seen them improve each year. The Valley has enjoyed watching Torin Boernke and Brad Doezel wrestle and represents our conference as well as the sport of wrestling with class. Both were role models for the sport and this is a direct reflection of their head coach, staff and the Marshfield Wrestling Program. There have been numerous other tough Marshfield wrestlers as well. Please consider Don as our District 2 coach of the year. We enjoy competing against the Don and the Tigers of Marshfield.

0 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    2011 Individual State - Champion(2), 2nd(1), 3rd(1), 6th(2) and 2011 Team State Champions

8 Votes

  • Ernest Peterson (Whitehall High School)
    Ernie Peterson has completed yet another successful season at Whitehall, a perennial basketball school, where his team has won both the Dairyland Conference and Regional Championship. He has taken a program that was shrouded in the shadow of the district`s basketball fanaticism and made it vibrant and competitive. Furthermore, he has done this with only a little help from the elementary and junior high levels. In a sport that has lamented over its roster numbers, Ernie has bolstered the numbers in his wrestling room to finish the season with over 25 guys. This is more a credit to Ernie as a person than it is to wrestling as a sport.

5 Votes

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)

3 Votes

  • Scott Parrish (Weston-Ithaca)

1 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Paul Gehrke (Two Rivers High School)
    Has taken a team that has been a cellar dweller to a season high ranking of #6 in D2 and undefeated in duals in 2010-11. All with only one senior regularlly in the line-up.

42 Votes

  • Robert Berceau (Luxemburg-Casco High School)
    Luxemburg-Casco is back to the State Duals looking for their 10th State Championship, during the season and post-season they defeated the defending Div. II State Champions 3 times in duals and in two tournaments. submitted by Emil Kuhn

18 Votes

  • Jared Esala (Ripon High School)
    Jared has worked hard at all levels of his program to build Oshkosh West into a tough, contending young team in the FVA and in the fox valley region. His young team finished the year undefeated in the FVA and wrestled well throughout the season. Classy young coach who gets a great deal out of his team.

11 Votes

  • Don Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    Don Verbeten coached Reedsville High School
    Regional Champs qualifying for Team Sectionals. 3 Individual state Qualifiers 1-State Champ 1-2nd Place-Ist State Champ since 1994

3 Votes

  • William R Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    William R. Verbeten was Co-Head coach with Matt Verbeten. Both should receive the award
    Coached the team that took 4rth in Conference last year to Conference Champs this year. Regional Champs 1 match away from advancing to Team Sectional Finals 3 Individual State Qualifiers All Placed 1-Champ 1-2nd place 1-6th place

3 Votes

  • Matt Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    Matt Verbeten was Co-Head coach with William R.Verbeten. Both should receive the award 
    Took the team that took 4rth place in Conference last year to Conference champs this year. Regional Champs 1 match away from advancing to Team Sectional Finals 3 Individual State Qualifiers all placing 1- Champ 1-2nd Place 1- 6th place

2 Votes

District 5 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)
    Scott`s team just missed the team state competition this season but managed to knock of Deforest for the Badger North crown this year. Something that has not been done in 5 years. They also ran away with the Badger conference tournament, which included teams of Deforest, Milton, Stoughton & Fort Atkinson. Scott`s kids are not only great wrestlers they are great kids as well. They are all well respected on and off the mat. Hats off to Scott and his coaching staff on a great season.

9 Votes

  • Troy Clary (Ithaca High School)
    Troy Clary and Scott Parrish -- Weston/Ithaca -- (co-op team) Dual Meet Record: 9-2 Tournament Wins: Ridge & Valley Conference Duals; Bi-State Classic--Div. 3; Ithaca-Weston Inv.; Deerfield Scramble; SRR Conference Tourney; WIAA Div. 3 Regional Champion; WIAA Div. 3 Team Sectional Semi-Finalist Final Crossface Ranking: #6 in Division 3 State Qualifiers/Placewinners for 2011: Nate Duren--135# (2-5-2-3) 152-29 career record and 74 career falls; Clayton Jennings--215#--5th; Nick Laack--119# Qualifier Comments: `Troy and Scott have done an outstanding job with this co-op team. Both have been involved with wrestling at various levels for many years and their best year (so far) was this past season. Both have been promoters and advocates for wrestling not only in their schools but in the area as well. They are 2 young coaches that have a lot of enthusiasm and have brought back a program that for many years had been suffering low numbers and little success.`

7 Votes

  • Joel Steinmann (Parkview High School)
    Joel Steinmann has been an outstanding coach for the Parkview High-School Wrestling team for over 12 years. Joel should be nominated not only for the coaching roles he plays, but for the wrestling community and our local community. Joel is an active member and Officer or the VFW, the Parkview Wrestling Alumni, and he also volunteers his time and services to help our youth wrestling program. Joel Steinmann is actually a resident of Brodhead, and rather than placing a divide between our wrestling programs has helped with the process of creating a great, and very respectable rivalry between Brodhead and Parkview. He is not responsible for the creation of this bond between our programs, but has helped in every way possible to make sure the relationship is there, and both of our wrestling programs from the youth level all the way up to high school are benefiting from it. Joel has also been a great asset to the Orfordville Youth Wrestling program. In order for varsity wrestlers to letter, they have to help out coaching our youth program at least two practices during their season. With the youth kids in the program this has been an outstanding experience for them, and they look up to the members of the varsity program. Joel has been able to work the entire system into one program and we have had great results from his efforts. I have not seen too many other wrestling programs tie programs together like he has, and have so much involvement in the community. I would recommend him as the Coach of the year, and possibly a hall of fame candidate for the work he has done to expand our program. We are a town of a little over one thousand people, and he has worked in his greatest capacity to make sure we can get what we can out of our wrestlers. Please consider this when voting for a great coach.

2 Votes

  • Gregory Jentz (Fennimore High School)

1 Votes

District 6 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • John Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)
    Phenomenal Coach, Players` coach as well as a coaches` coach. What he has done in coaching raises the bar for Wisconsin Wrestling. 
    He will be missed.
    Coached 5 state place winners with 4 finalists and 3 state champions. Led the team to a runner-up finish at team state. Outstanding person and coach who has his priorities in check. Has developed exceptional `student athletes` which is exemplified in his coaching and his teaching (John was teacher of the year a few years back).

13 Votes

  • David Stewart (UW Whitewater)
    Dave Stewart is certainly deserving of Coach of the Year honors. Although it is very important to note how he has progressed wrestling at Lakeside Lutheran (a program that finds a way to succeed with no grade school program), but more importantly, how he has served the sport of wrestling throughout the state of Wisconsin for 35 years. Coach Stewart started competing as a wrestler in the grade school programs of Kettle Moraine middle school and high school and then continued to compete by wrestling for Waukesha Technical College. Since then he has instructed and motivated countless wrestlers through many different groups and in different capacities: Waukesha Technical College (assistant coach from 1976-1982), Oconomowoc Wrestling Club (assistant coach from 1978-1981), Kettle Moraine Wrestling Club (assistant coach 1982-2003), Sullivan Stingers Wrestling Club (head coach from 1997-2003), Lakeside Lutheran High School (assistant coach from 2004-2010 and head coach from 2010-2011) and now he is recruiting talent for the UW-Whitewater wrestling program. His vast wrestling knowledge, humble attitude and servant nature makes him someone all coaches should emulate.

6 Votes

  • Craig Lodahl (Delavan-Darien High School)
    Delavan-Darien`s wrestling team has become a very competive team in the southern lakes, winning a conference title and being represented in team sectionals the past three years, the comets finished at 22-2 and finished ranked 5th in the final state (crossface)rankings. They had 4 individual qualifiers and 2 state place finishers, all with only 2 seniors in the line-up.

4 Votes

  • Mark Peterson (Campbellsport High School)
    Mark`s Cougars had another stellar season, they won the tough Eastern Wisconsin Conference Tournament for the 2nd year in a row, were Regional and Team Sectional champions and concluded their dual competition at the state team tournament, finishing 22-3. They also qualified several wrestlers for individual state.

3 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                               03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Joel Dutton (Kenosha Tremper)
    Has created a great program that is consistently tough in the Southeast Conference and throughout the state.
    Team finished 33-6 with tournament wins at the Hartford Duals, Hamilton Duals, Midstates Holiday Tourney, Sheboygan South Duals, Southeast Conference Tourney, WIAA Regional, and State Team Qualifiers before losing to runnerup Arrowhead 38-32. On the individual side, Tremper has sent at least 3 wrestlers to the state tourney for the past 3 years including a rep in the state finals the past 2 years.

9 Votes

  • Chris Kempowski (Milwaukee Riverside High School)
    Took a dying program that had no returning wrestlers, got 8 freshman to come out and in 9 years: Fields a full Varsity line-up 10-15 JV wrestlers Winning conference dual meet record 5 years in a row 2rd place conference finish (2010 and 2011) highest in school history 2011 2nd at Regionals 2011 4th at Sectionals .5 points out of 3rd 2011 4 State Qualifiers (5 total) Creates a schedule that pushes kids to be their best at all times. Works with in a school district that many couldn`t last a day in and has created success and passion for wrestling. Goes above and beyond the normal duties of coach.

4 Votes

  • Jason Stromberg (West Allis Central High School)
    Greater Metro Conference Champs once again and 8 state qualifiers. One of the best dual meet teams in the area.

4 Votes

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)
    I have been the District 7 rep for 2 terms and and would to finish off my wrestling coaching career as your rep and continue to lead us.

0 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2011 - 03/19/2011 

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Kevin Morin has done a phenomenal job this season with his team at MSOE. Going 9-2 in duals, finishing 2nd in conference and sending a quality student-athlete on to the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds. While the academics at MSOE are more rigorous than most institutions the Engineers compete against, under the leadership and guidance of Coach Morin, his team excelled this season on the mats and in the classroom.

4 Votes

  • Ben Peterson (Champ of Champs)
    Has worked very hard to dramatically increase the quality of his team. A true coach and mentor.

1 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    A devoted coach who constantly works with the MSOE team to help them achieve their goals. A big reason why MSOE has acheived the success that they have.

1 Votes

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)
    Coach Koch continues to produce high quality teams year after year. This year his team is again nationalaly ranked and he has qualified 4 guys to compete in the National tournament.

0 Votes

  • Mark Matzek (Augsburg College)

0 Votes

2009-10 Assistant Coach of the Year                                03/20/2010 - 03/30/2010 

  • Michael Shuda (Arcadia High School)
    Asst. Coach: Mike Shuda-has been coaching for over 35 years. He has been either a volunteer or a paid assistant coach for Arcadia since 1974 as well as head coach on a couple of occasions. He has helped bring Arcadia Wrestling back to respectability as the Varsity Team has went 28-3 over the past two years. As Head coach, he was the first to take an Arcadia Wrestling Team to the Team State Meet. As a High School wrestler, he was a 3-time Letter winner for Cameron High School and was Captain and MVP his Senior year. His College experience was wrestling four years at UW River Falls in an era when River Falls was perennial Conference Champions, and the team placed 7th and 3rd in the Nation. He earned a Varsity Letter, and was given some coaching responsibilities. Coach Shuda has coached WITH and against some of the best coaches in the State, and has coached some of the best wrestlers in the State (right here in Arcadia) and in the nation. Coach Shuda has coached 15 of our 16 State Champs! As a Junior Varsity Wrestling Coach, he holds a record of being Un-defeated for seventeen consecutive years. Off the mat, he has had winning records while coaching Football, Girls` Basketball and Track, and has had a successful career teaching Math, Physics, Computer Science, Study Skills and CCD. Coach Shuda continues to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with our wrestlers and coaching staff and is in charge of Junior Varsity, all of our video-taping and is a true corner stone of the Arcadia Wrestling Community. Coach Michael J. Shuda is retiring from teaching at the end of this year, and will be greatly missed in countless ways as a teacher, coach and one of the most caring and generous members this school district has ever known.

30 Votes

  • Tim Gould (Coleman High School)
    Coach Gould has been an integral part of an outstanding Coleman program for years. Coleman`s reputation speaks for itself and a lot of it is owed to Coach Gould.
    Coleman has done some amazing things this year and to top it off with state title is outstanding. Coach Gould has been assistant coach at Coleman for past 19 years and is very deserving of this honor.
    He has helped in getting 9 kids to ind state this year with 8 of them placing, not to mention sending 10 to state the year before. Tim is great with the kids a very well respected.

21 Votes

  • Doug Clark (Turner High School)
    Doug helps in the high school until January, then moves to the middle school to coach at that level. Doug also runs our youth programs which consist of practices for the beginners on Monday and Wendesday nights. And the competive youth on Tuesday and Saturday. During the entire season he never takes a day off of wrestling.
    He has been doing this for Turner High School since 1977.
    Only 8 of these 34 years has been for his own 2 sons. 
    Doug is a great man and does more than his fair share in wrestling... correct me if I am wrong but I belive he does the youth program for all of Beloit not just Turner.
    Correct. Doug brought the two school districts (along with the parochial schools) together to combine resources for the Beloit Area Youth Wrestling Club/Team Nitro. There were nearly 100 participants in the club this year.

19 Votes

  • Paul Needham (Marshfield Senior High)
    This is Paul`s 31st year coaching wrestling for Marshfield. Over the year`s Paul has done an outstanding job with the young men who have come through our program. Paul has a genuine love of the sport that translates over to all of our athletes. He has been an invaluable asset to me and the rest of our coaching staff over the past 5 years.

11 Votes

  • Jeff Micholic (D.C. Everest High School)
    Jeff has been a assistant wrestling coach at DC Everest for over 20 years. He has served as a great friend, coach, role model and ambassador of wrestling to the athletes and staff for our high school and our state. He is a WWF board member and currently serves as Secretary for this organization. He also has served as a Cadet and Junior level coach in our Freestyle and Greco summer programs.He also has helped at numerous WWF State level tournaments throughout the years. He takes his role as a WWF board member and volunteering throughout the year at events very seriously. He truly has a love for the sport and it shows in all his involvement with the sport.

10 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Coach Mario gets paid as a part-time coach but really works many more hours than that. He takes vacation days to travel with the team and drives 30 miles to practice each day. His dedication to the MSOE program has been instrumental in the success that we have enjoyed. He is an asset to MSOE and the entire wrestling community.

9 Votes

  • Keith Verbeten (Reedsville)
    Keith has coached the Wrightstown High School team for 19 yrs and the 3rd and 4rth grade wrestlers for 19 yrs. He was part of the coaching staff that led the Wrightstown High School team to be the 1998 State Team runner-up, and the 1999, 2005, and 2006 State Team Champions. During Keith`s coaching career, the team won 13 Conference Championships, and had 5 Individual State Champions. Keith puts in many extra hours giving special help to kids, as well reviewing tapes with them.

8 Votes

  • John Arnott (Tomahawk High School)
    John has been an excellent technican for the Tomahawk wrestling program for over 15 seasons.

5 Votes

  • Dick Vosters (Freedom High School)

5 Votes

  • David Parish (Spooner High School)

4 Votes

  • Johnny Gomez (Whitewater High School)
    Coach Gomez has been instrumental in helping promote and bring the Whitewater wrestling to a competitive level that is needed to succeed in southern Wisconsin. Coach Gomez will quickly come in early in the mornings to work out with student-athletes or stay late with them working on technique, conditioning, or weight lifting. Coach Gomez does a great job at improving his technique and is always looking for ways to help out each young man improve themselves, preparing them for success. Coach Gomez does a great job working with the upper weights and was instrumental in taking a student-athlete that won 4 matches last season to having a winning record on varsity this season. Again, he accomplished this by studying technique that he felt would work best for that student-athlete. Coach Gomez went beyone the practice time to help student-athletes achieve their goals or move them in the right direction, while pushing them, motivating them, and encouraging them to work hard, not only on the mat but in the classroom as well.
    nominated along with Coach Josh Helming as Co-Assistant coaches of the year.

3 Votes

  • Matt Dressel (Johnson Creek High School)
    District 6 Johnson Creek Matt`s coaching has been critical for the rebirth of Johnson Creek wrestling. It has be a dramatic comeback.
    Please move Matt to Coach of the year for District 6 - I see that he is a co-head coach.

2 Votes

  • Isaac Oslund (De Pere High School)
    Coach Oslund has coached at De Pere for 7 years. His enthusiam for the sport and his magnetic personality have contributed to the increase participation at De Pere High School. Coach OZ, as the kids refer to him, is always willing to stay after practice to work with kids, help kids with homework or just lend an ear to listen. He has helped some guys who were unsure about what to do after high school consider the option of joining the marines and in the past three years we have had 7 sign up.

2 Votes

  • Jeff Slayton (Beaver Dam High School)
    Gary Broome from Beaver Dam High school, District 6 is a dedicated wrestling coach and has been so for over thirty years unpaid. Gary has committed to helping youth learn the sport of wrestling for over thirty years. From the youth levels to the high school level Gary has committed himself to helping all succeed in the sport.

2 Votes

  • Josh Helming (Whitewater High School)
    Co-Assistant Coach of the Year with Johnny Gomez. Josh has really stepped it up and has begun taking charge of practices. He has become extremely good at evaluating our duals and tournaments and working on fixing areas of improvement technically. Coach Helming does not work in the district and adjusts his work times so he can still work with the student-athletes. He is at work by 5:00am, which requires him to leave the house at 4:30 am. so he is able to be at the wrestling room by 3:15 each day. Coach Helming is very dedicated to Whitewater wrestling and is instrumental in its success.

1 Votes

2009-10 Coach of the Year                                                  03/20/2010 - 03/30/2010 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year for each district.

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)

73 Votes

  • Patrick Jauch (Milton High School)

11 Votes

  • Jeremy Peery (Bruce Public School)

10 Votes

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)

7 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)

7 Votes

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)

5 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

5 Votes

  • Brian Slater (New Lisbon High School)

5 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)

4 Votes

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)

3 Votes

  • Chris Gennrich (Hortonville High School)

1 Votes

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)

1 Votes

2009-10 Wrestler of the Year                                              03/20/2010 - 03/30/2010 

  • Dan Laurent - UW LaCrosse _
    Dan become part of an elite group this weekend by winning his 3rd consecutive NCAA Division III national title in a weight class that featured 8 returning All-Americans.

33 Votes

  • Jesse Thielke, Germantown _
    3-time WIAA Div. 1 Champion 146-1

28 Votes

  • Noah Budi _
    2x time state champion, ranked top 12 in the nation by several publications, 3 time cheesehead champ
    Noah has the most wins in Kaukauna history with 183. He is a 2X State Champion and 3X Cheesehead Champion. He also excels in the classroom with a 3.63 GPA.

27 Votes

  • Joe Raygor -St. Croix Falls _
    2x State Champion at 171 in Div.2 2008 5th at State. 152 in Div.2 Career record 167-9 4x Conference Champion 4x Regional Champion 3x Sectional Champion 2x Northern Badger Champion Joe has won 27 tournaments in High School. Joe gave up 12 Takedowns in four years. Joe never gave up any backpoints!!! Joe is currently ranked 12th in the nation at 171. Spring/Summer Wrestling 2009 National Folkstyle Champion. 2009 Runner-Up FILA Nationals. 3x Folkstyle All-American 3x Greco All-American Multiple State Champion in Greco and Freestyle. Represented Team Wisconsin in National Greco duals in 2008. Went 7-0, and being named to the All-Tournament Team. Joe is an Honors Student with a 3.6 G.P.A. Joe has worked helping teach leadership skills with the Special Ed. Students. Joe has taken the lead role in developing a new program in the SCF School District. To help Students become leaders and choice making skills. Joe helps with the Youth Wrestling Program. He also travels with the Kids to the Tournaments and helps with the Coaching. 3x All Conference in Football. He was out of Football his Senior year,due to a knee injury. 4x Letter Winner in Weight Lifting.

17 Votes

  • Bubba Gudis _
    2X state champion along with a 2nd and 4th place finish. He has compiled a career record of 162-15. He was a 4X conference and regional champion. A 2X sectional and Northern Badger Champion.

14 Votes

  • Trevor Brandvold _
    I believe that Trevor is the first Wisconsin HS athlete win a Big Ten title for UW since Eric Jetton did so in 1998.

9 Votes

  • Zach Zehner, Tomahawk _
    Going into the 2010 state tournament he is 174-13 in his career, with three state apperances, and one state title.

7 Votes

  • Adam Strobel (Marshfield High School)
    Adam became a 2X All-American this weekend by placing 3rd at the DIII National Championships in a weight class that had 8 returning All-Americans. His only loss was a close 2-0 decision to the 3X defending Champion Dan Laurent of UW-Lacrosse

2 Votes

  • Brad Dolezal _
    2x State Champion 3x State Finalist 48 - 0 for the 2009-2010 HS Season 125 - 7 record in 3 HS seasons Cadet National Greco Champion in 2009

1 Votes

2011-14 District 5 Representative                                      03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)

18 Votes

2011-14 District 6 Representative                                     03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Dave Meyer (Lomira High School)

11 Votes

  • Patrick Jauch (Milton High School)

9 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Jeremy Peery (Bruce Public School)
    Coach Peery, working with a school with very low enrollment numbers, continues to turn out quality wrestlers. Although they don`t have the numbers to compete on a team level, of the 6 wrestlers on his team, he qualified 4 for state and placed 3 - a 4th, 6th and a two-time state champion. This followed up his last year`s accomplishment of sending half of his team to the state tournament and crowning the school`s first ever state champion. He has been the head coach for the past five years and has qualified 13 wrestlers for the state tournament. In addition to this, he is a VOLUNTEER coach and coaches middle and elementary school as well as runs their little kids tournament each year.

10 Votes

  • Robert Erickson (Cumberland High School)
    Conference champs. One of the suprise teams in the state. He had 7 wrestlers at sectionals, one state champ and one 6th place wrestler.

8 Votes

  • Jamie Olson (Boyceville High School)
    Jamie Olson has coached 6 state qualifiers this year. Olson had three state place winners including a state champion. His team qualified for team state on back to back years.

5 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                           03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    Coleman as been a power every year but this year they won every tournament they were in including the Pulaski Invite as well Oshkosh On Water, and to finish the season off by winning a state championship in such dominating fashion is an outstanding accomplishment.
    On individual side Coach Casper and the Cougars took 9 kids to state and come with 8 Medals.
    A great coach yes but his wrestlers learn much more then just wrestling there are life lessons that are learned that make this kids better people because of him.

15 Votes

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    Kevin Casper-Coleman
    Scott has taken a young team to be contenders against all their opponents. 
    Best Technician in the State

3 Votes

  • Scott Benitz (Lincoln High School)
    Scott led Wisconsin Rapids to their 19th state title this year as well as as a Bi-State championship and an undefeated record against Wisconsin teams. The Red Raiders also finished 4th place at the Clash and are ranked in the top 15 nationally. Scott also dedicates several weeks in the summer to coach Wisconsin`s national teams that have had much success in recent years.

1 Votes

  • Bob Garrou (Tomahawk High School)

1 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Brian Slater (New Lisbon High School)
    New Lisbon Wrestling has made a come back in the last several years thanks to Coach Slater. New Lisbon has won 3 Conference Championships as well as 2 Bi-State Div. 3 Team Titles. In the last 3 years New Lisbon has had 11 State Qualifers, 6 State Place Winners and 2 State Champions. 
    9 State Place Winners in Last 3 years

12 Votes

  • Jacob Larsen (Sparta High School)
    Did an outstanding job to win the Mississipi Valley Conference and take his team to a 17-0 dual meet record this year.

7 Votes

  • Shawn Groshek (Adams Friendship High School)
    4th Straight SCC title. 14 State Qualifiers in last 4 years. 12 State Place winners in last 4 years. Continues to keep Adams-Friendship in the upper 1/3 of Division 2.

0 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Chris Gennrich (Hortonville High School)
    Hortonville`s team has been steadily improving for many years. A large part of this success is due to coach Gennrich working at all levels of the program. His kids wrestle with good technique and with a lot of heart and desire.

14 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)
    Won FVA title (5th straight and 11 of last 12) and State qualifier as a team this year. Also finished 2nd at Pulaski and highest finish for a Wisconsin team at the Cheesehead.

14 Votes

  • Mike Buechler (Freedom High School)

1 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

District 5 Coach of the Year                                                03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)

11 Votes

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)
    Coach Smith did a great job with a team that did not have high expectations. Ended with a 11-1 dual meet record and tied for the conference dual meet championship

5 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)
    Chris continues to lead a strong program year after year. His team is always respectful and they are fun to compete against.

2 Votes

District 6 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Patrick Jauch (Milton High School)
    Pat (along with co-head coach Matt Werner) lead the Milton Redhawks to another impressive season. Milton fared well with a tough schedule. Highlights from the season included a second place finish at the Wisconsin Rapids Duals; a 9th place finish at the Cheesehead Tournament in Kaukauna, WI (second among WI teams); a Badger Conference Championship with six individual champions; six State Tournament qualifiers (two finalist and one champ) and State Team Tournament finalists.

13 Votes

  • Mark Peterson (Campbellsport High School)
    Mark`s Cougars had a very successful season and marked a couple of milestones in the process. Mark scored his 200th dual coaching victory and Campbellsport scored its 500th dual meet win this season. The Cougars were part of a 3-way tie for their conference dual title, then peaked in championship fashion, winning their conference and regional tournaments. The Cougars narrowly missed a trip to Team State, suffering a 4-point loss to the Team Sectional Champion, but did send 5 wrestlers to Individual State. Not only are his wrestlers technically sound and well-conditioned, but Mark is an outstanding example of sportsmanship and a true credit to our coaching profession.

7 Votes

  • Steve Best (Hartford High School)
    The 09/10 team had only 3 seniors and had to integrate 9 new faces into the line-up. Yet the team finished 22-3. The team was the WLT dual meet and Tournament champions. They had 6 regional champions and qualified 7 for state. They had 3 place winners. They return 6 qualifiers and all 3 placers for next year. All of this was possible because of Steve Best`s leadership and passion.

6 Votes

  • Marcus Novak (Johnson Creek High School)
    Marcus`s leadership and recruiting ability have brought Johnson Creek wrestling back to its earlier days.

6 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                              03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)
    This nomination for Craig Belcher is to be shared with all Milwaukee City coaches. These men coach in the most difficult settings, work with the most troubled kids and have little access to funding or resources. While there are problems everywhere, students in the city have to endure problems that few of us can even comprehend. I would like to honor these men who are dedicating their lives to helping and guiding them through the sport we love. Craig’s heart has been with city kids throughout his life. Yet even though students are becoming increasingly more difficult and he can’t seem to grow younger, he remains a fixture for young athletes to turn to for guidance and assistance in wrestling and life. Craig is the elder of the city head coaches and has worked tirelessly to keep wrestling alive in Milwaukee. He has coached in the city across four decades, has produced numerous state qualifiers and finished in the top two in the conference for roughly ten consecutive years. My team was his main rival in the late 1990`s and I became very familiar with his teams and his efforts. He built and maintained a city powerhouse that could compete with many of the surrounding suburban teams. Often, our conference dual came down to a match-up of undefeated teams. Since those late 1990’s, Craig has been the WWCA District 7 representative and taken great pride in the position. City teams, city kids and city coaches do not always receive great respect in this sport because success is extra hard to find. Yet, in truth, getting a wrestler to finish the season and learn a few lessons along the way is a great success. We, as wrestling coaches, always preach about how the lessons and discipline found within wrestling can improve and change the lives of our wrestlers. That is needed no where more than in the city of Milwaukee and I think we all know it. Of course, it is the perfect sport for boys who are wrestling with life each day and it is men like Craig who have chosen to make it available to them. Now throw in an abilty to maintain a full lineup and annually develop dedicated student- athletes who go on to attend college and you can see what has made Craig Belcher special. Over the last few years, he has not only mentored younger coaches but also welcomed senior coaches, such as Bob Spicuzza, who still wish to contribute. In addition, Craig has spent thousands of his own dollars , driven his own team bus, organized camps and helped to start the first two Milwaukee Middle School wrestling teams. I think Craig can be a little crazy sometimes, but the bottom line is that you have to be a little crazy to start coaching wrestling in Milwaukee. And, if you keep coaching wrestling in Milwaukee, you are going to get a little more crazy. No one outside of the city understands just what a person has to endure as a city wrestling coach. Thank God for people like Craig Belcher who are willing to keep loving those kids and stick by them through the tough times. Without him and the other city coaches, there would be no wrestling teams for the city’s young men.

11 Votes

  • Joel Dutton (Kenosha Tremper)

6 Votes

  • John Veal (Brookfield East High School)
    John, the former assistant of Milwaukee Custer and Brookfield East, works tirelessly year round to promote wrestling within the state. He has coached state place winners and finalists at both Milwaukee Custer and Brookfield East. In his first season as head coach of Brookfield East he produced 4 state qualifiers including one runner-up and one fourth place finish. He has made contacts across the national wrestling community while bringing in top notch clinicians to our state. He relates well to the athletes he coaches and an asset to the Wisconsin wrestling community.

2 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)
    Won 30-team Wheaton Invite in Jan.
    ; seven NCAA II National Qualifiers

1 Votes

  • Kevin Morin (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Kevin continues to produce top notch student athletes at one of the premier DIII engineering schools. Starting 7 freshmen Kevin coached the Raiders to a 2nd place finish in the NWA conference meet and a 9th place finish in the Great Lakes Regional tournament; lead by Senior Matt Olsen and Junior Virgil Pope, both placing 4th in their respective weight classes at a highly competitive national qualifier.

1 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    Won Northern Wrestling Conference NCAA III National Qualifier at 285.

1 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)

1 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                             03/10/2010 - 03/19/2010 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

2008-09 Assistant Coach of the Year                                 03/22/2009 - 03/31/2009 

  • Bryan Diel (Pewaukee High School)
    Coach Diel has worked as a volunteer coach for most of the last 7 years, but has put in the time and energy equivalent of a head coach. He is a key reason for the program`s growing success as he pushes wrestlers in practice and competition. Despite taking care of a pair of young boys and enduring a number of surgeries, he has insisted on continuing to wrestle with the high school kids to aid their improvement. He also has always provided sound feedback and great ideas concerning the schedule, lineup, etc. His dedication has been irreplaceable. This award will be shared with the others who helped to take Pewaukee back to the Team State Tournament this year: Paul Hassman already understands what makes a team successful and knows much of it happens off the mat. He provides sound analysis of our wrestlers and has been completely selfless in his efforts to improve the team. Brad Nutting came in this season and offered great competition for our upper weights while bringing in valuable advice, both on-mat and off, for our veteran wrestlers. Mike Marincic returned to wrestling as a volunteer coach and lit a fire under our Junior Varsity squad. He pushes the new kids, delivers pre-competition talks, wrestles everyday and emphasizes the needed fundamentals. Jon Singer is devoted to helping children and has a passion for seeing the underdog succeed. He has volunteered his presence throughout the season to give the kids a great young role model as well as a formidable practice opponent. Steve Baradic bleeds Pirate red and black. He loves his team and is always ready to give his time or assistance regardless of what is asked of him. He is another incredible young volunteer whose only motive is to see Pewaukee kids succeed. Mike Ryback remains the elder for our group and shows the same passion for his kids that he did when I wrestled for him in the 1980`s.

17 Votes

  • John Arnott (Tomahawk High School)
    Does an excellent job with teaching basic technique to all wrestlers no matter the experience level that are at.

12 Votes

  • Ralph Liegel (River Valley High School)

12 Votes

  • Tim Gould (Coleman High School)
    Does an excellent job each year, this year helped coach 10 individuals to state and help get his Coleman Cougars to team state

10 Votes

  • Jim Halvorson (Horicon High School)
    Jim played a key role in the school`s first ever conference championship and first regional title since 1994. Jim is the former head coach at Columbus high school where he led that team to their one and only conference championship as well. He is dedicated beyond question to the improvement of every wrestler on the mat, in the classroom, and in life in general. He instituted and managed an academic program to ensure that all wrestlers were not only eligible, but successful in the classroom. He is a phenominal asst. coach in the fact that he does not need to be asked to do something, he just does it. And he does these things with the best quality. He has a love for the sport of wrestling and is an ambassador for the sport. Jim is a details-oriented coach who makes Horicon wrestlers both successful wrestlers and better people.

10 Votes

  • Shawn Achterberg (Wrightstown High School)
    a dedicated member of the coaching staff shawn drives 40 minutes each way from winneconne , works well with all wrestlers from 103 to hwt ,this is shawns 21st year of coaching, the first 17 at winneconne , 
    wrightstown has won 30 concecutive conference duals in the last 4 years while coach acterberg has been at wrightstown and currently has a 67 conference dual meet streak going, coach achterberg also uses his vacation time for wrestling when the team travels out of state or to midstates or the individual and team state tournaments

7 Votes

2008-09 Coach of the Year                                               03/22/2009 - 03/31/2009 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year for each district.

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)
    Scott is a class act and represents the state extremely well by producing countless cnoference champions, state individual qualifiers and placewinners, and a team championship for 2009. His kids always come to wrestle.

17 Votes

  • Ed Kurth (Pewaukee High School)
    9 State Qualifiers, a State Champ, Conference, Regional and Sectional Champs, the only coach to get to State with D1 and D2 Teams

13 Votes

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    Does an excellent job year in and year out. Coleman qualified 10 ind to state, and lost by 2pts in Team State semis to Mineral Point. Nomination is for entire coaching staff at Coleman that does an excellent job every year.

11 Votes

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)
    After graduating 5 seniors, this was supposed to be a down year for Hudson but instead it was the best season in the school`s 50 year history. Hudson went 19-0 in duals before losing in the sectional finals to Wausau West. Hudson had impressive non-conference dual wins over Ellsworth and Clear Lake while also going undefeated in the Big Rivers for the 4th straight season. Hudson sent a school record 5 individuals to state and had one state champion. The team began the season ranked honorable mention and climbed all the way to #5 with impressive showings at the Marty Loy and the Bi-state, where they finished #2 over-all behind just Bloomington Kennedy, MN. You can see Coach Hansen at every Varsity tournament and also at every Junior Varsity tournament. He also coaches the PreK - 2nd graders at Hudson.

11 Votes

  • Jeff Behrens (Whitewater High School)
    Jeff Behrens lead Horicon High School to its first conference title in the schools 50-year history and its first Regional title since 1994. He did so with a very inexperienced team. Of the 13 wrestlers in the program, 3 were first year varsity wrestlers, and 4 were in their first year of wrestling at any level. Jeff works extremely hard year round to look for ways to better his program and to promote the sport he loves. I had the pleasure of watching the Horicon program go from a team lacking self-confidence and experience to a team with a lot of pride and determination in just a few short months. This happened because of the great leadership and work ethic of coach Behrens. Jeff has an amazing ability to bring out the best in his wrestlers. They grew into a very respectable team and more importantly, great young men thanks to the leadership of Jeff Behrens.

10 Votes

  • Keith Swett (Seymour High School)
    Coach Swett and Coach Schmoll did a great job with their team this year in a tough conference and regional. You always know Seymour will compete.

5 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    Coach Rogers continues to build a quality program at Lakeland. He works hard and helps promote wrestlng throughout Wisconsin.

4 Votes

  • Carl McKeeth (Acardia High School)
    Brought his team back from the brink. His team went 15-0 on the season. Coulee Conf. Tournament Champions as well as Dual Meet Champions in a conference that has 3 teams ranked in state. Building interest and excitement for Wrestling in this part of the state. An innovative tournament. Human Interest news articles on TV.

2 Votes

  • Bob Empey (Stoughton High School)

0 Votes

  • Dave Novickis (Lawerence University)
    2009 Inductee into NCAA III Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Has 2009 NCAA III qualifier at 184 lbs.

0 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)

0 Votes

2008-09 Wrestler of the Year                                          03/22/2009 - 03/31/2009 

  • Nick Hagar (Tomahawk) _
    4 time conference champion 4 time regional champion 3 time sectional champion 4 time state champion 199-5 career record

58 Votes

  • Brandon Garcia - Cedar Grove _
    Brandon has taken the high road in his quest to become a state champion. His responce to the unfortunate disqualification in the finals proved why he is a remarkable young man. Brandon appologized for his actions and congratulated his opponent on winning the title prior to shaking hands. This was a most amazing act of sportsmanship I have seen.

7 Votes

  • Jeff Erickson _
    Blair-Taylor`s 1st State Champion
    Jeff battled through arguablly the toughest #285 sectional and state bracket. Jeff was a four time state qualifier placing 6th in 06, 2nd in 07 and was Blair-Taylor`s first state champion. Jeff was not only successful on the mat, but also in the classroom. He is a member of the big brothers and big sisters where he spends time with elementary students serving as a mentor and role model.

4 Votes

  • Richard Kessler _
    Richard will continue his wrestling career at Stanford University next fall. He is a 2x WIAA State Finalist. He carries a 4.0 grade point average. Richard also puts a lot of time back in his community by donating countless hours throughout the Elkhorn Area School District. He is also the student council president. One of his biggest wins was beating Stevens Point`s Ben Provisor in the State Tourney Semi-final match.
    Richard Wrestles for Elkhorn area High School

2 Votes

  • Chad Johnson, Desoto _
    Undefeated state champion at 215 lbs.

0 Votes

WWCA President Elect                                                        03/22/2009 - 03/31/2009 

  • Bob Empey (Stoughton High School)
    An individual with experiance and understanding of what the association needs to accomplish with the changes in the WIAA.

66 Votes

2010-13 District 3 Representative                                     03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Eric Anderson (Viroqua High School)
    Eric is very dedicated to the sport of wrestling.

6 Votes

  • Barry Schmitt (Independence High School)
    Incumbent
    Barry`s primary concern is with the improvement of our sport. He`s a great spokesperson for the sport.

5 Votes

2010-13 District 4 Representative                                    03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

1 Votes

  • Tony Schaaf (Kimberly High School)

0 Votes

District 1 Coach of the Year                                                03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)
    After graduating 5 seniors, this was supposed to be a down year for Hudson but instead it was the best season in the school`s 50 year history. Hudson went 19-0 in duals before losing in the sectional finals to Wausau West. Hudson had impressive non-conference dual wins over Ellsworth and Clear Lake while also going undefeated in the Big Rivers for the 4th straight season. Hudson sent a school record 5 individuals to state and had one state champion. The team began the season ranked honorable mention and climbed all the way to #5 with impressive showings at the Marty Loy and the Bi-state, where they finished #2 over-all behind just Bloomington Kennedy, MN. You can see Coach Hansen at every Varsity tournament and also at every Junior Varsity tournament. He also coaches the PreK - 2nd graders at Hudson.

6 Votes

  • Jeremy Peery (Bruce Public School)
    Coach Perrry took a handful of wrestlers this season and produced a very competitive program. Bruce had much success in tournaments, as well as dual meets with only 7-8 fielding a roster every night. Coach Perry is a positive influence and a great representative for the sport of wrestling. Coach Perry qualified four wrestlers for the state tournament, that is half of his team. Had Bruce`s first State Champion. He is a main reason why Bruce has had the success it had this past season. 
    Coach Peery has done an excellent job year in and our since becoming the Head Wrestling Coach at Bruce
    Coach Peery has taken a program struggling in numbers and has made it successful on an individual basis. He qualified half of his team for state and placed two, including Bruce`s first state champ. Peery also coaches the elementary and junior high wrestlers as well and continues to produce quality wrestlers in a school with a small enrollment.

5 Votes

  • Jamie Olson (Boyceville High School)

4 Votes

District 2 Coach of the Year                                              03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Kevin Casper (Coleman High School)
    Does an excellent job year in and year out. 
    Coleman qualified 10 ind to state, and lost by 2pts in Team State semis to Mineral Point. Nomination is for entire coaching staff at Coleman that does an excellent job every year.

1 Votes

  • Scott Benitz (Lincoln High School)
    This nomination if for all of the Wisconsin Rapids coaching staff. Hats off to a great season.

0 Votes

  • Bob Garrou (Tomahawk High School)
    Nomination is for the entire Tomahawk coaching staff. 3 state champions and a four timer.

0 Votes

  • Dan Hein (Wausau West High School)

0 Votes

  • Kyle Olund (Mosinee High School)
    Nomination for the entire coaching staff at Mosinee High School

0 Votes

District 3 Coach of the Year                                            03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Carl McKeeth (Acardia High School)
    Brought his team back from the brink. His team went 15-0 on the season. Coulee Conf. Tournament Champions as well as Dual Meet Champions in a conference that has 3 teams ranked in state. Building interest and excitement for Wrestling in this part of the state. An innovative tournament. Human Interest news articles on TV.

4 Votes

  • Ned Laughery (Blair-Taylor High School)
    Had two finalists at state this year...Always battles the numbers game at BT which is a traditional basketball power in D3. Ned`s wrestlers are always some of the best technicians in the state. His past two seasons have produced two state runners-up and a fifth place to go along with Blair-Taylor`s first state champion. Produces quality wrestlers and quality individuals who also excell off the mats.

2 Votes

  • Shawn Groshek (Adams Friendship High School)
    3 different State Champs last 3 years. 16 State place winners in the last 5 years. 3 South Central Conference team titles in last 3 years. 25 Individual Conference champions in last 5 years.

1 Votes

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)

1 Votes

  • Ernest Peterson (Whitehall)
    Took a program that could barely field a team to conference champions and 20+ wrestlers participating in 5 years. His dual meet record was 1-6 in 2004 2-10 in 2005 3-8 in 2006 4-9 in 2007 to a 14-2 record this year Ernie has recruited and sweated through taking a program that had been in demise for a long time to a conference champion and a 14-2 record. He coached Whitehall`s first state placewinner last year and coached one of his sophomores to the state tournament this year. He still fights a heavily basketball biased system, but has still filled a lineup and gotten great results out of his kids.

0 Votes

  • Thomas Pomietlo (Chippewa Falls High School)

0 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                              03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Keith Swett (Seymour High School)
    Coach Swett and Coach Schmoll did a great job with their team this year in a tough conference and regional. You always know Seymour will compete.

1 Votes

  • Mike Buechler (Freedom High School)
    Mike always has tough, hard nosed kids who conduct themselves in a very sportsmanlike way.

0 Votes

  • Eric Ciha (Fond du Lac High School)

0 Votes

  • James Leavitt (New Holstein High School)
    Has been a dedicated and stong advocate for the sport for years. Qualified 2 wrestlers to the WIAA state tournament. Took 3rd in the EWC with 6 finalist and 2 champions

0 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

0 Votes

  • Mark Mc Quade (Appleton West High School)
    Coach McQuade runs a quality program with well disciplined athletes. This year he coached Appleton`s first state champion.

0 Votes

District 4 Coach of the Year                                                03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

District 5 Coach of the Year                                                03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Bob Empey (Stoughton High School)

1 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)

1 Votes

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)
    Scott is a class act and represents the state extremely well by producing countless cnoference champions, state individual qualifiers and placewinners, and a team championship for 2009. His kids always come to wrestle.

1 Votes

  • Kent Weiler (Middleton High School)

0 Votes

District 5 Coach of the Year                                              03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

District 6 Coach of the Year                                               03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Jeff Behrens (Whitewater High School)
    Jeff Behrens lead Horicon High School to its first conference title in the schools 50-year history and its first Regional title since 1994. He did so with a very inexperienced team. Of the 13 wrestlers in the program, 3 were first year varsity wrestlers, and 4 were in their first year of wrestling at any level. Jeff works extremely hard year round to look for ways to better his program and to promote the sport he loves. I had the pleasure of watching the Horicon program go from a team lacking self-confidence and experience to a team with a lot of pride and determination in just a few short months. This happened because of the great leadership and work ethic of coach Behrens. Jeff has an amazing ability to bring out the best in his wrestlers. They grew into a very respectable team and more importantly, great young men thanks to the leadership of Jeff Behrens.

2 Votes

  • Steve Best (Hartford High School)

0 Votes

District 7 Coach of the Year                                               03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Ed Kurth (Pewaukee High School)
    9 State Qualifiers, a State Champ, Conference, Regional and Sectional Champs, the only coach to get to State with D1 and D2 Teams

3 Votes

  • Jim Hauerwas (Oak Creek High School)

0 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                                03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • Dave Novickis (Lawerence University)
    2009 Inductee into NCAA III Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Has 2009 NCAA III qualifier at 184 lbs.

0 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    Coach Rogers continues to build a quality program at Lakeland. He works hard and helps promote wrestlng throughout Wisconsin.

0 Votes

District 8 Coach of the Year                                              03/12/2009 - 03/21/2009 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

2007-08 Assistant Coach of the Year                                03/26/2008 - 04/10/2008 

  • Mike Ryback (Pewaukee High School)
    Shared with Joe Danner, Bryan Diel and Paul Hassman Mike Ryback has been coaching wrestling at Pewaukee for 36 years but has never received a wrestling coaching award despite his impressive resume. Throughout his career, Coach Ryback has been able to motivate even the most limited athletes to reach a level they previously thought unattainable. If ever a person could sqeeze blood from a turnip, it is Mike. He was the head coach at Pewaukee from 1983 to 1998 and totaled 7 Conference Championships and numerous Regional Titles in that span. After a two-year break, he came back in 2002 and the team has won the Regional Title every year since. Mike was a prenennial District 7 representative and was the high school wrestling coach and football coach of Chris McIntosh, UW Madison Rose Bowl captain and Pewaukee’s 1994 Heavyweight State Champion. This groups’ dedication to the Pewaukee wrestlers has led to the first Team State appearance in Pewaukee wrestling’s 40-year existence. Despite being picked by some publications to finish as low as fourth in the conference, the young rebuilding Pirates ended up producing the greatest season in school history and these men are responsible for that. Their insistence that all staff members are on the same page and pushing toward the same goals is why Pewaukee won Conference, Regional and Sectional Titles along with reaching a few high places at other regular season tournaments. The season ended with a 31-22 loss to eventual State Champion Lodi. It should be mentioned that most boys do not join our sport in Pewaukee until they are in 8th, 9th or 10th grade and this just exemplifies how well these men work with and motivate inexperienced wrestlers. Joe Danner began coaching in Pewaukee in 1999 as a middle school wrestling coach and added the high school responsibilities soon afterward. The year before, at Milwaukee Washington, he had two state medalists. He has worked as the Pewaukee Middle School coach and Pewaukee High School coach for nine years now and in his last eight years of coaching high school, the team has won five Conference Titles and finished second the other three times. His focus on fundamentals and time wrestling with the kids has been irreplaceable. Joe also has never received an award for his work. Bryan Diel has been volunteering his services throughout the last five years. While raising two young sons, he has been extremely dedicated to the Pewaukee program and continues to wrestle with the kids and brainstorm ideas. A Pewaukee alum, he still has a passion for seeing his team win and his presence in the practice room commands respect as he pushes our wrestlers to work harder each day. Paul Hassman has also been a volunteer coach, yet puts in the kind of time and effort that makes it seem as if coaching were his full-time job. He wrestles each day with the kids and never misses an event. He is willing to do whatever is asked of him, including driving wrestlers to events and even chaperoning our JV at the State tournament. This selfless attitude has made him a key contributor to the success of this year’s team.

16 Votes

  • John Arnott (Tomahawk High School)
    Over 15 years of experience. Does an excellent job with wrestlers of all levels. Dedicated to the improvement of wrestling in the state of Wisconsin

6 Votes

  • Bill Hannah (Viroqua High School)
    Bill has done a tremendous amount of work to help build the Viroqua Wrestling program. He is the President of the wrestling club, coaches middle school, youth wrestling and high school. Bill donates a tremendous amount of time taking care of a lot of the `extra things` that makes a program successful.

6 Votes

  • Dennis Giaimo (Appleton North High School)
    Dennis is an outstanding coach who has helped done a terrific job at Appleton North high school as an assistant coach. Dennis has sacrificed watching his own son wrestle when the JV team is away on the same weekend as the varsity because he knows it is good for the program. As the head coach for Einstein Middle school, Dennis has produced quality wrestlers for both Appleton North and Appleton West. Dennis` contributions to the sport are immeasurable.

4 Votes

  • Chad Hahn (Dodgeville High School)
    Over the past ten years Chad has been the only individual involved in all nine of Dodgeville`s individual state titles. He has been instrumental in the help and development of all the individuals on the team. His time and commitment to the program is a big reason why the Dodgeville High School team has been one of the top Div. 2 teams in the state the last five years.

4 Votes

  • Ralph Liegel (River Valley High School)
    Ralph does a wonderful job coaching at all levels of wrestling. He is not only an active coach at the high school level, but also dedicates his time assisting at the youth level. He is continually looking to improve and promote the sport of wrestling.

3 Votes

  • Damon Martinson (DeForest High School)
    Damon has been on staff at DeForest for the past four years. During that time he has been an important part of taking the program to another level. He is well respected among coaches in our district and he is always a class act on and off the mat. There is no job to small for Damon and this attitude is what makes him invaluable ot the DeForest program.

3 Votes

  • Jim Chitwood (Riverdale High School)
    Jim has been an assistant coach at Riverdale for the last 8 years and in that time has been a key member of the rebuilding process at Riverdale. He has been a dedicated assistant and has also taken on some of the responsibilities that the head coach has been responsible for in years past.

2 Votes

  • John Peterson (Little Wolf High School; Manawa)
    John Peterson truly made a difference with his efforts in Manawa this season. John brings a caring sense of responsibility to a program that won a conference title after 20 years of frustration. No job to small, no task unfinished is how I feel about the support that the Manawa program received from Mr. Peterson. Though away from the sport for a number of years, Coach Peterson jumped right back on the mat and made efforts with every kid in the room to find success. Those efforts didn`t only appear in the wrestling room as Coach Peterson worked every day recruiting students to join this program and find out things about themselves that were hidden away. Mr. Peterson recognizes the amount of work it takes to run a successful program and is more than capable of doing his share of that work.

2 Votes

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    Asst. coach for 11 years helps with Kids program helped team win two state titles

2 Votes

  • Matt Belken (LaCrosse Central High School)
    Matt Belken- Matt has been my assistant coach the last two years and has displayed everything a head coach could ask for in an assistant. He came early and stayed late everyday despite being a college student. He did so many little things behind the scenes without anyone knowing and often did them on his own because he knew they had to be done. He will make a great Head Coach someday.

1 Votes

2007-08 Coach of the Year                                                03/26/2008 - 04/10/2008 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year for each district.

  • Dan Hein (Wausau West High School)

28 Votes

  • Darin Anderson (Clear Lake High School)

6 Votes

  • Eric Anderson (Viroqua High School)

5 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)

5 Votes

  • John Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)

4 Votes

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)

1 Votes

  • Jaime Hegland (River Valley High School)

1 Votes

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)

1 Votes

  • Angelo La Rosa (Port Washington High School)

1 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

0 Votes

2007-08 Wrestler of the Year                                             03/26/2008 - 04/10/2008 

  • Zac Cibula _
    Zac is the only 4 time state champion this year in Wisconsin and has successfuly participated on the Wisconsin Junior Nationa Freestyle Team last summer. Besides that Zac has always behaved in a very classy manner in any event that I have ever witnessed.
    4 time state champ 2 state team titles

15 Votes

  • Joe Budi _
    Joe was as dominant a wrestler as we have seen in Wisconsin in the past few years. Undefeated the past two years,2x state champion, an Iron Man Championship, and multiple championships in tought tournaments. He also did it in a low key, humble, confident way that represented his team, his family, and our state in a classy way.

13 Votes

  • Bill Lowney (West De Pere High School)
    Billy is a 3X State Finalist and a 2X State Champion. His last 2 seasons, he posted a record of 92-0 (which included defeating a 4X WI state champ). He is a NHSCA All-American. Posted 158 wins in his career. Billy has also qualified for the state cross country meet twice (finishing 15th in 2007) and is a multi-time state qualifier in track (placing 5th in the 800). Most importantly, he is an honor roll student and an upstanding citizen.

5 Votes

  • Bobby Wunnicke _
    4X state champion and a very classy individual. Had not been beat in the state of Wisconsin since BiState his freshman year.

5 Votes

  • Nick Hucke _
    3 X State Champion All American D 1 Calaber Wrestler

5 Votes

  • Duane Hartkopf of Crivitz _
    Worked his way up qualifying as a freshman, 4th as a soph., runner up as a jr. and Champ as a senior. Unbelievable all around athlete. Inspirational leader on and off the mat. He worked hard for everything he earned. Grade point of 3.8. One of the truly nice kids in the sport. His love of family showed, before he had his hand raised after winning the championship he ran off the mat and jumped into his father`s arm who was taking pictures on the side.

2 Votes

  • Grant Miller _
    Grant has displayed the determination and committment over the past year that is needed in order to be successful in wrestling at a state and national level. Grant was one of only two WI kids to place at NHSCA Junior nationals a year ago, one of only two WI individuals to beat nationally ranked competition during the high school season this year, finished first in what was arguably the toughest bracket in the state of WI this year, and also was undefeated this season while tying an all time WI record for most wins in a season with 52. Although some on this list have more impressive 4 year careers, Grant has had as good of a season and better than anyone in the state of WI.

2 Votes

  • Nick Hagar of Tomahawk _
    3 time state champion with an overall record of 148-5 Honor roll student. Excellent leader both on and off the mat. A 3 sport state entry.

2 Votes

  • Grant Sutter _
    2X state champ and 3X placewinner. Has not been beat in Wisconsin since his sophomore year at State. Multiple AA in Greco and FS.

1 Votes

  • Jon Biermeier _
    Jon is Cambridge’s first state champion in the school’s 46 year wrestling history. He has 144 career wins with 277 career takedowns (Jon had 117 takedowns this season) and 76 career pins. Jon has been a prime example of leadership and integrity. He has dedicated his time and efforts in wrestling by participating in the Advanced School of Wrestling program in Madison, WI. Jon has been able to balance his wrestling career with academics too; he is a member of the National Honors Society.

1 Votes

  • Brad Johnson-Manawa _
    Brad is a three time state qualifier and two time medalist. Brad organized a summer team camp for his team and displayed true leadership by his example all season. Brad`s career record of 167-23 demonstrated the success that he has enjoyed over his high school years. Brad intends to continue with wrestling on the college level.

0 Votes

2007-08 District 1 Coach of the Year                                 03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Darin Anderson (Clear Lake High School)
    Darin has coached Clear Lake`s first state tournament team. He has coached four individuals at state two of the last three years. The team won nine events this year, the only blemish was a loss at team state. Clear Lake`s wrestling program has tripled in numbers since he became head coach in 2001. Darin has been involved in building Clear Lake`s wrestling program for the past 23 years. He spends countless `extra` hours making himself a better coach, leader and mentor.

7 Votes

  • Chris Hansen (Hudson High School)
    In his 4th year at Hudson, his team went 19-0 in duals and won 7 tournament championships until losing to Wausau West in the sectional finals. Hudson won their 3rd straight Big Rivers title with an average score of 59-9. Hudson has also won three Regional titles in those four years. Hudson was ranked 8th in the state by Crossface.

7 Votes

  • Mark Ferguson (Unity High School (Balsam Lake))
    22 YEARS OF COACHING SEVERAL STATE WRESTLERS EVERY YEAR- STATE FINALIST 4 OF LAST 5 YERAS
    14 STATE QUALIFIERS IN LAST 7 YEARS

6 Votes

2007-08 District 1 Coach of the Year                                 03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

2007-08 District 2 Coach of the Year                                 03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Dan Hein (Wausau West High School)
    Dan has molded a program into a community of individuals working toward a common goal. His Warrior squad exemplifies the team aspect of our sport with spirit and class. The level of competition that the Wausau West wrestlers performed at all season is testament to the leadership that Dan provides.
    Has proven that determination and hard work pays off. A very driven coach with high ethical standards.

10 Votes

  • Bob Garrou (Tomahawk High School)
    Over 20 years of coaching experience. Has been a valuable part of many state qualifiers and state chamions the last 4 years.

1 Votes

2007-08 District 3 Coach of the Year                              03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Eric Anderson (Viroqua High School)
    Two finalists, One Champ
    WIAA Regional Champions, WIAA Sectional Runner-up.

5 Votes

  • Shawn Groshek (Adams Friendship High School)
    3 State Place winners in Division 2 for A-F. 2nd year in a row with a State Champion, at 130 lbs. Team won 2nd consecutive South Central Title. 18-2 overall. Continues to build a program for the ground up. His energy and dedication to the sport of wrestling is outstanding, and deserves recognition.

3 Votes

  • Ned Laughery (Blair-Taylor High School)
    Dairyland Conference Champs Two wrestlers to state, and one finalist.

3 Votes

  • Colin Green (Westby High School)
    17 and 3 record with 4 individual state qualifiers. Repeat of Coulee Conference Champions and WIAA Regional Champion. Strong Perseverance by staff and wrestlers when many things went against them over the course of the year.

1 Votes

  • Scott Parrish (Weston High School)

0 Votes

2007-08 District 4 Coach of the Year                                 03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)
    Jeff continues to produce outstanding wrestling teams that represent our sport well both on and off of the mat. 
    Has taken Wisconsin Wrestling into the National spotlite. Cheesehead is one of the primier tournaments in the country. A true champion!

8 Votes

  • Chris Gennrich (Hortonville High School)
    Chris continues to develop tough kids the right way. His team battled through some difficult spots this year and came on strong during the tournaments. 2 wrestlers in the finals and the schools first state champion.

2 Votes

  • Fred Brown (Sheyboygan Falls High School)

0 Votes

  • Charles Lulloff (Kiel High School)
    An extreemly dedicated coach. Has continued to produce outstanding wreslers and offers his athletes a positive learning experience throughout the season.

0 Votes

2007-08 District 5 Coach of the Year                                03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Jaime Hegland (River Valley High School)
    Jamie`s Team I feel had the biggest growth of any team in District 5. From begining to end.
    Absolutley doing a great job at River Valley

7 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)
    Chris is a class act on and off the mat. He always fields a competitive team. Chris is a great coach and someone who is fun to compete against becuase you know his team will alwyas wrestle hard. Chris again lead his team to state this year when they were suppose to be down and that shows the quality of his coaching.

7 Votes

  • Scott Schmitz (Mineral Point High School)
    He has keep up a good quality team year after year even when you think they might be down.

2 Votes2007-08 District 5 Coach of the Year5 03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • There are no nominations for this position.

2007-08 District 6 Coach of the Year                              03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • John Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)
    John Mesenbrink has built a tradition of success, strong work ethic, sportsmanship, and an exciting style of wrestling in the Arrowhead wrestling program over the past ten years. This year, qualified a school record (10) wrestlers to the State Individual Tournament. Not only has he had qualifiers for the tournament, but place-winners, multiple Champions, and multiple state title Champions. Qualified for the Team State Tournament for the 4th consecutive year. He has made Arrowhead one of the elite wrestling programs in the state. 
    Correction: Arrowhead qualified for the Team State Tournament for the 5th consecutive year.
    Is one of the most motivating and knowlegeable coaches in the State. A postivie influence on everyone he works with.

15 Votes

2007-08 District 7 Coach of the Year                              03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Angelo La Rosa (Port Washington High School)
    Angelo is a very tireless worker and his team this year responded very well to his committment.

5 Votes

  • Ed Kurth (Pewaukee High School)
    Ed has done a great job at Pewaukee and his team made it to team state this year just barely losing to the eventual state champs.

4 Votes

  • Douglas Glasenapp (Rufus King High School)
    Milwaukee King had their first state qualifier in over 10 years and that was because of Doug`s hard work and this feat is even better because his school is a basketball school and receives little or no help from his school.

2 Votes

2007-08 District 8 Coach of the Year                                03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)
    Ranked #18 in March 4 NCAA II poll. . . . . .qualified five individuals to NCAA II National Championships on March 14-15. . . . .2nd at 30-team Wheaton Invitational in early Feb.

2 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    Lakeland earned first team ranking in history. . .13-5 dual mark. 6th at NCAA III Great Lakes Regional. Northern Wrestling Conference Champion.

0 Votes

  • Chris Utter (Kettle Moraine High School)
    UW-Platteville finished 4th at WIAC Tournament and qualified two individuals to the NCAA III National Championships March 7-8. Team won MSOE & Manchester (Ind.) tourneys.

0 Votes

2009-12 District 1 Representative                                   03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Ed Lenard (Cadott High School)
    Has served as District 1 Representative for the past 6 years. Is retireed from teaching and would like to continue working with the WWCA.

18 Votes

2009-12 District 2 Representative                                   03/10/2008 - 03/25/2008 

  • Bob Skubal (Tomahawk High School)
    Retiring from teaching but would like to continue to work with the WWCA

11 Votes

2006-2007 Assistant Coach of the Year                            03/20/2007 - 03/31/2007 

  • Paul Naglosky (Shell Lake High School)
    Paul Naglosky is the ultimate asstitant wrestling coach- coaching 29 years of volunteer service and dedication in grades K-12. 29 YEARS AS HIGH SCHOOL ASSTITANT COACH--Paul`s committment to the program is unmatched, Shell Lake would not be the program it is today without his many years of effort. Paul coached 10 years before his sons wrestled- 8 years when they came through and 11 years after they have been gone-- that is dedication and committment.

17 Votes

  • Keith Verbeten (Reedsville)
    Keith has coached for 16 years at Wrightstown High School as assistant coach and 16 years as a 3rd and 4th grade coach. He was part of the coaching staff that led the Tigers to be the 1998 State Team Runner-up, the 1999, 2005 and 2006 State Team Champions. The team had 10 consecutive Olympian Conference Championships. This year after the team moved up to Division 2, he helped to win the Division 2 Regional, take 2nd at Team Sectional, and qualify 6 for the Individual State Tournament. During Keith`s coaching career, there have been 5 Individual State Champions, and numerous State Qualifiers and Place Winners.

10 Votes

  • Paul Haag (Deerfield High School)
    After wrestling for the University of Nebraska Paul started coaching in 1982 at Madison East with Bernie Kane. During his coaching tenure with East they had 7 Conference Champions and multiple place winners. In addition they had 6 state qualifiers including 1 State Champion and 3 additional place winners he left East to start his own business. When that got up and rolling he returned to coaching at Sun Prairie with Steve Nelson. While there from 1990-2000 they had 2-State runner ups 2-4th’s and 5th, 14 State qualifiers along with a team Big 8 Championship. He was then lured away in the 2000-01 season to our fledgling program in Deerfield. Since Paul has been here we have had 6 conference championships, 6 State Qualifiers, a 3rd, 4th, and 6th place finishers. During his coaching tenure at East, Sun Prairie and Deerfield Paul spent many hours teaching basic skills and advanced techniques to all wrestlers, youth through seniors. His knowledge of wrestling and his ability to communicate with athletes of varying skill levels contributed greatly to the success of all our programs.

6 Votes

  • Ky Olsen (Westosha Central High School)
    Helped lead Ellsworth to the state championship.

6 Votes

  • Gary Broome (Beaver Dam High School)
    Gary has been a volunteer for 30 years.

3 Votes

  • Doug Kryder (Mauston High School)
    Doug was an integral part of the establishment of New Lisbon`s program year`s ago. He has been an assistant at Mauston the past 5 years where his passion for the sport of wrestling has continued. He will be retiring from coaching following this season to pursue a career in school administration.

3 Votes

  • Brian Wojciechowski (New Berlin)

3 Votes

  • Dale Baeten (Brillion High School)
    Dale has coached under Joe Miller the past 6 seasons. Dale has also coached the 6th-8th grade wrestlers every year since he started coaching for Brillion 6 years ago.

2 Votes

  • Michael Steffen (St.Croix Falls)

2 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Mario goes above and beyond what is expected of any assistant coach. He has a passion for the sport of wrestling that is hard to match. MSOE is fortunate to have him.

2 Votes

  • Andy Skubal (Turtle Lake High School)

1 Votes

  • Adam Turner (De Forest High School)
    Adam Turner does an outstanding job as an assistant. He has the knowledge and skills to be great coach. He is also a quality individual and role model for student athletes.

1 Votes

  • Ross Buchinger (Appleton North High School)
    Big part of a great coaching staff.

0 Votes

2006-2007 Coach of the Year                                          03/20/2007 - 03/31/2007 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year for each district.

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    District 3

20 Votes

  • David Klaas (Retired)
    District 1

14 Votes

  • Andy Trudell (Mukwonago High School)
    District 6

10 Votes

  • William J Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    District 4

5 Votes

  • Ed Kurth (Pewaukee High School)
    District 7

2 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)
    District 5

2 Votes

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    District 8

2 Votes

  • Eric Lehrke (D.C. Everest High School)
    District 2

1 Votes

2006-2007 Wrestler of the Year                                         03/20/2007 - 03/31/2007 

  • Ben Askren _
    A former Hartland Arrowhead wrestler who became a two-time NCAA I champ and winner of the Hodge award (in 2006) which is given to the college wrestler of the year.

21 Votes

  • AL KISSEL _
    null

15 Votes

  • Greg Sonnentag - Cadott _
    Four time state finalist. Won second state championship this year. 49-1 record. Lead his team to the WIAA Division 3 Team State Tournament.

10 Votes

  • Cole Konrad _
    A former Freedom High School wrestler who won his second NCAA I national championship this year while winning 76 matches in a row.

4 Votes

  • Nick Hucke _
    2X State Champion going 50-0 this year.

4 Votes

  • T.J. Wunnicke _
    2X state champ, 4X placewinner 160+ career wins

2 Votes

  • Sean Garrigan Mauston _
    State Champion HWT Div 2 Defeated 17 ranked wrestlers during season.

1 Votes

2007-2009 WWCA President Elect                                     03/20/2007 - 03/31/2007 

  • Andrew Melton (Spooner High School)

30 Votes

  • Wendall Bean (Whitewater Middle School)

27 Votes

2006-2007 District 1 Coach of the Year                             03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • David Klaas (Retired)
    LAST YEAR 30 YEARS OF STARTING AND KEEPING THE PROGRAM GOING- DIFFICUT JOB AND HE TRUELEY DESERVES THIS AWARD AS HE RETIRES.

7 Votes

  • Dan Clark (St. Croix Falls High School)
    Dan took his team to a 5th place finish in the Northern Badger (37 teams). Won the Regional and made it all the way to the Team Sectional final.

1 Votes

2006-2007 District 2 Coach of the Year                             03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Eric Lehrke (D.C. Everest High School)
    Eric Lehrke`s team went from 6th in the the dual conference to 2nd in the Regional Tournament as a team. The Evergreens qualified 12 for the Sectional Tournament - and sent 5 to the State Tournament. At the State Tournament the Evergreens had a State Runner-up and a 6th place finisher. Eric turned his team around in one season and his kids peaked when`stuff` mattered most. Nice job to Eric and his Evergreen team.

7 Votes

  • Dan Hein (Wausau West High School)
    Dan has guided a young team to the State Team Finals.

3 Votes

  • Lewie Benitz (Lincoln High School)
    Lewie and Scott Benitz lead Rapids to the Division 1 state title. This is 5 straight, 12 out of the last 13, and 17th overall championship for Rapids.

1 Votes

  • Bob Garrou (Tomahawk High School)

0 Votes

2006-2007 District 3 Coach of the Year                             03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    Won the team state championship over Luxemburg-Casco.

10 Votes

  • Shawn Groshek (Adams Friendship High School)

4 Votes

  • Randy Pongratz (Mondovi High School)
    Randy coached Mondovi to it`s first ever conference championship in wrestling. Mondovi also won a Regional championship.

3 Votes

  • Colin Green (Westby High School)
    Coach Green won the Coulee Conference title and had an overall record of 15-2. This was accomplished with only one senior on the team. Sent three to state with two place winners... coached Tyler Manning (215) to state 3 years in a row.

2 Votes

  • Jack Hammond (Neillsville High School)

2 Votes

  • Don Nichols (Portage High School)
    Don Nichols is in his second year as a head coach and has already had a state champion. Don took over the Portage program and has worked tirelessly to bring the program back into prominence. The state champion he has is not a left-over from the previous coach. Don has worked with him to create a champion. Along with the state champion Don coached a sophomore 215 pound wrestler to a 4th place finish at the state tournament. Don has taken an inexperienced squad and made them competitive. Don`s team may not have won a state championship but to get them to where they are from where they were he needed to be a coach of the year caliber coach.

2 Votes

  • Ernie Brodsky (Melrose-Mindoro High School)
    Dairyland Conference Champions. 2 wrestlers to state.

0 Votes

2006-2007 District 4 Coach of the Year                            03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • William J Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    Had a great season. Led Tigers to team sectionals and qualified 6 wrestlers to division 2 state.

3 Votes

  • Fred Brown (Sheyboygan Falls High School)
    Fred has developed a solid state championship contending team this season through his dedication to the sport of wrestling both in and out of the season. His team sent 11 to sectionals and 8 onto state.

2 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)
    Jeff lead his team to the Grappling Gost, Waukesha West,Pulaski,FVA and Regional titles. He had seven wrestlers at the state tournament. His teams record was 22-3. With a young team that many thought would be a rebuilding year for the ghost. Kaukauna would not be the program it is without his great leadership.

2 Votes

  • Chris Gennrich (Hortonville High School)
    Coach Genrich has done a job consistently raising the ability and expectations of the Hortonville team. They compete and compete the right way.

0 Votes

  • Joe Miller (Brillion High School)
    Joe has coached 30 years at Brillion and Has led his team to Team State 2 times with this year being the second time. Joe has sent numerous individuals to the State Tournament and has coached several State Champs. Joe coached 5 Wrestlers at Individual State this year.

0 Votes

  • Jody VanLaanen (Sr.) (Ashwaubenon High School)
    Coach VanLaanen has done an outstanding job creating a very competitive team - up and down the line.

0 Votes

2006-2007 District 5 Coach of the Year                           03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)

7 Votes

  • Matt Webster (Dodgeville High School)
    Coached Dodgeville to it`s 2nd SWC Conference title, 1st outright, 11-1 overall record, 4 state placewinners(2 champs, 2nd and 3rd)and top team score in D.2 at State Tournament. 5th year as Head Coach.

2 Votes

  • Joe Langmeier (River Ridge High School)

0 Votes

2006-2007 District 6 Coach of the Year                            03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Andy Trudell (Mukwonago High School)
    Team State Qualifiers X 3 yrs 19-0 in regular season dual meets Classic 8 Dual and Tourney Champs 2 Individual State Champs Does it all with class and ethics

6 Votes

  • Brett Fankhauser (Deerfield High School)
    Brett has not received much recognition since he brought wrestling back to Deerfield nine years ago, but the fact that he has won the last six Trailway`s Conference Titles should not go without recognition.

2 Votes

  • Derek Bettenhausen (Cambridge High School)
    Derek in his first year won southern capitol conference crown and won the Deerfield regional and qualified a record 4 wrestlers thru to the state tourament series. Teaches the wrestlers with great respect and also has his atheletes treat officials and other wrestlers with the same respect.

1 Votes

  • Jeff Slayton (Beaver Dam High School)
    Jeff has been head coach at Beaver Dam High School for 7 years. He has lead the Golden Beavers to 2 Conference Dual Titles and 1 Conference tournament title. Last year 2005-2006 along with the conference title the Golden Beavers went on to win Regionals and Sectionals putting them at Team State for the first time ever in Beaver Dam Wrestling History. 11 individual State qualifiers as well as 1 state champion in 2004. Jeff also has built the numbers in the Beaver Dam Program over the past 7 years as Head coach and 15 years total at Beaver Dam. Jeff also works with his kids off the mat in community events and on their school successes. This past season after losing of their 11 starters the Golden Beavers were able to tie for second in the Wisconsin Little Ten Dual Season. 105-47 dual record.

1 Votes

2006-2007 District 7 Coach of the Year                             03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Ed Kurth (Pewaukee High School)
    Ed Kurth (Pewaukee) In Pewaukee`s first season in the Woodland coference, his team won the Dual meet championship and the Tournament Championship. His teams have also won six straight regional championships and barely missed making the Div.2 State Meet Losing 32-27 to Sheboygan Falls, a very difficult feat for a D2 team from the metro area.Pewaukee had a 15-4 over-all record including a 2nd place finish in the Hartford duals (36-28 loss to winner Muskego)and a 3rd place finish at the Zelinski Uals after defeating D1 State ranked Pulaski. Ed also runs the Pewaukee youth program from January to March and is very active in the off-season, holding open gyms and taking his team to tournaments in the summer. He has had 12 state qualifiers in the past three years, including the school`s first freshman state qualifier and the first sophomore to win a match at state.He has worked relentlessly to bring his team to the top, as he did at Milwaukee Pulaski in the late 1990`s, and it is finally paying off. He also has put great effort into keeping each wrestler abiding by the athletic code through-out their careers. He deserves your vote.

8 Votes

  • Jim Hauerwas (Oak Creek High School)
    Jim has just finished his 30th year coaching. This year`s team qualified 5 individuals to the individual state tournament. 189lber Malcolm Briggs finished 2nd in the state tournament with a 46-1 record. Jim also lead a team that was in a rebuilding year to a berth in the State Team Tournament.

3 Votes

  • Angelo La Rosa (Port Washington High School)
    Angelo LaRosa had a dual meet record of 18-3 in his lst year of coaching,sent four individuals to the state tournament and his team made it to the final four of the division 1 state team tournament.In addition, Angelo runs the middle school program and helps out with the port club team.Angelo is agoing to be a very good coach.

3 Votes

  • Guy Powell (Germantown High School)
    Germantown repeated as North Shore Conference runner-ups. More importantly, the program has fundraised over 10,000 dollars to support the wrestlers. Coach Powell presented to the school board to secure funds for the completion of the wrestling room.

1 Votes

2006-2007 District 8 Coach of the Year                             03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Peter Rogers (Lakeland College)
    winning dual record kept the program together despite injuries

4 Votes

2008-2011 District 7 Representative                                 03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)
    He is running for reelection and I was happy with the job he did.

14 Votes

  • Guy Powell (Germantown High School)

1 Votes

2008-2011 District 8 Representative                                 03/10/2007 - 03/19/2007 

  • Bret Corner (Concordia University)

4 Votes

  • Mike DeRoehn (Lakeland College)

0 Votes

2005-2006 Assistant Coach of the Year                            03/21/2006 - 04/01/2006 

  • Dick Vosters (Freedom High School)
    Dick is a motivating force behind Freedom`s success. He has giving countless hours for 20+ years contributing to Freedom`s success at all age levels.

11 Votes

  • Paul Naglosky (Shell Lake High School)
    Paul Naglosky is the ultimate asstitant wrestling coach- coaching 28 years of volunteer service and dedication in grades K-12. Paul`s committment to the program is unmatched, Shell Lake would not be the program it is today without his many years of effort. Paul coached 10 years before his sons wrestled- 8 years when they came through and 10 years after they have been gone-- that is dedication and committment.

7 Votes

  • Douglas LeClair (Logan High School)
    After 30 years coaching wrestling at Beloit Turner High School, Doug has decided to retire from coaching. He has coached at every level from kids club to varsity. He did all of this for 19 years before his two sons wrestled and for 3 years after they graduated. The sport of wrestling is losing one of its greatest ambassadors.

6 Votes

  • Reuben Munoz (Waukesha)
    The entire Assistant staff at New Berlin West High School. Reuben Munoz, Dan Pierce and Bryan Santandrea. These coaches are in their second year at New Berlin West. These coaches have put in endless hours to create and build a program. New Berlin had 7 wrestlers in 2003-2004. Thanks to their efforts, the HS fills a Varsity line-up with extra for JV. The Middle School and youth programs were created and now have 30 plus on each of those teams.

3 Votes

  • Merrill Varsity Assistants _
    The Merrill Varsity Assistants as one unit - (Mark Weix, Brian Suchocki, Dom Belfiori, and Ryan Martinovici) Together - a great group of guys that are dedicated to the sport of wrestling and have made a difference. As all assistants they have put in countless, unselfish hours of hard work and dedication - with little praise.

3 Votes

  • John Arnott (Tomahawk High School)

2 Votes

  • Gary Grimm (Verona)
    Gary was involved in starting the Verona wrestling youth program 20+ years ago and has spent the last 7 years at HS level. The time that Coach Grimm has put in behind the scenes has helped make Verona Area Wrestling successful.

2 Votes

  • Mario Trafficante (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
    Mario has helped to build the MSOE (NCAA III) team into a powerhouse. He give unselfishly of his time and talents to all wrestlers at all levels. He constantly puts on clinics - not for personal gain - but to help the sport of wrestling.

2 Votes

  • Joe Russell (Menomonee Falls High School)
    Has dedicated himself to the improvement of the Menomonee Falls wrestling program. Joe has been actively involved in starting a Youth Club in Menomonee Falls. Above all, Joe is a quality person and an excellent role model for student athletes.

1 Votes

  • Andy Skubal (Turtle Lake High School)

1 Votes

  • John Veal (Brookfield East High School)
    John Veal (Brookfield East) John has played an integral role in the Milwaukee wrestling community over the past 4 years. John first made his mark while assisting at Milwaukee Custer one of the most successful city programs to date, producing a state champion at 189 lbs. John gives up his nights and weekends year round for the betterment of Wisconsin wrestling; including camps, clinics, tournaments, and personal training. In just two years as an assistant at Brookfield East, John helped the team qualify 3 wrestlers to the 2005 state tournament, and a 4th place finish at 145 lbs. He brings enthusiasm and intensity to practice each day, and is committed to the kids both on and off the mat. He would be an excellent recipient for the assistant coach of the year award.

1 Votes

  • Gerald Hoerth (Chilton High School)

0 Votes

  • Matt Morin (Milwaukee)
    A key component of the West Allis Central team.

0 Votes

  • Harold Pence (Milwaukee)
    Harold (Joe) Pence brings strong faith and character to the sport. He is an intellectual and has furthered the progress of Germantown Wrestling by computerizing our stats, records, and JV tournament.

0 Votes

 2005-2006 Coach of the Year                                           03/21/2006 - 04/01/2006 
The nominees will be those voted district coach of the year from each district.

  • William R Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    District 4

14 Votes

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    District 2

9 Votes

  • Robert Wozniak (Verona Area High School)
    District 5

4 Votes

  • Jim McMahon (Menomonee Falls High School)
    District 7

3 Votes

  • Jamie Olson (Boyceville High School)
    District 1

3 Votes

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    District 3

3 Votes

  • Steve Leurquin (Cambridge)
    District 6

2 Votes

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)
    District 8

0 Votes

  • Keith Morin (Greenfield High School)
    District 7

0 Votes

2005-2006 Wrestler of the Year                                      03/21/2006 - 04/01/2006 

  • Trevor Brandvold _
    189 lbs. River Falls: State champion, 2 time runner up with a 7-6 loss to Max Askren. 2005 National Jr. Champion Folkstyle and rated the number 1 senior in the country by USA magazine at 189. Cliff Keen Dream team selection and his this season he had 35 pins 3 techs and 3 majors.

22 Votes

  • Dustin Perry - Merrill _
    3X WIAA State Champion @ 135#, WIAA 5th Place finish as a Freshamn, 4X Sectional Champ, 4X Regional Champ, and 139-8 Career Record.

11 Votes

  • Kevin Tritz _
    2 time state champ, plus runner up once and not one of his matches were close. TOUGH!

6 Votes

  • David Casper _
    David Casper, of Westby, one his 2nd straight Division II State Championship. A tough competitor David bounced back from three defeats to capture the 189 lb. title. A three time state placewinner for WAHS.

2 Votes

2005-2006 District 1 Coach of the Year                            03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Jamie Olson (Boyceville High School)
    Lead his team to his second Team State Tournament

9 Votes

2005-2006 District 2 Coach of the Year                             03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Scott Arneson (Merrill High School)
    3rd straight year to team state tough individuals

9 Votes

2005-2006 District 3 Coach of the Year                         03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Jack Radabaugh (Ellsworth High School)
    Continues to be the leader of a perrenial power with great numbers and always competitive.

7 Votes

  • Eric Anderson (Viroqua High School)

6 Votes

2005-2006 District 4 Coach of the Year                           03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • William R Verbeten (Wrightstown High School)
    Bill is the head coach at Wrightstown. Another State Championship with many new faces and a ton of hard work.

10 Votes

  • Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna)

4 Votes

  • Robert Berceau (Luxemburg-Casco High School)
    Bob Berceau -Head Coach Luxemburg-Casco Division 2 State Champions

2 Votes

2005-2006 District 5 Coach of the Year                           03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Robert Wozniak (Verona Area High School)
    Verona had 4 underclassman state qualifiers this year with a Champion, 5th and 6th place finish. 12 dual wins this year > most in school history. After 7th year has coached 2 state champions out of 4 state finalists and 12 state placewinners out of 20 qualifiers.

5 Votes

  • Scott Tolzman (Dodgeville High School)
    Led his team to a 12-3 record and a 2nd place finsh in the SWC after a 2-12 record last year, also had a state champ and runner-up this year

3 Votes

  • Chris Persike (Lodi High School)
    He had eight starting varsity wrestlers this year, who had no previous varsity experience, and still lead his team to a Division II runner up in the state team tournament.

2 Votes

  • Jaime Hegland (River Valley High School)
    Jamie has brought River Valley back. His kids showed the most improvement from begin to end this year. That a great sign.

1 Votes

  • Chuck Rasmussen (Lancaster)
    Class, competitive and competent... Year in and year out he is able to make a team perform at an optimal level with numerous situations.

1 Votes

2005-2006 District 6 Coach of the Year                             03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Steve Leurquin (Cambridge)
    Head Coach at Cambridge. Has been building a great program for several years. Earned their first conference championship this year. Multiple tournament championships as well this season. Above all, he brings respect to our sport and builds good young men.

16 Votes

2005-2006 District 7 Coach of the Year                             03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Jim McMahon (Menomonee Falls High School)
    In his 4th year at Menomonee Falls HS, Coach McMahon led his team to the GMC Dual Meet Championship and the WIAA Regional Championship (the first for the school since 1981). He is also active in the off-season development of wrestlers in the area.

4 Votes

  • Keith Morin (Greenfield High School)
    Keith lives in Greendale but is the head coach at Greenfield High School.

4 Votes

  • Craig Belcher (Milwaukee Hamilton High School)
    Craig earned his 300th victory this season and had a nice season. He is a great ambassador for wrestling in Distrcit 7.

3 Votes

  • Chris Kempowski (Milwaukee Riverside High School)
    Has worked hard to rebuild the program at Riverside. When he took over the was none existant and he recruited 8 freshman, 4 years later he fields a full varsity and 10-15 jv wrestlers. His team is always competive and improving. Nice Job Chirs!!

2 Votes

  • Guy Powell (Germantown High School)
    Germantown`s program has gone from a conference place of 7th to 2nd in the North Shore. Placed 3rd at regionals (8 sectional qualifiers) Gtown`s 275 wrestler placed 5th (best showing of North Shore Conference teams) at state. Middle School Program up and strong and youth program resurrected.

1 Votes

2005-2006 District 8 Coach of the Year                           03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Jim Koch (UW-Parkside)
    Once again his team was a nationally ranked NCAA II team and national power.

3 Votes

  • Bret Corner (Concordia University)
    Bret has done a great job at Concordia and his team won teh Lake Michigan conference championship.

0 Votes

2007-2010 District 5 Representative                                  03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Scott Smith (Sauk Prairie High School)

7 Votes

2007-2010 District 6 Representative                                  03/11/2006 - 03/20/2006 

  • Wendall Bean (Whitewater Middle School)

16 Votes