Team wins invite for third year in a row
By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Most head up north for vacation. The Elkhorn Area High School wrestling team heads up north to win tournaments against some of the state’s better competition.
The Elks traveled to DeForest High School Saturday and won the Norski Invite for the third consecutive season.
“It was impressive up there,” Elks coach Ken Reynolds said. “There was some really good wrestling up there. The talent was huge.”
The Elks wrestled for either first or third place in 13 of 14 weight classes, and won three weight classes.
“It was really difficult for us to finish that way and still win the tournament,” Reynolds said.
Benji Peak, wrestling at 106 pounds, won an individual title, as did John Olsen (145) and Dylan Linhart (220).
Bryce Fitzgerald (126), Konnor Mohr (152), Bryce Jacobson (160), Keaton Verhoeven (182) and Richie Heidemann (285) each finished second.
Peak, with a record of 25-2, was losing in the championship match to West Bend West’s Justin Lor. Lor is ranked 10th and Peak 11th in the latest Wisconsin Wrestling Online Division 1 state rankings. Peak pinned Lor for the title.
“We’re just in shape and we’re mentally tough, and he outwrestled the kid and turned him over and pinned him,” Reynolds said. “The resiliency and tenacity these kids have is just great.”
Olsen (23-2) pinned De Forest’s Will Gahnz in 2 minutes, 47 seconds in the championship match. Reynolds said Gahnz beat Olsen earlier this season.
Linhart (25-2), ranked fourth in the state at 220, beat West Bend West’s Zach Klemstein 5-1 in the championship match.
Verhoeven (22-6) entered the Norski with a record of 20-5 and was seeded sixth. Verhoeven defeated two ranked wrestlers and faced Hartford’s Beau Breske (27-0) in the final.
Breske, ranked No. 1 in the state at 170 and a two-time WIAA Division 1 state champion, pinned Verhoeven in 3:40.
“What a great job he did,” Reynolds said of Verhoeven. “He had an unbelievable day and has improved so much.”
Elkhorn’s Connor Leahy (120), Alex Brahm (132), Riley Remington (138), Walter Damask (170) and Jordan Barr (195) finished fourth. Jayce Coffey finished fifth (113)
The Elks defeated Waterford 65-10 Jan. l5 in a Southern Lakes Conference dual meet at home. Remington, Olsen, Mohr, Jacobson, Damask, Verhoeven, Barr, Linhart, Heidemann, Peak, Fitzgerald and Brahm won for Elkhorn.
Elkhorn defeated Union Grove 52-15 in a SLC dual meet Jan. 8 at home. Jacobson, Verhoeven, Heidemann, Coffey, Peak, Fitzgerald, Brahm, Remington, Olsen and Mohr won for the Elks.
The dual meet victory against the Broncos marked Reynolds’ 200th victory with the Elks. Reynolds took over as head coach in 1998, and has been involved with the program in a coaching capacity since 1984.
The Elks do not wrestle again until a Jan. 29 SLC dual meet at Badger High School.
