Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team secured second place at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship held at Kachel Gymnasium in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The event, presented by Culver's, saw the Blugolds produce four individual champions: Izzy Balsiger at 125 pounds, Zach Sato at 149 pounds, Jared Stricker at 174 pounds, and Ian Pepple at 197 pounds.

Balsiger, Sato, and Stricker have each claimed multiple WIAC championships. Stricker became only the second wrestler in Blugolds history to win four conference titles. Both Balsiger and Sato earned their second career crowns while Pepple captured his first.

The Blugolds accumulated a total of 147.5 points to finish as runners-up behind UW-La Crosse's winning score of 158.5 points. In the 125-pound category, Balsiger achieved a flawless 4-0 performance and clinched his title with a sudden victory over Jalen Dunson from UW-Whitewater in the finals.

Sato secured his title after three matches without defeat. He triumphed by technical fall in the quarterfinals and went on to win by decision against Josh Cherba from UW-La Crosse in the finals. This marks Sato's second conference championship following his success in 2022.

Stricker made history with four wins to take the top spot in the 174-pound bracket. He joined Davey Starks as one of only two wrestlers from UW-Eau Claire to secure four conference championships. Stricker concluded with a narrow victory over Eddie Simes from UW-La Crosse.

Pepple also emerged victorious after three matches, claiming his inaugural WIAC championship by defeating Ben Kawczynski of UW-La Crosse with an impressive major decision.

The Blugolds had two runners-up: Niall Schoenfelder at 184 pounds and Sloan Welch at 285 pounds. Schoenfelder notched up his semifinal victory surpassing a career milestone of over 100 wins while Welch reached the finals before being bested by Michael Douglas from UW-La Crosse.

Cole Matulenko placed third at 197 pounds while several other Blugold wrestlers achieved fourth-place finishes across various weight categories.

The team's focus now shifts towards the NCAA postseason starting February 28 through March 1 during which they will compete in Minneapolis for the Upper Midwest Regional hosted by Augsburg College.