Pioneer wrestlers prepared for WIAC Championship

Written by Colten Bartholomew, UW-Platteville  Sports Information Intern

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – An experienced group of wrestlers will lead the fifth-seeded Pioneers to La Crosse Saturday for the 2014 WIAC Wrestling Championship.

Head coach Chris Walter's lineup, though relatively young, has had plenty of mat time against high-level competition over the past few years to prepare them for this weekend's tough test.

The Pioneers begin the tournament with a dual against UW-Stevens Point, who defeated the Pioneers 38-6 Dec. 16 at Williams Fieldhouse. Despite the loss, sophomores Cole Ferguson and Dylan DeShane both earned decision victories over their Pointer foes.

Ferguson (14-5) and DeShane (13-11) are joined by fellow sophomore Mason Bohm as some of the top competitors on the Pioneers squad, as Bohm as posted a 12-8 record overall with three pins and three major decisions to his credit.

Junior Trenton Larson (12-11) has come on strong as of late, riding a three-match win streak into Saturday. Larson has solidified the 165-pound slot in the Pioneer lineup and has won six of his last eight matches.

Fellow junior Bryant Etherton (10-12) has been a consistent performer for the Pioneers at 197 pounds. He has posted four pins and two major decisions to his credit.

Senior Devin Johnson (9-12) has settled into his role at 184 pounds, and is looking to have a breakout showing Saturday. Johnson is second on the team with five pins and three major decisions on the season.

Should the Pioneers defeat the Pointers in the first round, they will square off with the UW-Whitewater Warhawks in the second-round. If the Pioneers falls in round one, they will face the loser of the dual between the third-seeded Titans of UW-Oshkosh and the sixth-seeded Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire.

Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and full recap of the tournament will be available here Saturday night.