February 8, 2024
WIAA Tournament Series to Get Underway this Weekend.
The winter sports season is coming to a close as the beginning of the WIAA State Tournament Series in boys swimming and wrestling taking place this Saturday, February 10. The WIAA hockey tournament will begin on Tuesday, February 13. The swimming season will conclude on February 16 and 17 with the state meet being held at the Waukesha South HS Natatorium. Wrestling will have their individual state tournament February 22-24 at the Kohl Center on the UW-Madison campus. The Wrestling team Championship will be held March 1 and 2 at the UW-Fieldhouse in Madison. Hockey will hold its championship weekend February 29-March 2 at Bob Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton.
Swimming
The Division 1 swimming teams that compete in the FRCC travel to Neenah for the Sectional Swim Meet being held at the Junior High School (Old High School). FRCC Champion Bay Port will look to defend their Sectional Title from a year ago. The FRCC fared well in last year’s Sectional meet. Besides Bay Port winning last year’s meet, Sheboygan North finished 3rd, Green Bay United 4th and Manitowoc Lincoln 5th. Pulaski also competed at the Neenah Sectional last year while Sheboygan South was part of the Fond du Lac Sectional.
Swimmers qualify for the State Swim meet according to the following criteria:
(1) The State Meet will be held on Friday, February 16 (Division 2) and Saturday, February 17 (Division 1) at Waukesha South H.S.
(2) Participating in the State Meet will be:
(a) Swimming
1) Winners of each event at each sectional.
2) Next 18 (Division 1) and 12 (Division 2) fastest individuals/relay teams (not including sectional winners) from all sectionals.
(b) Diving
1) Winners at each sectional.
2) Next 18 (Division 1) and 12 (Division 2) best individuals (not including sectional winners) from all sectionals.
The Pirates will be led by senior Dominick Azzolina who will compete in the 200 yd freestyle (2nd seed), 100 yd butterfly (top seed).
Freshman Aadin Terrazas of Sheboygan North is the top seed in the 200 yd freestyle and the 500 yd freestyle.
Other top seeds from the FRCC include:
- Senior Drew Crees of ManitowocLincoln – 100 yd freestyle
- Senior Trevor Graham of Sheboygan North – 100 yd backstroke
- Sheboygan North – 400 yd freestyle relay
Ashwaubenon and Pulaski will compete in Division 2 in the Sectional Meet being hosted by Ashwaubenon. The Jaguars placed second to Rhinelander in last year’s Sectional Meet.
Senior Andrew Hodek of Ashwaubenon will be looking to defend his sectional titles from last year’s meet in the 200 yd freestyle and the 500 yd freestyle.
Go to this link to get information on Swimming dates, times, and locations: WIAA Swimming
Wrestling
FRCC schools that compete in wrestling compete at the Division 1 level. Ashwaubenon, Bay Port,
De Pere, Green Bay Preble and Pulaski will compete at the Green Bay Preble Regional. Manitowoc Lincoln, Sheboygan North, and Sheboygan South will compete at the West Bend West Regional. The team champions and runners-up from the Regional will move on to the team Sectional held on Tuesday, February 13. The winner of the team sectional will then move on to the Team State Tournament.
Wrestlers qualify for the Individual Sectional and State tournament according to the following criteria:
Sectional Qualifiers
(1) Boys – The first four finishers in each weight division in all regionals, qualify for one of eight sectionals in Division 1 and one of four sectionals in Divisions 2 and 3 on Saturday, February 17.
(2) Girls – Tournament competition will start with sectionals on Saturday, February 17. There will be one competitor allowed in each weight class per school. c.
State Qualifiers
(1) Boys – The first two finishers in each weight division in Division 1 and the top three finishers in Divisions 2 and 3 in all sectionals qualify for the State Tournament.
(2) Girls – The first place finisher in each weight class in all sectionals qualify for the State Tournament.
FRCC Wrestlers who are entering the WIAA Regional tournament with undefeated records in the conference include:
Ashwaubenon 190/215 Hockers, Easton 6-0
Bay Port 126 Schlumpf, Alois 5-0
Bay Port 138 Welnetz, Cole 7-0
Bay Port 150 Bartlein, Cole 7-0
Bay Port 157 Athey, Braeden 6-0
Bay Port 165 Bruckner, Ayden 7-0
Bay Port 175 Schomaker, Nicholas 7-0
Bay Port 215 Weyenberg, Lukas 7-0
Bay Port 285 Warden, Alex 7-0
De Pere 120/126/132 Neuville, Olin 7-0
Pulaski 113 Nelson, Alec 6-0
Pulaski 144 Gorecki, Cole 6-0
Pulaski 144/150 Taylor, Mason 7-0
Pulaski 157 Goodness, Sawyer 7-0
Pulaski 190/215 Karcz, Elliott 6-0
Pulaski 190/215 Woosencraft, Chase 7-0 Go to this link to get information on Wrestling dates, times, and locations: WIAA Wrestling
Hockey
All five FRCC Hockey teams compete at the Division 1 level and they are all placed in Sectional 2. The top seeded team will host through the third round of the tournament with the Sectional Final being at a predetermined site. Notre Dame Academy is the defending state champion having finished last year’s campaign with a 27-0 record on their way to the championship. The Tritons received a 2-seed in this year’s tournament and will host the winner of the De Pere/Oshkosh North match-up in the second round. Bay Port, the 2024 FRCC Champion breaking Notre Dame’s hold on the FRCC, received the 1-seed in the tournament and will host the winner of the Sheboygan/Ashwaubenon match-up in the second round.
Goalie and player of the year Devin Rustlie leads the Pirate squad and along with Will Lyons and Nick Voss, First Team All-Conference selections and among the league leaders in goals scored, Bay Port is hoping to make some noise in this year’s tournament. First Team All-Conference selections Wyatt Herres and Joseph Coghlin lead the Tritons.
With the FRCC Championship determined a couple weeks ago the teams have been tuning up for the tournament with non-conference games. After losing 3 of 4 games after the FRCC Tournament, Bay Port defeated Homestead on Tuesday and they are looking to carry that momentum into tournament play.
Go to this link to get information on Hockey brackets, dates, times, and locations: WIAA Hockey
