MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Jan. 27–Feb. 3)
BOYS WRESTLING: SWC/SWAL Clash

By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent

Flying Arrows nip Iowa–Grant/Highland to win conference tournament title
RICHLAND CENTER – With 160 points and two individual champions, the Lancaster boys’ wrestling team captured the team title at last Saturday’s SWC-SWAL Clash held at Richland Center High School.

Coach Tyson Wolf’s Flying Arrows finished just half a point ahead of second-place Iowa–Grant/Highland (159.5), and 22 points ahead of third-place Mineral Point (138), which won this year's SWAL Duals title. Iowa–Grant/Highland crowned two individual champions, as did Belmont/Platteville, while Mineral Point had one. Riverdale (137.5), which finished fourth, had the most individual champions with three.

“We talk about finishing the day with an odd place number, and Saturday we did a great job of that,” said Lancaster head coach Tyson Wolf. “We won nine of the 10 placement matches that we had, so it is a nice stepping stone as we head into the sectional tournament here in a couple of weeks.”

Picking up individual titles for the Arrows were 190-pound senior Nolan Hanke and 215-pound sophomore Toay Ragatz.

Both wrestlers went 4–0 on the day, Hanke collecting 27.5 points with two pins and a technical fall following a first-round bye, and Ragatz collecting 25 points on one pin, one major decision and one regular decision following his first-round bye.

Hanke scored a 18–0 technical fall over Fennimore senior Ryder Zdanczewicz in the 190-pound championship match, while Ragatz beat Prairie du Chien's Jack Simmons 18–8 with a major decision in the 215-pound title bout.

Third-place finishes were collected by 126-pound junior Layne Hendrix (3–1), who scored 15.5 points for the Arrows, 157-pound junior Trayton McLimans (4–1), who scored 18 points, and 285-pound senior Brady Lawinger (4–1), who also scored 18 points. 

Lawinger's second-period pin (2:46) over River Valley's Colt Neubauer in the 285-pound third-place match officially gave the Flying Arrows' final points to edge IGH for the team title.

Junior Jackson Seippel had the team’s only other winning record, going 3-2 on the day to finish fourth in the 175-pound bracket.

Last Tuesday night the Flying Arrows traveled to Boscobel for a triangular meet with Boscobel/Wauzeka–Steuben and Iowa–Grant/Highland. The Lancaster boys first took on BWS, where they scored 48 points on six pins and two forfeits, while giving up 32 points on four pins, one technical fall and one decision.

Picking up pins for the Arrows were 120-pound freshman Clayton Riley (1:48), 126-pound junior Layne Hendrix (0:35), 165-pound junior Trayton McLimans (0:59), 175-pound junior Jackson Seippel (0:55), 190-pound senior Nolan Hanke (1:27) and 215-pound sophomore Toay Ragatz (1:53).

The Lancaster boys then took the mat against IGH Panthers, who defeated the Arrows 47–35. Coach Tyson Wolf’s squad gave up 47 points off seven pins and one technical fall, while scoring 35 points on four pins, one technical fall and one forfeit.

While Ragatz picked up a 20-5 technical fall in his 215-pound match, 132-pound sophomore Ronnie Ragatz, 138-pound junior John Muldoon, , McLimans at 157 pounds and Hanke at 190 all picked up pins for the Arrows.

SWC-SWAL Clash
(from Saturday, Jan. 31, at Richland Center)
Team scores - 1. Lancaster 160; 2. Iowa-Grant/Highland 159.5; 3. Mineral Point 138; 4. Riverdale 137.5; 5. Prairie du Chien 126; 6. Belmont/Platteville 124; 7. Fennimore 116.5; 8. Dodgeville 102; 9. Cuba City/Benton/Southwestern 86; 10. Boscobel/Wauzeka-Steuben 76; 11. River Valley 70.5; 12. Richland Center 58.5; 13. Darlington 24. 
Lancaster Varsity Boys
106 - Aaron Bahl (0-2) did not place and scored 0 points. 113 - Will Kratochvill (2-2) placed 5th and scored 8 points. 120 - Clayton Riley (2-2) placed 5th and scored 6 points. 126 - Layne Hendrix (3-1) placed 3rd and scored 15.5 points. 132 - Ronnie Ragatz (4-2) placed 5th and scored 15 points. 144 - Brian Best (0-2) did not place and scored 0 points. 150 - Stehl Nelson (0-2) did not place and scored 0 points. 157 - Trayton McLimans (4-1) placed 3rd and scored 18 points. 165 - Brady McCartney (3-2) placed 5th and scored 13 points. 175 - Jackson Seippel (3-2) placed 4th and scored 14 points. 190 - Nolan Hanke (4-0) placed 1st and scored 27.5 points. 215 - Toay Ragatz (4-0) placed 1st and scored 25 points. 285 - Brady Lawinger (4-1) placed 3rd and scored 18 points.