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Griffiths, Morris, Urban advance to sectionals
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HILLSBORO — This year Hillsboro’s Jason Griffiths will have company at sectionals.

Griffths won the 113-pound title at Saturday’s WIAA Division 3 Hillsboro regional to earn his second straight trip to sectionals.

He will be joined by junior Mitchell Morris and sophomore Jacob Urban, who finished second at regionals in their respective weight classes.

All three will participate in Saturday’s WIAA D2 Mineral Point sectional. The top three finishers at each weight will advance to next week’s WIAA Individual State Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Griffiths (25–9) needed only to beat New Lisbon freshman Dalton Lee (13–12) to win the 113-pound title at the six-team regional. He pinned Lee in just over a minute.

Griffiths received back-to-back byes into the championship, as he and Dalton were the only two entries in the weight class.

Morris (12–8) defeated Weston/Ithaca sophomore Savannah Hisel (12–14) in the semifinals before suffering a 3–0 loss to New Lisbon sophomore Isaac LaBudda (23–12) in the 126-pound title match.

Morris then scored an 8–0 major decision over Brookwood senior Montana Donaldson (13–16) in a wrestleback to clinch second place and his first sectional berth.

After a first-round bye at 170 pounds, Urban (26–9) pinned Royall freshman Laredo Benson (4–11) in the semifinals.

Ithaca/Weston sophomore Cade Nettesheim (13–11) upset top-seeded Urban in the finals with a second-period pin.

However, Urban bounced back with a third-period pin of Brookwood’s Robert Cale (14–21) in the second-place wrestleback match to advance to sectionals.

Senior Jacob Benish (18–9) ended his career with a third-place finish at 182 pounds. He suffered a 12–9 decision to second-seeded Jaden Havlik of Brookwood in the semifinals.

He then picked up an injury default win over Royall’s Caleb Leis, but did not received a wrestleback for second-place when New Lisbon’s Kyle Woodward pinned Havlik in the finals.

Dakota Wells (14–13) ended his season with a third-place finish at 120 pounds.

Yobani Mora (11–13) also finished third at regionals at 132.

Griffiths will face North Crawford/Seneca sophomore Trea Steele (14–10) in the opening round at Saturday’s Mineral Point sectional.

Morris will square off with  Fennimore sophomore Alston Nutter (34–5), the defending D3 state champion at 120 pounds.

Urban also drew a tough opening round sectional match against Mineral Point senior Scott Pittz (38–1), a 2015 state runner-up at 152 pounds and the top-ranked wrestler in the division at 170 this year.