Junior Greco- Roman National Duals Recap

The Tournament Trajectory: How the 15th Place Finish Happened

The Junior National Duals format shifts teams into different tiered brackets based on their performance on Day 1. Wisconsin’s rollercoaster performance through the preliminary pool dictated their path into the Bronze/Copper placement tier.

1. The Preliminary Pool Stage (Pool D)

Wisconsin started the tournament with immense momentum, blowing past Kansas Silver 58-13. The Badgers utilized a highly explosive attack, racking up early pins and technical falls to take complete control of the dual.

However, the team ran into a wall in the pool semifinals against a loaded No. 5 ranked Washington squad, falling 49-19. Washington dominated the upper-middle and upper weight classes, putting together a streak of 11 consecutive wins from 120 pounds up to 285 pounds. Wisconsin’s only contested wins in that dual came from lower-weight anchors Kolten Mueller and Caden Bock.

Wisconsin bounced back in the consolation semifinals with a gritty 35-32 win over Georgia, but ultimately missed out on a higher placement tier when they lost the Pool 3rd Place Match to Maryland, 41-24.

2. The Bronze/Copper Round Robin Gauntlet

By finishing 4th in Pool D, Wisconsin was placed into the Bronze/Copper pool for Day 2 to compete for places 13 through 16.

This round-robin stage featured incredible heartbreak. In the first round against Oregon, the dual finished in a 34-34 deadlock. Wisconsin won major bonus-point matchups, including pins from Cash Botting and Preston Krueger. However, because Oregon won 8 individual matchups to Wisconsin’s 7, Oregon was awarded the team victory via the tournament’s first tiebreaker criteria.

Defeats to regional powerhouses Michigan Blue (43-25) and Iowa (46-24) forced Wisconsin into the 15th-place classification match.

3. Emphatic Finish in the 15th Place Match

Wisconsin saved one of their best collective performances for last, crushing Alabama 51-17. The Badgers completely overwhelmed Alabama, winning 12 of the 15 weight classes. This commanding win allowed the team to end a grueling, 8-dual tournament on home soil with a definitive victory.

Tactical & Weight-Class Breakdown

Heavyweight Dominance: Preston Krueger (285 lbs)

Krueger was arguably the team’s most valuable asset. Going 7-1, he proved he could win in every possible scenario. He showed explosive offense with fast finishes (like his 30-second pin against Oregon) but also demonstrated tactical discipline under pressure, grinding out a crucial 11-10 decision victory during the dual against Iowa.

Lower Weight Anchor: Kolten Mueller (113 lbs)

Whenever Mueller was on the mat, he guaranteed bonus points. Going 5-0 in his contested matches, he shut down opposing offenses completely. He did not give up a single team point across any of his bouts, systematically breaking down opponents with heavy hand-fighting and par terre turns to secure four technical falls and a first-period pin.

Middle-Weight Firepower: Izaiah Sanchez (150 lbs) & Braeden Hamill (138 lbs)

Sanchez and Hamill provided the necessary spark in the middle of the lineup. Sanchez’s aggressive style resulted in 5 technical falls and a pin, proving crucial in the tight win over Georgia. Hamill showed an incredibly high scoring ceiling, highlighted by a wild, high-scoring 22-12 technical fall against Washington where he repeatedly countered and out-scrambled his opponent.

Final Tournament Record Summary

• Overall Dual Record: 3 wins, 5 losses
• Total Dual Points Scored: 260
• Total Dual Points Allowed: 276
• Individual Match Record (All Weights): 52 wins, 68 losses (including forfeits)

1. The Leaders

• Kolten Mueller– Milton (113 lbs) | 5-0 (1.000)
  • Wins: 4 Technical Falls, 1 Pin
  • Note: Team Wisconsin forfeited the 113 lb spot in 3 matches, but Mueller himself went undefeated in every match he stepped on the mat for.
• Preston Krueger– New London (285 lbs) | 7-1 (.875)
  • Wins: 4 Technical Falls, 1 Pin, 1 Decision, 1 Forfeit
  • Loss 1 Technical Fall

2. High-Percentage Winners

• Izaiah Sanchez– Shiocton (Graduate) (150 lbs) | 6-2 (.750)
  • Wins: 5 Technical Falls, 1 Pin
  • Losses: 2 Technical Falls
• Tristan North– West Allis Nathan Hale (Graduate) (157 lbs) | 3-0 (1.000) University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Commit
  • Wins: 3 Technical Falls
  • Note: Only wrestled in 3 duals (Oregon, Iowa, Alabama).

3. Winning Record Contributors

• Eldon Roth– Stevens Point (100 lbs) | 5-3 (.625)
  • Wins: 2 Forfeits, 2 Technical Falls, 1 Decision
  • Losses: 1 Technical Fall, 2 Decisions
• Braeden Hamill– Bay Port (138 lbs) | 5-3 (.625)
  • Wins: 5 Technical Falls
  • Losses: 3 Technical Falls
• Brody Hoffman– Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes (215 lbs) | 5-3 (.625)
  • Wins: 2 Forfeits, 2 Technical Falls, 1 Pin
  • Losses: 3 Technical Falls
• Logan Ellwanger– Luxembourg-Casco (190 lbs) | 4-4 (.500)
  • Wins: 3 Pins, 1 Technical Fall
  • Losses: 3 Technical Falls, 1 Pin

4. Even & Transition Records

• Cash Botting- Hortonville (Graduate) (144 lbs) | 4-4 (.500) Minnesota State University-Moorehead Commit
  • Wins: 2 Technical Falls, 1 Pin, 1 Medical Forfeit win
  • Losses: 3 Technical Falls, 2 Decisions
• Murphy Beyer– Freedom (165 lbs) | 3-4 (.429)
  • Wins: 1 Pin, 1 Decision, 1 Technical Fall
  • Losses:  1 Technical Fall, 3 Decisions
• Collin Frey– Evansville (120 lbs) | 3-5 (.375)
  • Wins: 1 Forfeit, 1 Pin, 1 Technical Fall
  • Losses: 4 Technical Falls, 1 Decision

5. Tough Outings & Lower Weight Struggles

• Caden Bock– Freedom (106 lbs) | 2-6 (.250)
  • Wins: 1 Forfeit, 1 Technical Fall
  • Losses: 1 Forfeit, 1 Pin, 4 Technical Falls
• Isaac Dunnom– Osceola (175 lbs) | 2-6 (.250)
  • Wins: 1 Technical Fall, 1 Decision
  • Losses: 4 Technical Falls, 2 Decisions
• Easton Felchlin– Wrightstown (132 lbs) | 1-7 (.125)
  • Wins: 1 Pin
  • Losses: 2 Pins, 5 Technical Falls
• Ethan Denk– Manitowoc Lincoln (126 lbs) | 1-7 (.125)
  • Wins: 1 Forfeit
  • Losses: 1 Pin, 5 Technical Falls, 1 Decision
• Remington Skic– Merrill (157 lbs) | 0-6 (.000)
  • Losses: 4 Technical Falls, 1 Decision, 1 Medical Forfeit loss
  • Note: Did not wrestle in the Oregon, Iowa, or Alabama placement rounds where Tristan North filled in.