Fargo Nationals Day 3 Placement Day Recap: Team Wisconsin Juniors

Fargo Nationals Day 3 Placement Day Recap: Team Wisconsin Juniors

Day 3 at the FARGODOME was a masterclass in grit, heartbreak, and podium finishes for Team Wisconsin. Battling through the toughest freestyle brackets in the country, the Wisconsin Junior squad put together a phenomenal collective performance to secure 9th place in the overall national team standings.

The story of the tournament was written in the upper weights, highlighted by a massive heavyweight run that saw two Wisconsin hammers collide in the semifinals, and a relentless consolation performance by Tomm Heiser, who wrestled a staggering 10 matches. While several hammers fell just one win short of All-American status in the notorious “blood round,” Wisconsin proved its depth on the national stage.

Top Seeded / Championship Finalists

These elite competitors carried the torch deep into the tournament, remaining undefeated all the way to the national spotlight.

• Tyson Martin (285 lbs — Aquinas / South Dakota State Commit)

  • Tournament Record: 6-1 (2-1 on the day)

  • Result: National Runner-up 

  • Recap: Martin put together a spectacular tournament to reach the national finals. Along the way, he picked up a massive victory over the New England champ from Rhode Island and had to defeat his own Wisconsin teammate, Cael Leisgang, in a high-stakes semifinal. In a absolute dogfight of a national final, Martin dropped a razor-thin 6-9 decision to Florida’s 2025 Fargo All-American and state champ, cementing his status as one of the best heavyweights in the country.

Wrestlers with One Loss (Podium Finishers)

These athletes suffered an early setback but caught fire, storming through the backside of the bracket to claim their spot on the podium.

• Tomm Heiser (175 lbs — Evansville)

  • Tournament Record: 9-1 (4-1 on the day)

  • Result: 3rd Place in the Nation 

  • Recap: Heiser was the ultimate ironman of Day 3, turning in a legendary 9-1 overall performance. After suffering his only loss of the tournament to a Florida Fargo All-American, Heiser went on an absolute tear. He knocked off a Minnesota state runner-up, an Iowa Fargo All-American, and an Illinois US Open U20 All-American. He capped off his flawless consolation run by avenging his only loss, beating that exact same Florida opponent to claim 3rd in the United States.

Wrestlers with Two Losses (All-Americans / Placed)

The tournament format ensures that even with two losses, these resilient competitors battled through the placement rounds to secure official All-American honors.

• Camden Rugg (113 lbs — Union Grove)

  • Tournament Record: 6-2 (2-2 on the day)

  • Result: 4th Place in the Nation

  • Recap: Rugg proved he belongs with the nation’s elite. He picked up massive wins over a Kansas 5A state champion and the Illinois 3A state champ. His only defeats came at the hands of the eventual national runner-up from California and the 3rd-place finisher from Oklahoma.

• Cael Leisgang (285 lbs — Seymour / University of Wisconsin Commit)

  • Tournament Record: 6-2 (2-2 on the day)

  • Result: 5th Place in the Nation

  • Recap: The future Badger showed serious elite potential in Fargo. He started hot, which included a win over a Washington state champ. After falling to teammate Tyson Martin in the semis, and dropping a match to a highly touted Iowa state champ/U20 All-American, Leisgang bounced back in style to tech the New England champion from Rhode Island to claim 5th.

• Declan Koch (165 lbs — Neenah / UNI Commit)

  • Tournament Record: 6-2 overall (1-2 on the day)

  • Result: 6th Place in the Nation

  • Recap: Koch wrestled beautifully to guarantee his spot on the podium, including a big win over an Illinois 3A state medalist. He dropped a tough bout to the eventual runner-up (a U20 US Open All-American) and California’s 3rd-place state finisher. Unfortunately, Koch was forced to medically forfeit his 6th-place match, but his points were crucial to Wisconsin’s Top 10 finish.

• Eli Leonard (190 lbs — Mt. Horeb/Barneveld / University of Wisconsin Commit)

  • Tournament Record: 7-2 (3-1 on the day)

  • Result: 7th Place in the Nation

  • Recap: Leonard was a bonus-point machine on the backside. He collected dominant wins over state champions from Missouri, Nebraska, and Maryland. His only missteps were close matches against top-tier state champions from Kansas and Maryland, showing great poise to finish his tournament with a win for 7th.

Wrestlers with Two Losses (Eliminated in the Blood Round)

The “Blood Round” is the cruelest round in wrestling—one win away from being an All-American, a loss means going home empty-handed. These competitors fought valiantly but fell just short of the podium.

• Riley Longdin (106 lbs — Slinger): Finished the tournament 4-2 (1-1 on the day). Longdin picked up a stellar win over a California state qualifier but saw his podium dreams cut short by a tough Michigan D3 state medalist who went on to take 7th.

• Hunter Stevens (150 lbs — Mt. Horeb/Barneveld): Went 5-2 overall but ran into a buzzsaw on Day 3, going 0-2 against elite competition. He fell to the eventual 6th-place finisher from Michigan and the 7th-place finisher from Minnesota.

• Bryston Scoles (157 lbs — Kewaskum): Finished a great tournament run at 6-2. Scoles picked up a massive resume win over a Pennsylvania AAA state 5th-place finisher before being eliminated by the eventual 5th-place finisher from Illinois.

• Preston Krueger (285 lbs — New London): Finished 6-2 overall. Krueger knocked off a tough Pennsylvania AAA state qualifier, but was eliminated in a heartbreaking rematch against an Indiana state medalist who went on to take 8th.

• Nolan Owen (175 lbs — Baraboo / UW-La Crosse Commit): Finished 6-2 for the tournament, dropping a tough Day 3 bout to a Maryland state champion who went on to place 8th.