Miller takes sixth at state tournament

Wauwatosa finished with its first-place winner at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament from Thursday through Saturday at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center in Madison.

Zach Miller finished sixth and could have gone further but suffered a concussion.

Wauwatosa finished 41st with 11 points, while Wausau West won the tournament with 98 points to beat out runner-up Bay Port, who scored 92 points.

"Overall, it was nice to get our first place winner since Glen Kendl in 2009," Wauwatosa coach Kent Morin said. "Every loss that we suffered was to a state place-winner. It also is nice that all three of these guys are back next year.

"Now they have experienced it and hopefully next year will be more comfortable with the large crowd, etc. and be able to get on the trophy stand. All three had just terrific years."

Miller at 120 (41-8) placed sixth and scored 11 team points, giving Wauwatosa its first wrestler to place since 2009.

Miller pinned Portage's Hunter Hayes (23-9) in 3 minutes, 6 seconds in the first round.

"Zach had wrestled a great match in the first round pinning Hayes from Portage," Morin said. "He gave up the first takedown, mostly I think to nerves, then he took over control of the match before pinning him in a headlock."

Concussion in Farr match

He then won by disqualification to Bay Port's Chase Farr (47-2), who slammed him into the mat so hard he hit his head and ended up with a concussion.

It made it impossible for him to finish that match or be cleared to compete the next two days. The opponent is responsible for bringing you down to the mat safely and under control.

"Since Chase Farr didn't do that he was called for a slam and when Zach couldn't continue, he loses the match by disqualification."

He scored the first takedown in the match and actually had Farr on his back.

"Farr was really tough in the riding position, which is the position where the slam actually happened," Morin said. "It was too bad because it would have been nice to see how the match would have finished. Farr ended up wrestling back to third place."

Since Miller couldn't continue, he couldn't face Kaukauna's Robert Lee (44-5), Watertown's Kody Azarian (45-5) and Chippewa Falls' Quinn Miracle (39-5). They were considered non-matches.

"Overall, though, for a freshman to take sixth at the State Tournament is an awesome accomplishment," Morin said, "something that has never happened in Tosa Wrestling history. I can't wait to see how he does over the next three years."

Morrow, Castaneda pinned

Marcus Morrow at 145 (36-8) was pinned by West Bend East's Jordan Gundrum (47-3) in 5:09, who finished fourth.

It was a tough opening draw for Morrow, since he didn't get a wrestleback because Gundrum lost the next round against eventual champion Jared Sharenbock (46-0) from Sun Prairie. If a wrestler loses his first match, the winning wrestler has to win his next match in order to get a wrestleback, so Morrow's tournament was over.

"Marcus wrestled pretty well against a very good wrestler," Morin said. "The score was 8-3 at the time of the pin. But he is only a sophomore so he has two more cracks at this tournament."

Kai Castaneda at 113 (41-4) had a tough tournament, getting pinned in his two matches.

He opened against Burlington's Ben Hornickle (36-5), getting pinned in 1:38. Then in the consolation round, Muskego's Austin Quartullo (46-4) pinned him in (4:56).

Castaneda also had a tough draw as Hornickle ended up taking fourth place, and then in the wrestleback Quartullo finished in fifth place.

"Kai struggled getting his offense going," Morin said. "But that is what really good wrestlers can do to you. Kai is a junior so he hopefully will get back to the state tournament next year and get on the place-winners podium."