The Raiders hit the mat at the Capitol Conference Tournament in Waterloo on Saturday, February 11th.

"Hustle, Effort, and Attitude was on display by the TEAM. When the dust settled, the Raiders ended as Runner-Up! Hats off to Lodi, who won the tournament," said Coach Pete Swenson. "Placing for the Raiders were: Steve, 5th; Blake, Champ; Ashlin, 3rd; Brennan, Runner-Up; Eli, Runner-Up; Ryker, 3rd; Alex, 3rd; Aidan, 5th; Carson, 3rd; Garrett, 3rd; Isaac, 3rd. Everyone should be proud!!"

Wrestling at 106 lbs, Steve Grunnet (4-13) placed 5th and scored 5 team points. In the Championship Round 1, Grunnet received a bye and in the Quarterfinal lost by fall to Marshall's Miles Zimmerman. In Consolation Round 1, Grunnet received a bye and in Consolation Round 2 lost by fall to Jared Goelzer of Watertown Luther Prep. In the 5th Place Match, Grunnet received a bye.

Blake Endres (36-7) placed 1st in the 113 lb weight class and scored 29 team points. In Championship Round 1 and the Quarterfinal, Endres received a bye. Endres won by tech fall in the Semifinal over Waterloo's Brady Ebert and in the 1st Place Match won by tech fall over Lodi's Drew Lochner.

Ashlin Mihlbauer (26-16) wrestled at 120 lbs, placed 3rd, and scored 21.5 team points. Mihlbauer received a bye in Championship Round 1 and in the Quarterfinal won by fall over Waterloo's Owen Koele. In the Semifinal, Mihlbauer lost by fall to Poynette's Isaiah Gauer and in Consolation Round 2 won by fall over Ethan Evenson of Lake Mills. In the 3rd Place Match, Mihlbauer won by tech fall over Cambridge's Mason Sonnenberg.

In the 132 lb weight class, Brennan Keyes (26-15) placed 2nd and scored 22 team points. Receiving a bye for Championship Round 1, Keyes won the Quarterfinal by fall over Cambridge's Conner Tarras. Keyes won the Semifinal by decision over Poynette's William Frieden and lost by decision in the 1st Place Match to Drew Johnson of Marshall.

Wrestling at 138 lbs was Ripley Swenson (1-4). Swenson lost by fall in Championship Round 1 to Mason Wollin of Lake Mills and in Consolation Round 1 received a bye. In Consolation Round 2, Swenson lost by fall to Tyce Bettenhausen of Cambridge.

Adylyn Danz Grass (0-2) wrestled at 145 lbs. Danz Grass lost by fall in Championship Round 1 to Watertown Luther Prep's Ben Kluz and received a bye for Consolation Round 1. In Consolation Round 2, Danz Grass lost by fall to Colton Spiegelhoff of Lake Mills.

Eli Leonard (33-6) wrestled at 152 lbs, placing 2nd and scoring 24 team points. In Championship Round 1, Leonard received a bye and in the Quarterfinal won by fall over Watertown Luther Prep's Silas Hillmer. Leonard won by fall over Jacob Soter of Waterloo in the Semifinal and in the 1st Place Match lost by decision to Lodi's Zane Licht.

Wrestling at 160 lbs, Ryker Swenson (28-13) placed 3rd and scored 22 team points. Having received a bye for Championship Round 1, Swenson won by fall in the Quarterfinal over Watertown Luther Prep's Phil McCaskill. Swenson lost by decision in the Semifinal to Kylar Clemens of Lodi and in Consolation Round 2, Swenson won by fall over Waterloo's Ben Ugorji. Swenson won the 3rd Place Match by fall over Marshall's Turner Cobb.

Alex Zielinski (23-10) wrestled at 170 lbs, placing 3rd and scoring 17 team points. In Championship Round 1, Zielinski received a bye and in the Quarterfinal lost by fall to Michael Hansen of Watertown Luther Prep. In Consolation Round 1 Zielinski won by fall over Waterloo's Derek Pochowski and won by fall over Lodi's Mason Breunig in Consolation Round 2. In the 3rd Place Match, Zielinski won by fall over Watertown Luther Prep's Michael Hansen.

Wrestling at 182 lbs, Aidan Keyes (12-19) placed 5th and scored 10 team points. Keyes received a bye for Championship Round 1 and in the Quarterfinal lost by decision to Gunnar Sperle of Cambridge. Keyes won Consolation Round 1 by fall over Lakeside Lutheran's Sabastian Murray and in Consolation Round 2 lost by fall to Ian Spoke of Waterloo. Keyes won the 5th Place Match by fall over Silas Winkel of Watertown Luther Prep.

Wrestling at 195 lbs, Carson Loshaw (33-8) placed 3rd and scored 22 team points. Loshaw received a bye for Championship Round 1 and in the Quarterfinal won by fall over Cambridge's Joe Downing. In the Semifinal, Loshaw lost by decision to Lodi's Isaiah Groskopf and in Consolation Round 2 won by fall over Ashton Nindorf of Poynette. In the 3rd Place Match, Loshaw won by fall over Waterloo's Andy Carrillo.

Garrett Pauli (21-11), wrestling at 220 lbs, placed 3rd and scored 18 team points. In Championship Round 1, Pauli received a bye and in the Quarterfinal won by decision over Brayden Holdorf of Columbus. Pauli lost the Semifinal by decision to Lodi's Nick Week and in Consolation Round 2 won by fall over Cambridge's Jamayne Flom-Pressley. Pauli won the 3rd Place Match by decision over Thomas Cassady of Lake Mills.

Isaac Erb (19-19) wrestled at 285 lbs, placed 3rd and scored 22 team points. Erb received a bye for Championship Round 1 and won the Quarterfinal by fall over Marshall's Mikail Alexander-Taylor. In the Semifinal, Erb lost by fall to Henry Koeppen of Lodi and in Consolation Round 2 won by fall over Lakeside Lutheran's Corban Meyer. In the 3rd Place Match, Erb won by fall over Mikail Alexander-Taylor of Marshall.

Photo courtesy of Pete Swenson

At the 2023 Capitol Conference Tournament, Sugar River Raiders wrestler Brennan Keyes finished 2nd.

"Overall it was a great team effort. Placing 11 of the 13 wrestlers in the top five is a wonderful showing. This was a good tune up before next week's Super Regional," commented Swenson. "Everyone is focused on getting better every day."

Super Regionals is being hosted at Belleville High School on Saturday, February 11th. Wrestling is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.