Prep Boys Wrestling State: Cadott seniors gear up for one more weekend together

Cadott senior wrestlers (from left) Tristan Drier, Brayden Sonnentag, Levi Lindsay, Dawson Webster and Cole Pfeiffer have spent many years together on the mat and will end their prep careers together at state this week.

Cadott's Dawson Webster has his hand raised after a win at Division 3 regionals on Feb. 11 in Edgar.

Countless hours on the mat and in the wrestling room over the years have led to high levels of success for the Cadott wrestling program.

Much of that success has come from state-bound seniors Brayden Sonnentag, Tristan Drier, Cole Pfeiffer, Dawson Webster and Levi Lindsay. And as that group — along with junior Axel Tegels — prepares for this week’s Division 3 individual state wrestling tournament in Madison, this weekend will be the culmination of many things.

For those seniors, it will be the final time they all take the mat together as a team as Hornets.

All but Lindsay started together as soon as they were able to wrestle in elementary school. Different wrestlers like different things about the sport. Pfeiffer wore his headgear “24/7” as he prepared to compete at youth tournaments while Webster liked trying to make his opponents cry during matches. But the group has always worked hard to ultimately make everyone better.

“We’re not always friends in the room, but then as soon as you get outside you’ve got to let it go,” Sonnentag said.

But four of the five came up together through the program before Lindsay joined the team at the beginning of high school. Since then, those five have been in the middle of a lot of success for the program with three Cloverbelt Conference championships and possibly a fourth if not for the COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season eliminating the tournament. But that year Cadott advanced to Division 3 team state with Sonnentag, Drier, Pfeiffer and Webster all wrestling in the team’s 46-18 state semifinal loss to Coleman.

Individual success has been there for each, but the Hornets’ program has always been focused on cumulative victories.

“I think we all have big goals and hold each other to a high standard,” Sonnentag said. “When one of us is going to accomplish something, everyone else wants the same thing. We just keep making each other better, making each other better and we get one more chance at that.”

This weekend, Sonnentag has the chance to join an elite group in Wisconsin history. With a title in Madison this week, Sonnentag would become just the 23rd wrestlers in state history to win four state championships. The University of Wyoming signee Sonnentag already has titles at 106, 120 and 126 and has a 150-2 career prep record. As a sectional champion, he has a bye into Friday’s quarterfinals, where Sonnentag (46-0) will meet either Shiocton sophomore Jordan Jahnke (39-9) or Lena senior Luke Misco (34-4). Sonnentag was ranked No. 1 in the Wisconsin Grappler Division 3 state rankings at 132 prior to sectionals.

Drier is at state for a fourth time as he pursues his third podium finish after taking fifth a season ago at 152 and sixth as a freshman at 132. Like Sonnentag, Drier (40-2) won a sectional championship last weekend in Edgar and is already in the quarterfinals, where he will meet either Mishicot junior Jacob Benfield (22-14) or Coleman senior William Bieber (35-7). Drier was ranked first in the Wisconsin Grappler rankings.

Pfeiffer is at state for the third time and seeking his first podium finish. He lost his opening match at 138 as a freshman before winning his first and losing his next two at 160 a season ago. Pfeiffer (44-3) captured a sectional title a week ago and will face either Markesan freshman Treston Eckstein (49-4) or Marathon senior Hector Pintor (41-11) in Friday’s quarterfinals. Pfeiffer checked in at third in the latest Wisconsin Grappler rankings.

Webster is making his second trip to state in as many years after finishing sixth in 2022 at 182. Webster (35-5) will face either Shell Lake junior Maximus Elliott (37-16) or Fenimore junior Wyatt Ahnen (26-4) in Friday’s quarters. Webster pinned Elliott for second place at last week’s sectionals. Webster was ranked fourth at 182 by Wisconsin Grappler.

Lindsay is the newcomer to state among the seniors as he heads to the Kohl Center to compete for the first time. Lindsay captured the 195 sectional title with a 1-0 decision win over Boyceville’s Bash Nielson after falling in overtime to Nielson a week earlier for the regional championship. Lindsay (37-13) will start action Friday morning against either Auburndale’s Adam Dorshorst (33-16) or Nielson (40-8) in the quarters. Wisconsin Grappler had Lindsay ranked sixth in his weight class prior to last weekend’s sectional victory.

Tegels is the youngster of the boys group in Madison for the Hornets after taking third at sectionals. Tegels (30-18) matches up with fellow junior Michael Upson (35-8) of Random Lake in Thursday’s 220 opening round. Tegels was ranked eighth at 220 by Wisconsin Grappler.

This week is the final week the seniors will have the chance to work together as Hornets. Even seniors such as Nick Fasbender who were knocked out earlier in the postseason have remained in the wrestling room working with the state-bound athletes, saying it’s important to make sure they can help prepare their fellow teammates.

But as the team makes its final plans for Madison, it doesn’t plan on changing too much.

Why fix what’s already working?

“It’s just sharpening some things up,” Sonnentag said of practice, “a couple things we’ve seen from the sectional that we need to work on.”

Cadott wrestling fans cheer after Nick Fasbender earned a pinfall win in his semifinal matchup at 132 pounds during Saturday's Division 3 regionals in Edgar.

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Ben Heggemeier

Boyceville's Jack Gruenhagen

Cadott's Lukas Simonson

Boyceville's Zane Pierce

Cadott's Kaleb Lodahl

Boyceville's Rory Ramos

Cadott's Lukas Simonson

Boyceville's Rory Ramos

Cadott's Monte Lodahl

Boyceville's Landyn Leslie

Cadott's Monte Lodahl

Cadott's Brayden Sonnentag

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Preston Fredrickson

Boyceville's Jack Kurschner

Boyceville's Ryker Benitz

Cadott's Nick Fasbender

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Connor Simington

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Troy Duellman takes down Auburndale's Wyatt Malsin during their Division 3 145 pound regional semifinal on Saturday in Edgar.

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Troy Duellman wrestles at Division 3 regionals on Feb. 11 in Edgar.

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Troy Duellman

Cadott's Cole Pfeiffer

Cadott's Tristan Drier pins Edgar's Keghan Hartway during their 160 semifinal on Saturday in Edgar.

Cadott's Tristan Drier pins Edgar's Keghan Hartway during their 160 pound semifinal on Saturday in Edgar.

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Braeden Person

Boyceville's Zach Kersten

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Braeden Person

Cadott's Caden Kingston grapplers with Spring Valley/Elmwood's Cole Steinmeyer during a semifinal matchup at 170 pounds on Saturday in Edgar.

Cadott's Caden Kingston

Boyceville's Mark Knopps

McDonell's Jonah Christopherson

McDonell coach Shane Giza

McDonell's Jonah Christopherson has his hand raised in victory at Saturday's Division 3 regional.

Cadott's Dawson Webster has his hand raised after a win at Division 3 regionals on Feb. 11 in Edgar.

Boyceville's Bash Nielson

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Caden Lane

Boyceville's Bash Nielson battles with Stratford's Alex Mueller during a 195 pound semifinal on Saturday in Edgar.

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Wyatt Wulff

Cadott's Levi Lindsay

Cadott's Brayden Sonnentag celebrates after Levi Lindsay's victory.

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Wyatt Wulff

Thorp/Owen-Withee's Nathan Zarins

Boyceville's Zach Hellendrung

Cadott's Axel Tegels

Cornell/Gilman/Lake Holcombe's Anthony Schofield

Cadott's Wyatt Engel

Cadott's Axel Tegels

Cadott coach Josh Spaeth

Two-time Cadott state champion Gavin Tegels watches his brother Axel wrestle at 220.

Cadott's Wyatt Engel

Cadott's Axel Tegels

WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament

When: Thursday-Saturday

Where: Kohl Center, Madison

What To Know: The girls tournament will be run at the same time at the same venue as the boys for the first time. The Division 2 and 3 boys will hold preliminaries at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening with consolation, quarterfinal and semifinal matchups on Friday. Consolation rounds continue on Saturday before state championship matches begin at 5:30 p.m.

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WIAA State Individual Wrestling TournamentWhen:Where:What To Know: