STRATFORD'S DREXLER, SMART, RAPIDS' SPRAY WIN TITLES AT WIAA STATE INDIVIDUAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
Zaleski Sports
MADISON – Stratford seniors Gavin Drexler and Raife Smart, and Wisconsin Rapids senior Preston Spray are state champions after all three dominated in the finals at the 2022 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center on Saturday night.
Drexler captured his third-straight Division 3 state title with an 11-1 major decision over Tarrin Riley (34-3) of Mineral Point in the 138-pound final. Drexler finishes the season 37-1 and his stellar four-year career with a 153-3 record.
Smart nailed down the D-3 195-pound title with a 9-4 victory over Grant Rydlund (42-4) of Ladysmith. Smart ends the season with a 33-3 record.
Spray (51-2) won the Division 1 113-pound championship with a 2-0 victory over Wyatt Skebba of Hortonville.
Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal’s Luke Dux and Gunner Hoffmann each finished second in Division 2.
Dux (31-5) lost in the 120-pound final as he was pinned by Danny Heiser (52-4) of Evansville, and Hoffmann (39-2) lost in overtime 4-2 to Robert Beese (50-4) of Amery at 285 pounds.
Click here for a story on all of the other place-winners from the area at the state tournament.