Hankins caps career in style

MADISON — Marcus Hankins made the final wrestling appearance of his prep career a memorable one. Hankins finished fifth at 182 pounds at the 77th annual WIAA Division 1 individual state wrestling tournament at the Kohl Center last week. “I met my goal for the season,” Hankins said. “I wanted to get as high on the podium as I could. It was amazing. My last high school tournament, a state tournament down here in Madison. It was a great environment, a great experience. I’m grateful for it.” Hankins (45-8) met sixth-ranked Fort Atkinson junior Thomas Witkins (41-9) for the second time in three days in the fifth-place match and pulled out a 3-2 victory to go out a winner. “It feels great,” Hankins said moments after accepting his fifth-place medal. “All of my hard work paid off. I came down to the Kohl Center and made it on the podium.” Ranked fifth in the WIwrestling.com Division 1 poll, Hankins had to go the distance to win his first two matches and make the state semifinals for the first time. After losing his only match a year ago in his state debut, Hankins came in determined to take it to the limit in his final tournament. “This whole season I thought I’ve wrestled the best I’ve wrestled,” said Hankins, who plans to attend UW-Eau Claire to study Kinesiology and compete in wrestling next year. “So when I qualified for the state tournament, I knew I was going to be ready to go.  “This is what I was training for all season, to be on that podium at the Kohl Center with hundreds of fans watching me.”  On Thursday afternoon, Hankins got off to a terrific start when he pulled out a 10-9 decision over eighth-ranked Cedarburg senior Jacob Steidinger (31-7) in the preliminary round.  “I got to my offense early,” Hankins said. “He turned me once in the second period, but after that it was all me.”  Hankins then secured a berth in the semifinals with a 5-3 decision over Witkins in the quarterfinals. First-year head coach Matt Gaffney, a former state champion for the Eagles, said Hankins came in with a different mind-set from a year ago. “Marcus was very much composed this year,” Gaffney said. “You could tell last year the nerves were getting to him. This year he was a lot more confident and talkative. He was real calm, cool and collected.” Hankins met second-ranked Hartland Arrowhead junior Mason Diel (38-2) in the semifinals on Friday night. Diel had recorded two early pins in his first two matches, but Hankins made him go the distance before Diel pulled out a 6-1 victory. Diel then went on to defeat Baraboo’s John Gunderson 9-7 for the state championship, “It was a very good match,” Gaffney said. “That kid’s a tough wrestler. (Diel) was tough on top and good on his feet, and Marcus battled him tough. To wrestle six minutes with a guy like that, I was happy with the way Marcus wrestled.” Diel got an early takedown before Hankins earned an escape point to open the second period. Diel then earned a takedown to take a 4-1 lead into the third period. Hankins gave up another takedown, and Diel maintained control the rest of the match. “Any time you’re scoring points, you’re in the match,” Hankins said. “It was just unfortunate that I couldn’t score as much as he could.”   That sent Hankins to the consolation round on Saturday morning where he lost a major decision 12-3 to fourth-ranked Burlington senior Qwade Gehring (42-6). However, Hankins met a familiar foe in Wilkins in the fifth-place match. Hankins pulled out his fourth victory over Witkins this season and sixth in six matches during their prep careers. “He’s a tough competitor,” Hankins said of Witkins. “He’s only a junior, so he’ll be happy I’m gone next year. I knew I had to keep wrestling and finish strong.” Gaffney was proud of the way Hankins responded Saturday afternoon after losing a chance to place as high as third. “It’s tough to beat a kid who’s really good, and that was four times this year,” Gaffney said of his win over Witkins. “To go out with a win his senior year was awesome for Marcus. It was my first state place-winner as a head coach. It was an emotional moment. “Marcus had a great tournament. To come home with some hardware, it was a tremendous season. He’s a terrific kid. He listens well. He’s a team leader, a team motivator. We’re definitely going to miss him next year.” Senior 220-pounder Simon Patterson capped his prep career winning a match at the state tournament before he was eliminated in the consolation round. Patterson, ranked ninth, got off to a great start, pinning seventh-ranked Mukwonago senior Caleb Willmann (43-9) in 2:47 in their preliminary round match on Thursday. “I honestly didn’t think I’d make it that far. That kid was pretty good,” Patterson said of Willmann. “He was definitely no pushover. “To get to the state tournament was a win. To get a win at the state tournament was a win. And to get a pin at the state tournament was a win. So I was happy with my performance.” But Patterson — who enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard last year and is planning on a career as a heavy equipment operator — dropped a 5-1 decision to fifth-ranked Ashwaubenon senior Nathan Moynihan (41-5) in the quarterfinal round. “It was 2-1 late, and Simon went for a reversal and the kid threw him on his back,” Gaffney said. “For his first trip down (to state), he was in the right place.” Patterson ended his season in the consolation round on Friday morning when he was pinned by third-ranked Schofield D.C. Everest junior Orion Boe (47-2) in 46 seconds. Gaffney was pleased that the Sauk Prairie kept up its tradition of competing at state. “We’re bringing home a medal,” he said. “That’s a good way to end it. For Simon to get a win in his first trip down here was good, too.”   Feb. 29 WIAA Division 2 Championship Matches 106: Clark, Kaukauna, pinned Corrigan, De Pere, 1:06; 113: Groshek, Stevens Point, mdec. Hunter, Oshkosh West, 10-2; 120: Rivera, Stoughton, pinned Campshure, Kaukauna, 2:27; 126: Eisch, Kaukauna, mdec. Parker, Slinger, 8-0; 132: Henschel, West Bend East, dec. Minor, Ashwaubenon, 4-2; 138: Mesenbrink, Hartland Arrowhead, dec. Jalen Spuhler, Hartford, 3-1; 145: Ehlen, Burlington, dec. Ganos, Hartland Arrowhead, 2-0; 152: Reetz, Madison Memorial, def. Mulvaney, Hartland Arrowhead, 14-8; 160: O’Toole, Hartland Arrowhead, pinned Karl, Elkhorn/Faith Christian, 2:49; 170: Johnson, Whitefish Bay, won medical forfeit over Fritsche, Tomah; 182: Diel, Hartland Arrowhead, dec. Gunderson, Baraboo, 9-7; 195: Kools, Neenah, pinned Wallace, Burlington, 3:05; 220: B. Empey, Stoughton, pinned Gill-Howard, Greenfield, 0:28; 285: Meeuwsen, Bay Port, dec. Quick, Menasha, 5-2.    Third-Place Matches 106: Klein, Hartford, dec. Spray, Wis. Rapids, 7-2; 113: Verhagen, Kaukauna, dec. Bird, Burlington, 9-2; 120: Pellowski, Holmen, pinned Roth, Stevens Point, 2:28; 126: Halter, Waterford, dec. Jankowski, Cedarburg, 7-1; 132: Cherba, Waterford, dec. J. Striteski, Lake Geneva Badger, 8-3; 138: Thorpe, Brookfield East, dec. Ward, Bay Port, 9-6; 145: Model, Stoughton, dec. Leisgang, Ashwaubenon, 4-0; 152: Mechler, Stoughton, dec. Hammen, Kaukauna, 9-3; 160: Kumprey, Burlington, def. Hemauer, DeForest, 8-1; 170: Ramage, Ashwaubenon, dec. Carter, Schofield D.C. Everest, 6-1; 182: Skillings, Menomonie, pinned Gehring, Burlington, 0:37; 195: Krimpelbein, Mukwonago, dec. Anderson, Bay Port, 8-5; 220: Boe, Schofield D.C. Everest, dec. Moynihan, Ashwaubenon, 12-9; 285: Iribarren, Merrill, pinned Pitcel, Mukwonago, 2:48.   Fifth-Place Matches 106: Showalter, Elkhorn/Faith Christian, dec. Tonsor, Slinger, 6-2; 113: S. Smith, Holmen, pinned M. Smith, Appleton North, 2:37; 120: Cliver, Marshfield, pinned Wisinski, Mukwonago, 2:02; 126: Mendoza, Racine Park, pinned Pogorzelski, Menomonee Falls, 2:13; 132: Goebel, Mukwonago, dec. Franklin, Marshfield, 8-2; 138: Jesse, Baraboo, dec. Lopez, De Pere, 5-2; 145: Hayward, Neenah, pinned Ortegon, Fond du Lac, 2:04; 152: Welker, Burlington, dec. Hansen, Mukwonago, 7-3; 160: Schlosser, West Bend East, forfeit over Kaz, Chippewa Falls; 170: Willett, Oconomowoc, dec. Sklenar, Pewaukee, 6-4, sudden victory; 182: Hankins,  Sauk Prairie, dec. Witkins, Fort Atkinson, 3-2; 195: Blevins, West Allis Central, dec. Schumann, Janesville Craig, 8-7; 220: Tourtillott, Shawano, injury default over Kawczynski, Oak Creek, 0:52; 285: Acevedo, New Berlin West/Eisenhower, pinned Champe, Brookfield East, 1:25.   Sauk Prairie individuals 182: Marcus Hankins (45-8) placed fifth and scored 9 team points. Championship Round 1 – dec. Jacob Steidinger, Cedarburg, 10-9; Quarterfinal – dec. Thomas Witkins, Fort Atkinson, 5-3; Semifinal – Lost by dec. to Mason Diel, Hartland Arrowhead, 6-1;  Consolation Semifinals – lost by maj. dec. to Qwade Gehring, Burlington, 12-3; Fifth-place match – dec. Wilkins, Fort Atkinson, 3-2.   220: Simon Patterson (33-9) didn’t place and scored 4 team points. Championship Round 1 – Pinned Caleb Willmann, Mukwonago, 2:47; Quarterfinal – Lost by dec. to Nathan Moynihan, Ashwaubenon, 5-1; Consolation Round 1 – Pinned by Orion Boe, Schofield D.C. Everest, 0:46.