Coleman trio wins state titles
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MADISON – Koltin Grzybowski became the first Coleman wrestler to win three straight WIAA state championships Saturday night at the Kohl Center when he won the 113-pound state title in Division 3.
Grzybowski got some company shortly after when Caleb Gross became the second by winning the 126-pound title for his third consecutive title.
The cousins and senior Jake Baldwin (145 pounds) all claimed titles for the Cougars, who had an impressive state tournament with seven state medalists this year.
“It’s amazing. I don’t even know what it feels like yet,” Grzybowski said. “It hasn’t sunk in. To have so many tiers in our program, I was raised learning everything. … To add a three-time tier to that is unbelievable. I can’t even describe it.”
Grybowski won a 17-1 technical fall over Weyauwega-Fremont’s Carter Greening, while Gross earned a 3-0 decision over Fennimore’s Alex Birchman.
Koltin Grzybowski
Gross took to the state podium with both nostrils plugged after receiving a bloody nose at the close of his match, which delayed his arm getting raised in victory.
“Right at the last second we both shot and I hit my nose and it hurt a little bit,” Gross said. “As soon as I looked out I saw blood coming out. I thought, ‘Holy man. It feels like I broke my nose.’ It was really exciting because I knew I won and was just waiting to get my hand raised.”
A state title was worth the wait for Baldwin as well.
Joining Grzybowski (43-2) and Gross (43-3) on the top of the state podium in Madison, Baldwin (45-1), won the 145-pound state title after finishing as a state runner-up at 138 last year to Stratford’s Jeremy Schoenherr.
“Last year, I had a four-time state champ, who is obviously a beast,” Baldwin said. “I had my doubts about that one, but this year some people might say I can’t believe what happened, but I believed in myself that I could do it for a very long time.”
The trio of seniors pushed Coleman’s state title count to 37. It was the second time in three years the Cougars produced three state champions.
In addition to its state champions, Coleman also got podium finishes from freshman Chance Gruber (106-sixth), sophomore Tyler Blanchard (160-sixth), sophomore Spencer Karban (220-sixth) and senior Brock Martinson (285-third).