Reinhardt 2nd at nationals
For most high school wrestlers, the folkstyle season is long over and only the most dedicated will shift their sights to the freestyle and Greco Roman disciplines.
But a trio of Merrill boys took a swing at folkstyle nationals recently, and Mason Rein­hardt hit one out of the park with a runner-up finish at 145 pounds.
Reinhardt posted an 8-1 record at the Asics USAW Folkstyle Nationals-held March 30-31 in Cedar Falls, Iowa-to earn the All-American status accorded to the top eight finishers in each weight class.
“Mason just continued where he left off in the state tournament,” MHS coach Scott Arneson said. “He wrestled all the way back to second, beating the guy that beat him. He did an awesome job. All year, he wrestled juniors and seniors.
“When he gets against kids his own (freshman) age, he’s pretty solid. I wish more of our kids would take that opportunity.”
Jagger Scholz (1-2 at 132 pounds) also competed in the Cadet age bracket at the event and Dylan Schielke (0-2 at 138) wrestled in juniors. Both earned valuable experience for the future. Wausau West’s Travis Hettinga finished fifth with a 7-2 record. Merrill’s Scott T. Arneson attended, but was unable to wrestle due to illness.
A total of 1,300 athletes from 38 states competed in the tournament.