In a field loaded with nationally ranked teams and wrestlers, UW-Whitewater's Austin Bautista (Des Plaines, IL/Maine East) lived up to his number one ranking in Division III by winning the title at the Pete Willson Invitational hosted by Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois Friday-Saturday. UW-W finished ninth in the field of thirty teams. UW-Whitewater also received special recognition, with former UW-W wrestling coach Willie Myers receiving the Distinguished Wrestling Contributor Award at the tourney (see pages 8-10 on this link).
tournament web site
Division II UW-Parkside won the tournament with 175.5 points. The field also included two other Division II teams and seven teams ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III poll (UW-La Crosse sixth, North Central tenth, UW-W sixteenth, Trine twentieth, Elmhurst twenty-second, Heidelberg twenty-fourth, and Mount Union twenty-eighth).
Bautista, somehow seeded third in the tourney despite his number one ranking nationally, did not have a close match in his first four rounds, winning 10-4, 10-2, 12-6 and 8-2. He defeated Mike Migawa of UW-Parkside 5-2 in the championship match to raise his record to 29-2.
Adam Latella (Rockton, IL/Hononegah) finished third at 197 for the Warhawks. He won 15-5, 9-7 and 4-2 before losing in the semifinals of the championship bracket, but he came back to take a victory over Bill Meaney of Elizabethtown on a medical forfeit in his third place match. Latella, with his 5-1 mark in the tourney, is 18-9 this season.
Two other Warhawks emerged from the tourney with winning records. James Zarate (Waukesha/North) went 4-2 in the 285 pound class to raise his season mark to 25-11, and Corey Schmidt (Homewood, IL/Homewood Flossmoor) was 3-2 at 157 as his mark moved to 15-17.
UW-W will wrestle at UW-Stevens Point February 5 at 7:00. The only home match remaining on the schedule is February 11 at 7:00 with UW-Platteville visiting Williams Center for the annual Senior Night recognition.
For additional information: Tim Fader, UW-W coach
