Appleton North senior Jake Stoffel needed just 1:41 to pin Mukwonago's Hayden Chitwood in a Division 1 175-pound quarterfinal at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Madison on Thursday night. Stoffel and teammate Brock Arndt will wrestle in semifinal matches on Friday. (Photo by Paul Lecker/AppletonSportsPage.com)

Appleton North’s Stoffel, Arndt move into Division 1 semifinals at WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament

February 22, 2024 plecker

Fox Valley Lutheran’s Austin Kufner tries to gain control in his Division 2 150-pound preliminary match against Baldwin-Woodville’s Taden Holldorf. Kufner lost 4-2. (Photo by Paul Lecker/AppletonSportsPage.com)

By Paul Lecker
AppletonSportsPage.com

MADISON – Appleton North seniors Jake Stoffel and Brock Arndt have been dominant all season and rarely mess around.

Both were on top of their games as they cruised to two wins each on the opening day of the 2024 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center on Thursday.

Stoffel, shooting for his second-straight state title after taking the 152-pound crown last year, pinned Jaxon Lawrence of Waukesha West in 1:29 in a Division 1 175-pound preliminary match. The No. 1 seed in the bracket needed a bit longer in his second match before pinning Hayden Chitwood of Mukwonago in 1:41 in a quarterfinal.

Stoffel, who bumps his undefeated record to 40-0, will take on Johnny Botsch (32-4) of Brookfield East in a 175-pound semifinal match Friday night.

Arndt was as forceful in his two 285-pound matches. He pinned Oscar Latendresse of D.C. Everest in 1:05 in a prelim and roughed up Waunakee’s Jackson Lenzendorf of Waunakee in 1:47 in a quarterfinal match.

Arndt took control of Lenzendorf in the opening seconds, waited it out, and eventually flipped him to snag the pin with 13 seconds to go in the opening period.

Arndt (29-1) will face Mukwonago’s Grant Stromberg (53-5) in a 285-pound semifinal on Friday night.

Appleton North’s other entrant, Blake Miller, lost his first-round match at 215 pounds as he was pinned by Garett Kawczynski (42-2) of Port Washington. Miller will move into the consolation bracket, which will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, against McCoy Smith (30-10) of Waunakee.

In Division 2 action, Fox Valley Lutheran’s Austin Kufner also lost his opening match, falling 4-2 to Taden Holldorf (38-10) of Baldwin-Woodville. If Holldorf wins his quarterfinal match Friday afternoon, Kufner will move into the consolation bracket.

2024 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament
Feb. 22-24, at Kohl Center, Madison
Friday, Feb. 23
Girls and Division 1 boys consolations, 10 a.m.
Division 2 & 3 boys quarterfinals, approximately 11 a.m.
Girls and Division 1 boys consolation quarterfinals, approximately 1:15 p.m.
Division 2 & 3 boys consolation quarterfinals, approximately 2 p.m.
All boys and girls semifinals, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24
All boys and girls consolation semifinals, 10 a.m.
All boys and girls fifth-place and third-place matches immediately following
All boys and girls championship matches, 5:30 p.m.

Local Participants
Thursday, Feb. 22
Division 1 Preliminaries
175: Jake Stoffel (39-0), Appleton North, pinned Jaxon Lawrence (26-17) Waukesha West, 1:29.
215: Garett Kawczynski (42-2) Port Washington, pinned Blake Miller (10-4), Appleton North, 1:07.
285: Brock Arndt (28-1), Appleton North, pinned Oscar Latendresse (17-13) D.C. Everest, 1:05.
Division 2 Preliminaries
150: Taden Holldorf (38-10) Baldwin-Woodville, def. Austin Kufner (34-8), Fox Valley Lutheran, 4-2.
Division 1 Quarterfinals
175: Jake Stoffel (40-0) pinned Hayden Chitwood (50-8), Mukwonago, 1:41.
285: Brock Arndt (29-1) pinned Jackson Lenzendorf (42-6), Waunakee, 1:47.
Friday, Feb. 23
Division 1 Consolations
215: Blake Miller (10-4), Appleton North, vs. McCoy Smith (30-10), Waunakee.
Division 1 Semifinals
175: Jake Stoffel (40-0) vs. Johnny Botsch (32-4), Brookfield East.
285: Brock Arndt (29-1) vs. Grant Stromberg (53-5), Mukwonago.