The Antigo wrestling team made its mark at the WIAA State Championships in Madison, with three athletes competing over three days. Olivia Hofrichter delivered a dominant performance, capturing a state championship in the Girls 145-pound division. Nolan Kielcheski battled through the tournament to secure a fifth-place finish at 165 pounds, while Jayson Arrowood ended his season after two hard-fought matches.
Hofrichter’s Run to the Championship
Already a multiple-time freestyle state champion, Olivia Hofrichter entered the state folkstyle tournament seeking her first high school title. Seeded fifth with a 39-3 record, she opened with a 50-second pin over Zoye Hilby (Dodgeland) after securing a reversal and trapping Hilby’s arm.
In the quarterfinals, Hofrichter avenged a past loss to Chloe LaRue (Cuba City/Benton/SW), a two-time state runner-up who entered at 40-1. After falling behind early, Hofrichter took control, scoring four nearfall points in the first period and adding a reversal to lead 10-5. She continued to dominate, using an overhook to set up a lateral and earned a 19-7 major decision victory.
The semifinal presented a major challenge—undefeated defending state champion Harlow Skenandore (Pulaski, 28-0), ranked eighth nationally. Skenandore took the first takedown and led 3-1 after the first period. Hofrichter countered a leg ride, catching Skenandore on her back and earning a stunning pinfall victory at 3:11 to advance to the finals.
Facing Layla Risler (Mondovi/Eleva-Strum, 55-1) in the championship match, Hofrichter wrestled a tactical first period, keeping the score 0-0. Midway through the second, she executed a lateral drop to put Risler on her back, securing a state title with a pin at 3:06.
With the victory, Hofrichter became Antigo’s second girls state champion, joining her sister Alexandra Hofrichter, a three-time state winner. She finished the season 43-3 and scored 29 team points.
Kielcheski’s Fifth-Place Finish
Nolan Kielcheski (43-7) capped his high school career with an impressive fifth-place finish at 165 pounds, earning four victories in the tournament.
He started strong with a first-round pin in 1:57 against Landon Busch (Cuba City/Benton/SW). In the quarterfinals, he faced Drake Petersen (Saint Croix Falls, 44-7) in a close match. Despite fighting off multiple cradle attempts, Petersen secured one late in the second period, taking a 4-1 lead. Kielcheski battled back but fell 4-2, sending him to the consolation bracket.
Determined to fight his way onto the podium, Kielcheski edged Andrew Thompson (Baldwin-Woodville) in sudden victory (3-0) after scoring a late takedown. In the consolation semifinal, he locked up an over/under position, threw Matheo Ngbemeneh (Somerset) to the mat, and secured a pin at 2:35.
The fifth-place match saw Kielcheski face Carter Ries (Big Foot/Williams Bay, 51-5). He built an early 5-0 lead with a takedown and nearfall points, then added another takedown and cradle to seal a pinfall win at 3:55, earning his podium spot.
Kielcheski finished his senior season at 43-7, scoring 13 team points and securing his place as one of Antigo’s top competitors.
Arrowood Battles at 150 Pounds
In the consolation round, Arrowood led early against Trey Zemke (Winneconne) but was caught in a cradle, losing 6-3. He concluded his season with a 38-9 record.
Looking Ahead
With the folkstyle season now complete, many Antigo wrestlers will shift focus to Greco and freestyle wrestling in the coming months, continuing to build on their success.
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