Posted: Dec. 8, 2009 |(0) Comments

A youthful squad with good numbers, the Menomonee Falls wrestling team capped a busy opening week with a sound seventh place finish in the 16-school Watertown Early Bird Invite on Saturday.

And it was a great story that led the way for Falls at the event.

"Korey Kleinhans won the 171-pound title, and I think that's only the second time we've had a champion in the all the years we've been going there," Indian Jim McMahon said. "In fact, two years ago here, he was 16th out of 16 in his weight class. Just an amazing turnaround. He has very high expectations for himself."

The Indians will host their own Marlett Invitational on Saturday with Oak Creek, Germantown, Slinger, Valders, Grafton and Whitefish Bay. The meet is a gold division (varsity) and silver division (junior varsity) event with both sets of wrestlers combining for the team score.

Falls will be led by a pair of returning state meet qualifiers Tony Nelessen at 189 and Tony Guagliardo at 215. They, along with Kleinhans, got a late start to the season due to the football team's run to the state title game.

Other returnees for the Indians include junior Dan Stark at 103, senior Marshall Lund at 125, junior Connor Klermund at 130, senior Colin Aumueller at 145, and senior Andrew Warden at 152. Two other state meet qualifiers, Andy Rutke and Jake Hoerchner, both graduated.

Also looking to contribute off the 45-man roster are freshmen Austin Meyers at 112 and Sam Schwabenlander at 119, sophomores Cyle Crangle at 135 and Trevor Ehrett at 140, and juniors Dominic Thomas at 160 and Tyler Bross at 285.

"Usually in a season, you either have a good dual meet team or a good tournament team," MacMahon said. "I think because we're so young in so many spots, that it'll be hard for us to compete in certain dual meets, but I think we have a chance to be a good tournament team."

Other good efforts at the Watertown meet included both Guagliardo at 215 and Bross at 285, going 4-1. McMahon said that Guagliardo's bracket was extremely difficult and competitive.

Earlier in the week, Falls defeated Brookfield Central and lost to Marquette and Kenosha Bradford in dual meets. The highlight was Nelessen moving up two weight classes to 285 against Central and pinning the Lancers' all-state defensive tackle football player Bryce Gilbert.

McMahon will be assisted by former Wisconsin All-American Dallas Herbst and Jason Erickson.

Falls/Germantown/Hamilton boys swim

Experienced and with high expectations, but needing to get into shape, the Indians rode four first-place finishes to a runner-up showing in the Janesville Relays on Saturday.

"It was a solid group effort," said Indians coach Jim Weitzer. "We had four seconds and two thirds. It really couldn't have turned out any better."

Falls/Germantown/Hamilton will be led this winter by a seasoned group of state qualifiers, led by junior returning state diving champion Nathan Cox who led the Indians to a 16th place team finish.

Others with state meet experience include seniors Nick Bietz (200 medley relay and 16th in 100 backstroke), Sean Kimmitt (ninth in 100 butterfly and medley relay), Taylor Ladd (medley relay, 11th in the 200 IM and 10th in the 100 breaststroke); Taylor Hernikl (medley relay and 400 free relay) and Ben Perry (free relay).

Marquette won the Janesville meet as the Indians won the 400 medley relay with Bietz, Ladd, Kimmitt and Hernikl, the freshmen through senior 200 free relay with Mike Pellechia, Nick Siebennaller and Tim Damico and Perry; the 300 butterfly relay of Ladd, junior Tyler Kloehn and Kimmitt; and the 400 free race with Hernikl, Pellechia, Kloehn and Kimmitt (meet record time).

The Indians will visit Brookfield in a Greater Metro/Classic 8 dual at 6 p.m. today.

Germantown boys basketball

Zak Showalter hit a clutch late three-pointer and Malcolm Bowers played the best game of his career, as the Warhawks outscored host Brookfield Central, 14-6, in the fourth quarter to pull away with a 55-49 victory Dec. 1.

It was the first time the Warhawks had defeated the Lancers on their home court in the long history of this nonconference rivalry.

"I tell you, I'm still getting a feel for these guys yet," said Coach Steve Showalter, whose team entered the week at 2-0. "We were up seven or eight early in the third quarter, then in the space of three or four possessions we give it up. Then it goes nip and tuck for awhile and off a scramble Zak gets into the corner and hits the three."

Central had a 43-41 lead going into the fourth quarter, before Germantown began its rally. Zak Showalter led all scorers with 13 points while Bowers had 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals.

Post Jake Keefe had eight points and guard Jordan Infield had a sound floor game, added Showalter.

The Warhawks will open their North Shore Conference schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday on a daunting note, traveling up to league favorite and number one ranked in state division 2 polls Port Washington.

Pirates forward Josh Gasser has committed to Wisconsin and has a veteran cast around him that is looking to accomplish big things this winter. Germantown will then turn around for a 2:30 p.m. non-conference game at Greendale Martin Luther on Saturday, before hosting defending North Shore champ Whitefish Bay on Tuesday.