La Crosse, Wis. - In a match-up of top-four ranked teams, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team earned a 30-12 victory over UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles, ranked fourth on the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Poll, improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The Blugolds, ranked third, drop to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the conference. 

UWL now leads the all-time series, 51-7, with UW-Eau Claire. The Eagles have won 37 straight duals over the Blugolds. UW-Eau Claire last earned a dual win during the 1986-87 season.  

UWL took a 3-0 lead as 11th-ranked Remington Bontreger won by decision (6-1) over Travis Moelter at 125-pounds. The Blugolds took a 6-3 lead as top-ranked Tyler Fleetwood won by fall (4:31) over Zach Weiler at 133-pounds. 

The Eagles' quickly regained the lead as Sam Lorenz won by fall (:49) over Bo Niewiadomski at 141-pounds to give UWL a 9-6 lead.  

In a match-up of top-five ranked wrestlers at 149, UWL's third-ranked Tyler Goebel won by decision (2-1) over fifth-ranked Zach Sato. The win extended UWL's lead to 12-6. The Eagles' Nolan Hertel, ranked first in the country at 157-pounds, gave UWL a 18-6 lead with a win by medical forfeit over Jan Hernandez-Soto.

Tristan Massie, ranked 11th at 165-pounds for UW-Eau Claire, earned a win by decision (9-2) over UWL's Noah Leisgang. The Blugolds' second-ranked Jared Stricker at 174-pounds cut the lead to 18-12 with a decision (8-1) over the Eagles' Eddie Simes. 

UWL completed the dual victory with three major decisions. Marcus Orlandoni, ranked 14th at 184-pounds, won by major decision (11-3) over Connor Collins to make it 22-12. At 197-pounds, Ben Kawczynski won by major decision (16-3) over Cole Matulenko. Kawczynski is ranked ninth in the NWCA. Third-ranked Michael Douglas won by major decision (17-4) over Jackson Schichel at 285-pounds.
 

UWL returns to action Friday, January 5 at the NWCA Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.