La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team improved to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) with a 23-12 victory over UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall.

The Blugolds drop to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

With the victory, UWL extends its league dual winning streak to 20. The Eagles are 91-9 (.910) all-time in WIAC duals under head coach Dave Malecek. 

UWL now leads the all-time series, 53-7, with UW-Eau Claire. The Eagles have won 39 straight duals over the Blugolds. UW-Eau Claire last earned a dual win during the 1986-87 season.

UWL is ranked fifth in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Top 25 Poll.

The teams split the first six duals Wednesday. UWL took a 3-0 lead at 125-pounds with fourth-ranked Quintin Wolbert winning by decision (7-3) over Izzy Balsiger. UW-Eau Claire tied the dual, 3-3, as Wyatt Unser earned the win by decision (5-2) over Teague Holzer at 133.

UWL regained a 6-3 lead as 11th-ranked Talan Schutte won by decision (13-7) over Ty Fink at 141-pounds. The Blugolds' Landon Church won by decision (6-4) over the Eagles' Joe Penchi at 149 to tie the dual, 6-6.

UW-Eau Claire took its first lead Wednesday at 157-pounds as Gage Losiewicz won by decision (9-5) over UWL's Kolt Knaack to make it 9-6.

The Eagles won the next four duals to secure the victory. Tanner Gerber, ranked fourth at 165, won by technical fall (15-0, 6:23) over Jon Harvey to give UWL an 11-9 lead. Seventh-ranked Eddie Simes won by decision (4-1) over Preston Carlisle at 174-pounds to extend the lead to 14-9.
 

UWL's Tate Flege, ranked third in the NWCA at 184-pounds, gave the Eagles a 19-9 advantage with a technical fall (17-0, 6:46) over UW-Eau Claire's Ben Peterson. At 197-pounds, the Eagles' Tyler Dormanen earned a major decision (11-0) over the Blugolds' seventh-ranked Ian Pepple for a 23-9 lead.

UW-Eau Claire's Cole Matulenko finished the dual with a win by decision (10-7) over UWL's Carter Lueck at 285-pounds.

UWL returns to action Friday, December 19 hosting Aurora University (Ill.) in a match at La Crosse Aquinas High School at 7 p.m.