Wrestling | 2/12/2026 9:42:00 AM
WIAC Championship Website
Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team looks to win its 10th straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (presented by Culver's) Saturday, February 14. Action starts at 11 a.m. at UW-Eau Claire's McPhee Physical Education Center in the 71st edition of the league meet.
The championship follows an individual tournament format, crowning 10 individual first-place finishers, along with a team champion. Each institution will be permitted to enter two wrestlers per weight class and only the highest finishing wrestler from each institution will factor into the team scoring.
UW-La Crosse enters the championships fifth in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Tournament Team Rankings released on February 6. UW-Whitewater is ranked 10th and UW-Eau Claire 18th.
The Eagles won their league-high 24th (1994, 1998-99, 2000-11, 2017-25) title in program archives a season ago, including ninth straight with 158.5 points. UW-Eau Claire was second at last year's conference championships with 147.5 points.
UW-Whitewater placed third last year (132.5 points) followed by UW-Stevens Point (64.5), UW-Platteville (25.5) and UW-Oshkosh (8.5).
UW-Whitewater ranks second on the conference all-time list with 17 championships, while UW-Stevens Point has won eight with UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire one. Former programs to win titles include: UW-River Falls (11); UW-Superior (6); UW-Stout (2); and UW-Milwaukee (1).
UW-La Crosse has captured 14 (2007-11, 2017-25) league titles under head coach
Dave Malecek. He has been selected the Mertz Mortorelli WIAC Coach of the Year on seven occasions (2007-11, 2015, 2017). UW-La Crosse also earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award the last eight seasons (2018-25).
A total of 18 wrestlers are set to compete for UW-La Crosse at the championships. Eight wrestlers have placed at the league championships, including three with a pair of honors.
Noah Leisgang, ranked second at 174-pounds, won the 165-pound title at the 2023 and 2024 WIAC Championships.
Eddie Simes, also wrestling at 174-pounds this season, was second at 174-pounds in 2025 and fifth in 2024. Third-ranked
Tate Flege placed second at 165-pounds in 2024 and third at 165 last season. He is competing at 184-pounds at this year's league championships.
Five wrestlers have one career place-winner at the WIAC Championships, including
Talan Schutte (141) and
Tanner Gerber (165) who both won league crowns last year. Schutte is ranked 13th this year and Gerber second.
UW-La Crosse's
Grant Madl (125) finished sixth last season with
Wyatt Magolski (133) second while
Tyler Dormanen, ranked eighth this season at 197, finished third at 184 a year ago.
The Eagles'
Cole Gentsch (125),
Marcus McIntyre (141),
Aidan Baum (149),
Kellen Kelly (149),
Joe Penchi (157),
Kolt Knaack (157),
Ryland Schneider (165),
Sedeeq AlObaidi (184),
Markos Mihalopoulos (285) and
Henry VanderHeiden (285) are looking to place for the first time.
Mihalopoulos is 10th on the NWCA rankings.
UW-La Crosse finished 14-3 in duals this season, including 5-0 in the WIAC.
UW-La Crosse returns to action Friday-Saturday, February 27-28 at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Region VII Regional at UW-Eau Claire. The NCAA Division III Championships are Friday-Saturday, March 13-14 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
