Wisconsin Badgers
Little Rock
Five Things to Know: Little Rock
November 11, 2021 | Wrestling
No. 23 Badgers travel for Battle of the Bluffs in La Crosse
MADISON, Wis. — A first of its kind event, Wisconsin wrestling is honored to participate in the Battle of the Bluffs hosted by UW-La Crosse Wrestling featuring Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 matches highlighting the state of Wisconsin's wrestling community. In the Battle's Div. 1 match, No. 23 Wisconsin (1-0, 0-0 B1G) wrestles Little Rock (0-0, 0-0 PAC 12) at 7 p.m. CT.
Quick Links
- Buffalo Bulls Roster and Match Preview
- Wisconsin Match Notes (PDF)
- Watch on UW-La Crosse Website video live streaming and live stats
Don't miss head coach Chris Bono's latest Jump Around Weekly update video.
Here are five more things to know before the Badgers step on the mats:
1. LAST TIME OUT: The neutral-site event marks the Trojan's first dual of the season, starting Little Rock's third season in program history. Wisconsin opened the season with a dominating 30-3 victory against Buffalo on Nov. 1 at the UW Field House.
2. NO BULL(S): The Badgers were led in scoring with three wrestlers scoring major decisons, including a 18-5 win by true freshman Dean Hamiti at 165 pounds in his collegiate debut in addition to Andrew McNally (174) and Chris Weiler (184). Wisconsin's roster also returns two NCAA All-Americans — Trent Hillger (285 pounds, 6th) and Eric Barnett (125, 8th) — in addition to five NCAA qualifiers — Barnett, Kyle Burwick (133), Trent Hillger, McNally and Weiler. Wisconsin's winning lineup vs. Buffalo featured five new wrestlers on the roster, including three true freshmen — transfers McNally and Austin Gomez (149) and freshmen Joseph Zargo (141), Hamiti and Braxton Amos (197). All notched victories in their Badgers' debuts.
3. SCOUTING THE TROJANS: Entering the program's third season, Little Rock is a young team on the rise. The Trojans hosted their first-ever tournament last weekend, racking up 25 pins and a strong showing across the brackets. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Brennan highlighted the afternoon with three pins in three matches to win the 165-pound bracket, all in the first period. Read the tournament recap.4. WISCO LOVE: Four Little Rock wrestlers hail from Wisconsin — the three brothers Bianchi (Joseph (149), Matty (141) and Paul (133) from Two Rivers — and freshman Mason Diel (184) from Hartland. It's certain to be a full house at La Crosse.
5. LINEUPS: PROBABLE STARTERS
| Weight | #23 WISCONSIN | BUFFALO |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | #10 Eric Barnett | Jayden Carson or Josh Sarpy |
| 133 | Ethan Rotondo or #24 Kyle Burwick | Jaylen Carson |
| 141 | Joseph Zargo | Conner Ward |
| 149 | #18 Austin Gomez | Joseph Bianchi |
| 157 | Garrett Model | Chase Tebbets |
| 165 | #25 Dean Hamiti | Tyler Brennan |
| 174 | #9 Andrew McNally or Kevin Meicher | Triston Wills |
| 184 | #18 Chris Weiler | Tanner Mendoza |
| 197 | #17 Braxton Amos | Brooks Sacharczyk |
| 285 | #6 Trent Hillger | Josiah Hill |
| Head Coach | Chris Bono | Neil Erisman |
| Asst. Coach | Jon Reader (Assoc. HC) | Javier Maldonado |
| Asst. Coach | Seth Gross | Chandler Rogers |
| Team and Individual Rankings InterMat, Nov. 9, 2021; Wisconsin is ranked #23 in tournament, #18 in duals | ||
Battle of the Bluffs is here!
— Wisconsin Wrestling (@BadgerWrestling) November 12, 2021
Still want tickets? Call 608-785-8616 (credit cards only) before noon or purchase at the door at @UWLAthletics @UWL_Wrestling
Live video streaming and stats: https://t.co/OSqFJWjJ5R pic.twitter.com/s4qhCwRBME
