Fond du Lac’s Jason Toshner was sick of being one-and-done. So the Cardinal senior, who lost in the opening round each of the last two years at the WIAA individual wrestling state tournament, turned in quite the performance this weekend at the Kohl Center.Toshner made it all the way to the Division 1 finals at 195 pounds, where he eventually lost to Menomonie’s Mason Stokke, earning a runner-up finish.
Toshner lost the match on a 6-0 decision to a wrestler who finished the season undefeated. “Right now I feel a little down because I thought I could have gotten it but I just wasn’t able to,” Toshner said. “At first with my slide by I was getting to him and then I was on the edge of the match and missed the opportunity then he had the opportunity to get me and I wasn’t able to counter that.” The senior trailed 2-0 after the first, but then Stokke got four more in the second before a scoreless third period.
Toshner finished the season with a 44-3 record. It was quite the experience for Toshner, who never experienced the hype of the finals. Between the opening grand march and the packed Kohl Center, it was a bit overwhelming. “It was pretty thrilling but I knew I had a job to do so I kept my mind off it and tried to wrestle my own match,” he said.
It’s been an amazing year for Toshner, who helped anchor the Cardinal football team to a deep playoff run, and now has a second-place finish at state wrestling to add to his resume. “Just the amount of time in the weight room, practice room and out on the field and everything extra I can do, just so I can achieve one step further than anyone else,” Toshner said.
Friday’s semifinals
Toshner recorded a 4-0 decision over Marshfield’s Josh Lang in the state semifinals, earning him a trip in Saturday’s title match. “It’s been my whole life dream to just be here right now,” an enthusiastic Toshner said following the semifinal match. “I was thinking to myself if I get the first takedown, I should be able to hold him down and that’s what I did. Toshner did just that, getting a takedown early in the match and eventually took a 2-0 lead going into the second period. Toshner got two more in the second and held him scoreless in the third to clinch the win. A three-year qualifier, Toshner finally got over the hump after losing the first round match the last two years. “For me I have been focusing on preparation and the mindset, and focusing on the match,” Toshner said. “With the help of my cousin, he was really the main help for me
State Wrestling: Friday’s early results
Fondy’s Josh Adams (145) and Donte Johnson (285) lost their first matches of the day and were eliminated. Adams lost a close 6-5 decision to Waukesha South’s Jordan Yatchak. Adams finished 1-2 in his first state appearance. “The first period I tried to work my way in on a smart shot instead of going all in and half way he ended up going all in and got it,” Adams said of consolation match. “I got the escape and it felt good to get my first points out of the way but he just stayed at it.”
Adams picked up a win in his first ever state match on Thursday night, and despite not making it to Saturday, said his experience was one he’d never forget. “In a way I’m proud that it’s my first year and I won a match, but it’s not what I wanted to do,” Adams said. I’m disappointed with my finish but it was a great experience, anyone can win and anyone can lose here. It’s just how you react to the endless fear.”
Donte Johnson finished 0-2 on the day and was pinned in 1 minute, 29 seconds in the first round of consolations by DeForest’s Hunter Toppel. “It was a tough match, a loss is a loss,” Johnson said. “You always learn and there is always room for improvement.” Like Adams, it was a great first experience for the sophomore. “It’s awesome, it is,” he said. “It’s a little overwhelming and coaches say to treat it like a match but you can’t because there are thousands of people watching.”
Fondy’s Jason Toshner advances to the WIAA state semifinals
Jason Toshner may have the chance to wrestle for a state title. The Fond du Lac senior won both of his matches Thursday evening at the WIAA individual state wrestling tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison, advancing to the Division 1 state semifinals.
Wrestling at 195 pounds, Toshner first defeated Oak Creek’s Ross Agg by 9-4 decision in the first round of the Division 1 bracket. Hours later in the quarterfinals round, Toshner pinned Appleton West’s Adam Gusky in five minutes, 41 seconds — advancing to the semifinals.
“He started off a little sluggish, but once he got through that he got a pin in the quarters,” Fond du Lac coach Joe Rens said of Toshner. “He needed to get that monkey off his back after losing in the first round last year.”
Toshner will wrestle Marshfield’s Josh Lang in the state semifinals Friday night, with the winner advancing to the state title match on Saturday.
At 145 pounds, Fond du Lac’s Josh Adams went 1-1 on the day. Adams defeated Milton’s Sean Gohlke by 14-1 major decision in the first round, but fell 1-0 to Sauk Prairie’s Eddie Smith in a quarterfinal match that went down to the very end.
Adams will face Waukesha South’s Jordan Yatchak in the first round of the consolation bracket Friday morning.
Fond du Lac’s Donte Johnson (285) lost by 3-2 decision to Elkhorn Area’s Richard Heidemann in his only match of the day. Johnson will wrestle Friday morning in the first round of the consolation bracket against DeForest’s Hunter Toppel
