Posted: Jan. 25, 2010

Muskego — This time, an injury will keep senior Derek Olson from his goal. Olson, one of the state's top wrestlers, has been shelved for the season following a shoulder injury suffered in practice, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The three-time state place-winner and two-time state runner-up has a torn labrum and rotator cuff and will need four months to recover following surgery. It is a huge blow to one of the most talented wrestlers in school history.

Olson finished fourth at the WIAA individual state tournament at 130 pounds in 2007, losing to Sauk Prairie's Matt Gaffney in the third-place match. Gaffney got the best of Olson again a year later, this time in the 130-pound finals.

Olson's junior campaign ended in a 7-5 overtime decision to Kaukauna's Eric Vanevenhoven in the 152-pound finals.

The Muskego senior was hoping to become the school's seventh individual state champion and first since Riley Kreuzer in 2006. Olson was 26-1 this season and finished his career 163-12.

The Warriors managed a successful week in their first action without their top star. Muskego made the championship match in seven flights and won six titles in claiming first at the 10-team Deforest Norskie Invite on Saturday.

Roland Dunlap, who recently returned from his own shoulder injury, improved to 9-1 with his title at 171. He defeated Elkhorn's KC Verhoeven, 10-3, in the championship match after picking up two pins and a technical fall earlier in the day.

Justin Scherkenbach (112) and Jordan Gruettner (189) both improved to 29-4 with their unbeaten days. Scherkenbach tallied a 13-3 major decision over Evansville's J.J. Boley to cap his tournament and Gruettner defeated Mukwonago's Damon King, 18-5, in his final match.

Tyler Quartullo (135) and Jordan Lau (145) finished their days with championship-match pins. Quartullo, who improved to 27-4, needed 2 minutes, 20 seconds to beat Taylor French of Elkhorn, Quartullo's second pin of the day. Lau recorded a fall of Deforest's Steve Hoffman in 4:40, Lau's third straight pin of the tournament.

Tyler Sinda cracked the 20-win plateau and improved to 23-11 with five wins Saturday at 103, including an injury default win over Neenah's Josh Cowling in the championship tilt.

Muskego's Ryan Leighton was pinned by Neenah's Austin Karls in the finals at 285, but not before Leighton won four matches, including two by pin. Muskego's Alex Kehoe (215) was fourth and Ryan Zainer (125) was fifth.

The Warriors also came from behind to earn a 40-31 Southeast Conference win at Oak Creek on Jan. 21.

Dunlap won by major decision, 16-5, over Mitch Dolan and Gruettner pinned Kyle Wey in 1:17 in the dual's final two matches as Muskego rallied from a 31-30 deficit.

Lau, Scherkenbach, Sinda and Kehoe also recorded pins for the Warriors (6-0), who are looking to close out an undefeated SEC dual season against visiting Racine Case at 7 p.m. Thursday.

 

- David Cotey