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McCarthy claims 285-lbs. title at Lancaster Invite
CCSWBent wrest Garcia
Cuba City/Southwestern/Benton wrestler Francisco Garcia (top) pinned River Ridge/Cassville's Ethan Esser in 1:58 of their quarterfinal match at Saturday's Lancaster Invitational. Garcia went 2-2 on the day to finish fourth in the 220-pound class.
Thomas Gunnell
Updated: Jan 13, 2017, 5:35 PM
Published: Jan 13, 2017, 5:38 PM

CUBA CITY – Senior Aaron McCarthy went 4-0 on the day to claim the 285-pound title and lead the Cuba City/Southwestern/Benton wrestling team at the 2017 Lancaster Wrestling Invitational held at LHS on Saturday, Jan. 7.

McCarthy improved his record to 15-1 on the season after edging Cashton heavyweight Brandon Klimek by a score of 3-0 in the championship match to successfully defend his 285-pound title at the loaded 14-team event.
Klimek (18-3) came into the tournament ranked #4 in Division 3 by Wisconsin Wrestling Online.

McCarthy opened his day with quick pins against Belmont/Platteville’s Venkat Reddy (:43) and Boscobel’s Kenny Foster (:24), and then advanced to the finals at the meet for the third year in a row after posting an 8-1 decision over Darlington/Black Hawk’s Jacob Tuescher in the semifinal round.

The Cubans, who had just four wrestlers competing at Saturday’s meet, finished 12th overall with 36 points. Sparta rolled to the team title with 201.5 points after sending seven wresters to the finals and capturing three titles.

SWAL rivals Iowa-Grant/Highland (152.5) and Darlington/Black Hawk (118.5) placed second and third, respectively, in the team standings.

Junior Francisco Garcia (5-6) went 2-2 on the day to place fourth for the Cubans at 220-pounds. Garcia pinned River Ridge/Cassville’s Ethan Esser in 1:58 to open his tournament, but got pinned by Cashton’s Dylan Campton in 1:10 of their semifinal match to drop into the consolation bracket. A 3-0 decision over Sparta’s Garet Pfaff put Garcia in the third-place match, however Brodhead’s Trent Davis eked out a 5-3 decision over Garcia in that contest to place him fourth in the class.

Jake Neis (6-10) at 195 and Nick Leahy (2-4) at 285 each went 0-2 at the meet for the Cubans.

At Cuba City, on Friday, Jan. 6, the Cubans fell on the short end of a 56-6 decision to the visiting Darlington/Black Hawk co-op in a SWAL dual match. The WarBirds (2-0 overall, 1-0 SWAL) garnered two pins, two major decisions, two decisions and five forfeit wins en route to the victory.

Neis posted an 8-4 decision over Karl Seffrood at 195 and McCarthy edged Tuescher by a score of 1-0 at 285 to account for the lone wins for the hosts. Troy Leibfried (two pins) and Logan Murphy (pin and a major decision) each went 2-0 for the Cubans in exhibition matches against the WarBirds, while Leahy went 1-1 with a pin for the tri-op.

The Cubans will participate at the 2017 Weston/Ithaca Invitational at Weston High School on Saturday, Jan. 14, starting at 8 a.m.
 
DARLINGTON/BLACK HAWK 56, CUBA CITY/SOUTHWESTERN/BENTON 6
Individual Results: 106-pounds- Double forfeit; 113- Cody Blosch, D/BH, won by forfeit; 120- Cayden Milz, D/BH, won by forfeit; 126- Paul King, D/BH, pinned Corwin Emery, CCSWB, 1:41; 132- Kolbe Ubersox, D/BH, won by forfeit; 138- Hunter Bredeson, D/BH, pinned Wylie Niles, CCSWB, 3:03; 145- Grady Rielly, D/BH, major dec. Tyler Reuter, CCSWB, 13-2; 152- Connor Novak, D/BH, dec. Brad Goffinet, CCSWB, 5-1; 160- Curtis Blosch, D/BH, dec. Abe Meier, CCSWB, 4-2; 170- Lance Ubersox, D/BH, won by forfeit; 182- Tyler Mosley, D/BH, won by forfeit; 195- Jake Neis, CCSWB, dec. Karl Seffrood, D/BH, 8-4; 220- Brody Milz, D/BH, major dec. Francisco Garcia, CCSWB, 12-4; 285- Aaron McCarthy, CCSWB, dec. Jacob Tuescher, D/BH, 1-0.
At Cuba City, on Friday, Jan. 6

LANCASTER INVITATIONAL
Team Standings: Sparta 201.5, Iowa-Grant/Highland 152.5, Darlington/Black Hawk 118.5, Cashton 101, Dubuque Wahlert 101, Brodhead 92.5, Lancaster 92, Dubuque Senior 87.5, Belmont/Platteville 51, Boscobel 46.5, Madison West 45, Cuba City/Benton/Southwestern 36, Parkview 22, River Ridge/Cassville 22.
 
CC/SW/B Individual Results: 195- Jake Neis, 0-2; 220- 4- Francisco Garcia, 2-2; 285- 1- Aaron McCarthy, 3-0; Nick Leahy, 0-2.
At LHS, on Saturday, Jan. 7
Darlington honors long-time coach Arnie Miehe
School renames cross country course after legendary coach
Arnie Miehe
Former Darlington cross country coach Arnie Miehe (left) stands as it is announced that the DHS cross country course will be renamed after him at the Darlington Invitational on Sept. 7. The years of accomplishments are displayed on the banner behind Miehe. - photo by Casey Lindecrantz
Natalie Dillon, Fox Tales
Updated: Sep 13, 2024, 4:03 PM
Published: Sep 13, 2024, 4:04 PM

DARLINGTON — At its 41st annual Darlington Invite, the cross country team honored long-time head coach Arnie Miehe by renaming the course after him.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Arnie said. “It’s very humbling. It makes me think of all the hours, days, weeks and years that went into it — all the events and kids I’ve come in contact with.”

Since taking over  the program in 1982, Arnie has had nine state championship teams — eight for the boys and one for the girls — including six consecutive boys’ titles from 2011-2016. Another 39 teams went to state — 23 for the boys and 16 for the girls. For four straight years from 1993-1996, Darlington boys were state runners-up to Cochrane-Fountain City. In this 41-year span, he’s also had numerous individual state runners.

Two of those runners were his sons, Kent and Tyson. Tyson has run in the Olympic trials, and Kent currently coaches the Redbirds cross country teams.

“The recognition needs to be spread out,” Arnie said. “It should really be named the Miehe course. My wife and kids had as much to do with the success as I did. It was an entire family effort.”

But Kent was quick to turn the recognition back to his father.

“All the success we had started here, with him,” Kent said of Darlington’s home course and the annual Invite, which Arnie had begun years ago.

Darlington kept its successful streak at home with the girls finishing runners-up to Lancaster. Adalee Berget led the squad with her third-place finish. As a team, the Lady Redbirds, ranked No. 9 in Division 3 per Week 1 of the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Poll, ran faster than the 2023 squad that finished third at state.

“We are learning what good is,” Kent said. “The returners know what it takes to be good. We have a perspective of what we are working toward. The season is far from over.”