Amherst’s Rieck competes at State Wrestling
Portage County Gazette
By John Kemmeter
Amherst High School senior Josh Rieck capped his high school wrestling career at the WIAA Division 2 Wrestling Individual State Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison Thursday and Friday, Feb. 21 and 22.
Ranked eighth at 182 pounds, Rieck (35-13) opened against ninth ranked junior Conor Vatland of Westby (40-8) in the opening round Thursday night, where Rieck won by pin in 2:50 to advance to the State Quarterfinals Friday morning.
There, Rieck faced fourth-ranked senior Brian Flanagan of Waukesha Catholic Memorial (41-8), and scored a takedown 14 seconds into the match to go up 2-0.
It stayed that way until late in the second period, when Rieck scored a reversal with five seconds left to take a 4-0 lead.
Flanagan began the third period on the bottom and scored a reversal with 1:04 remaining and a two-point nearfall with 35 seconds to go to tie the match at 4-4, before Rieck escaped with 19 seconds left to take a 5-4 lead.
However, Flanagan scored a takedown with seven seconds remaining to win 6-5, on his way to placing fifth at 182.
The loss sent Rieck to wrestlebacks Friday afternoon against second-ranked senior Sam Melton of Spooner/Webster (43-4), where Rieck was pinned in 3:31 by the eventual third-place finisher to end his first State Tournament appearance.