Norskies take on individual state wrestling championship

The DeForest Norskies boys’ and girls’ wrestling teams were well-represented at the 2026 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Individual State Wrestling Championship over the past weekend in Madison.

For the DeForest boys’ team, the Norskies had three student-athletes qualify for the Kohl Center: Tayden Ringstad (106 lbs), Cooper Feiner (138 lbs) and Michael Pertzborn (150 lbs).

Ringstad, a junior, punched his ticket to individual state thanks to an 8-4 decision in his second-place match at individual sectionals two weeks prior.

At 40-10 overall, he received the No. 11 seed, where he fell via pin at the 0:28 mark in the Round of 16. In Ringstad’s consolation sub-quarterfinal match, he fell in a hard-fought 9-5 decision to conclude his junior campaign with the Norskies.

Meanwhile, Cooper Feiner also received the No. 11 seed, taking on the 138-pound bracket for DeForest.

Coming off the heels of a 16-4 major decision victory in his second-place match at individual sectionals, Feiner lost his Round of 16 match in a 12-0 decision. In his consolation sub-quarterfinal match, he lost in a 12-4 decision, thus concluding his junior season with DeForest.

Last, but certainly not least, was junior Michael Pertzborn, who secured his spot at the Kohl Center thanks to a 15-0 victory by technical fall at the 2:23 mark in individual sectionals in his second-place match.

At individual state, the No. 14-seeded Pertzborn (36-14) put up quite the battle in his Round of 16 match, falling in a 5-1 decision, before concluding his junior season in the consolation sub-quarterfinals by an 8-3 decision.

While DeForest may not have had an athlete that placed at individual state, sending three athletes to the Kohl Center — all of whom will be seniors next season — has clearly laid a foundation for success on the mat next winter for DeForest, who looks to send even more athletes to Madison come 2027.

As for the girls’ squad, the Norskies sent two athletes to the Kohl Center: Abigail Harris (138 lbs) and Morgan Johnson (120 lbs).

Harris, a junior, punched her ticket to Madison after scoring a pin at the 2:34 mark in her second-place match at sectionals one week prior.

Competing at individual state as the No. 13 seed, Harris (46-12) fell in her Round of 16 match by pin at the 1:28 mark, before rebounding with a pin at the 4:05 mark in her consolation sub-quarterfinal match to keep her season alive.

Success continued to follow for Harris, where she scored a pin in two minutes and 33 seconds in her consolation quarterfinal match, before her run at state ended in the consolation semifinals with a 12-2 major decision defeat.

Then came Morgan Johnson, who earned a podium finish in fifth place for DeForest.

DeForest freshman Morgan Johnson works to turn Kettle Moraine junior Brooke Williamson during the fifth place match at 120 pounds at the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison. Johnson won by fall, finishing the season with a 52-7 record.

The No. 6-seeded Johnson — who needed just one minute and 28 seconds to pin her opponent in her second-place match at sectionals — started off strong, thanks to a pin at the 1:45 mark in her Round of 16 match.

While Johnson (52-7) would drop a 6-0 decision in her quarterfinal match, the freshman strung together a trio of victories to earn fifth-place honors.

First up was the consolation quarterfinals, where she won by a 6-0 decision, before winning her consolation semifinal match by a 6-2 decision.

And on to the fifth-place match Johnson went, where she delivered a pin at the 4:09 mark to leave the Kohl Center on a high note, representing DeForest on the podium.

This year was the last season the state champion in the girls’ field was determined at individual state, with a girls’ team state tournament set to begin next winter.

Milton won the state title with 81.5 team points, while Wautoma/Wild Rose finished runner-up with 60 team points.

DeForest’s duo of Morgan Johnson and Abigail Harris combined for 19 team points, which tied them for the 34th-best finish at state out of a field of 124 programs from across the state, according to USA Bracketing.