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1976-1977
1976-1977 Whitehall Norsemen Wrestling Team
Back Row (L to R): Asst. Coach Tony Brickner, Rick Paulson (HWT), Bruce Berg (#185), Scott Faldet, Paul Sogla, Scott Kulig, Connie Gromoff (#138), Head Coach Brian Borreson. Front Row (L to R): Tom Fonfara (manager), Alex Hernandez (#98), Tony Wiench, Eric Von Uhl, Mark Koxlien (#119), Tim Koxlien, Jim Bautch (#132) Not Pictured: Mike Anderson, Dan Hauge, Joel Jacobs, Ramon Kohnert, Brian Bautch, Jim Wright, and Greg Kabusiak.
Head Coach: Brian Borreson, Assistant: Tony Brickner
Manager: Tom Fonfara
Wrestlers: Rick Paulson, Bruce Berg, Scott Faldet, Paul Sogla, Scott Kulig, Connie Gromoff, Alex Hernandez, Tony Wiench, Eric Von Uhl, Mark Koxlien, Tim Koxlien, Mike Anderson, Jim Bautch, Dan Hauge, Joel Jacobs, Ramon Kohnert, Brian Bautch, Jim Wright, Greg Kabusiak
Record: 5 Wins- 2 Losses (8-5 Overall), 2nd in the Dairyland.
All-Conference: Alex Hernandez #98 (7-0), Jim Bautch #132 (7-0), Connie Gromoff #138 (7-0) Bruce Berg #185 (2nd team 5-1)
Regional Qualifiers (qualifiers had to survive a sub-regional in this season): Alex Hernandez, Mark Koxlien, Jim Bautch, Connie Gromoff, Paul Sogla, Bruce Berg.
Sectional Qualifiers: Alex Hernandez, Mark Koxlien, Jim Bautch, Bruce Berg.
Steady Performers: Rick Paulson, Mike Anderson.
Duels:
Arcadia: Loss 3-63
Independence: Loss 28-33
Augusta: Loss 27-34
Blair: Win 37-21
Onalaska: Loss 24-35
Alma: Win 41-18
Brookwood: Win 45-15
Holmen: Loss 28-37
Alma: Win 49-12
Mondovi: Win 36-24
Alma Center: Win 55-6
Osseo-Fairchild: Win 32-23
Eleva-Strum: Win 31-26
1976-1977 Future Varsity.
Dan Hauge, Joel Jacobs, Ramon Kohnert, Brian Bautch, Jim Wright, Greg Kabusiak
Norse Wrestling Cheer Squad
Top of the ladder, L to R: Kathy Briggs and Pam Torud.
Bottom of the ladder L to R: Donna Shoemaker, Kaye Wozney.
Coach Brickner getting Bruce Berg ready to wrestle.
Off the whistle, Scott Kulig starts working over his Eleva-Strum opponent.
Scott Faldet finished a reversal and is looking for more points against his Onalaska opponent
Parents Night vs Eleva-Strum. Rick Paulson and Scott Faldet smash through the hoop ready for battle.
Mike Anderson working his guy to the mat with a cow catcher.
Bruce Berg's pin collection.
Bruce Berg Becomes Regional Champ.
At the La Crosse Sectionals, Mark Koxlien is searching for a fold the table cradle against his Iowa-Grant opponent.
Jim Bautch exhausted but victorious.
Season Notes:
40 Seasons Ago: "Rubberband Men" 1976-1977.... First year Head Coach Brian Borreson, his Assistant Coach Tony Brickner and the wrestlers slingshot the program from a 5 and 8 finish a season earlier to a 8 and 5 finish this year. Led by First Team All-Conference wrestlers Alex Hernandez (#98, 7W-0L), Jim Bautch (#132, 7W-0L), Connie Gromoff (#138, 7W-0L) and Second Team All-Conference wrestler Bruce Berg (#185, 5W-1L) the Norse place second in conference as a team, going 5 and 2. At regionals, the team placed third behind Arcadia and C-FC.
In duel action, the team took a tough beating from Arcadia and dropped the next two duels in very close contests. After that stretch, the boys went on a march through the area beating Blair, Mondovi, Osseo-Fairchild, Eleva-Strum, Alma twice (41-18 and 49-12), Alma Center (55-6) and Brookwood (45-15). Little did the boys know that the deciding duel for conference came early in the season against Indee where they lost in dog fight (28-33) in the yearly Battle of 121. Other team accomplishments came in tournaments where the Norse placed third in Onalaska (Jim Bautch Champ, Gromoff 2nd, Hernandez & Paulson 3rds, M. Koxlien & Anderson 4ths), fifth at the Dairyland Invitational (Hernandez, Bautch, Berg 3rds, Gromoff 4th), and sixth in the West Salem Panther Invitational ( Bautch Champ, Hernandez 2nd, Berg 3rd, M. Koxlien & Paulson 4th).
Stand out Individual efforts for the season came from consistently high tournament placers Connie Gromoff, Alex Hernandez, Rick Paulson, Mark Koxlien, Bruce Berg (18-6), Jim Bautch (21-3-1) and Mike Anderson.
In this era there was a sub-regional to start the WIAA state tournament series. Survivors of that battle were Alex Hernandez (22-6), Mark Koxlien (13-10), Jim Bautch, Connie Gromoff (16-9), Paul Sogla (16-8), and Bruce Berg.
Blair Regionals:
Gromoff 4th place. Sogla 3rd place. Hernandez & Bautch 2nds, M. Koxlien & Berg 1st place. Team placed 3rd.
La Crosse Central Sectionals:
Surviving to move on to La Crosse Central sectionals were Hernandez, M. Koxlien, Bautch, and Berg.
First round losses: Hernandez loss to Chuck Abing (Lancaster, H.S.).
M. Koxlien loss (fall) to Randy James (Iowa-Grant H.S.).
Bautch Loss (0-1 match score) to Steve Nestingen (Westby H.S.)
Berg Loss (3-7 match score) to ????
This team was loaded with talent up and down the roster and added much to the legacy of success for the Norse wrestling program.