Gold-medal wrestlers and championship teams: Here are six takeaways from the winter high school sports season

With the spring high school sports season upon us, it's time to recap the highlights from another successful winter season in the Post-Crescent coverage area.

Here are six takeaways from the past few weeks of tournament play.

Kaukauna cements itself as the state's premier wrestling program

No other team has reached the WIAA state team wrestling tournament as many times as Kaukauna. The Ghosts made their 21st appearance in early March and secured their seventh state title in the past nine years with a 41-26 victory over Marshfield.

Kaukauna got solid performances from a number of wrestlers in the title match, led by their elite trio of Lucas Peters (126 pounds), Bryan Winans (132) and Greyson Clark (138). Peters and Winans picked up pins with Clark netting a technical fall victory.

Judah Hammen got the match's deciding points with a major decision victory over Owen Griesbach in the 182-pound match.

The Ghosts, who also sent nine wrestlers to the individual state tournament the weekend before and completed a three-peat on the team end, also won four consecutive team state championships from 2014-2017.

Kaukauna should figure in the championship mix next year as well, with junior Peters, sophomores Nick Jenkins and Peyton Lee and freshman Liam Crook all returning as 20-plus match winners. Freshman Brady Sprangers (13-1) is also a wrestler to keep an eye on.

Greyson Clark among the state's best grapplers ever

Clark put himself among the best wrestlers in state history when he won his fourth individual state title by beating Germantown's Riese Thornberry by major decision, 13-3, in the 138-pound title match.

Clark joins 25 other wrestlers to win four individual state championships, including three other wrestlers who accomplished the feat on the same night: Prairie du Chien's Rhett Koenig, Kewaskum's Braeden Scoles and Cadott's Brayden Sonnentag.

Clark also won the 138 title his junior year and previously won D1 state titles at 106 his freshman year and 126 his sophomore year.

Other Post-Crescent-area boys winning state titles included Kaukauna's Peters (D1, 126), Hortonville's Wyatt Skebba (D1, 113), Appleton North's Jake Stoffel (D1, 152) and Freedom's Nate Vande Hey (D2, 145).

Lorenz powers Brillion to D3 basketball title

One thing about the Brillion boys basketball team: the coaches and players knew exactly what needed to be done to take the next step after reaching the WIAA Division 3 state semifinals last year.

The Lions used their loss to West Salem in the semifinals in March of 2022 to get tougher − physically and mentally − and that paid off handsomely with a tremendous 2022-23 campaign that saw the Lions finish with a 29-1 record and the D3 state championship. It was their first title since 2012.

The fact that their win came against West Salem made it even that much sweeter. The Lions were able to outlast the Panthers 61-55 in what was one of the better games at the Kohl Center over the three-day tournament. The game featured 14 lead changes and a big game from Brillion 6-foot-8 big man Jeremy Lorenz, who scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds.

Lorenz, a Wofford commit, also figured in Brillion's victory over Lakeside Lutheran in the semifinal, totaling 25 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Ziebell nets Gatorade award to cap stellar junior season

Make no mistake, Allie Ziebell would much rather make a trip to the Resch Center and compete for the WIAA Division 1 state championship than win a personal award.

But being named the Gatorade girls basketball player of the year is still an achievement few from the area have been able to secure.

Ziebell, a 6-foot junior who is heading to play collegiately at the University of Connecticut, averaged 25.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in leading the Rockets to the sectional final earlier this month. She's only five points away from 2,000 for her career.

New London's Krueger wins second consecutive girls wrestling title

Girls wrestling at the state tournament is still in its infancy but there's no doubt it merged seamlessly with the boys individual state tournament at the Kohl Center.

Leading the area was New London's Hailie Krueger, who won her second consecutive state title at 145. She beat Cuba City's Chloe LaRue, 13-9, in a rematch of the 2022 state title match.

Krueger, a sophomore, finished with a season record of 29-1 and has a solid chance at winning four state titles.

Menasha's Lillie Banks (126) and Clintonville's Keela Deering (185) were both runners-up at their respective weight classes. Banks, a freshman, and Deering, a sophomore, have a good shot at making a return trip to the title matches next season.

FVA girls hoops teams should dominate state rankings next season

Hortonville was able to make it to the Division 1 girls basketball state semifinals, bowing out to eventual state champion Kettle Moraine.

The Polar Bears return plenty of their roster for next season, including four players who started during the season: Rainey Welson, Mikayla Werner, Paige Lillie and Kallie Peppler.

Hortonville will be shooting for the Fox Valley Association title with Neenah and Kaukauna also figuring to have banner seasons. Neenah returns Ziebell along with Rowan Klesmit and Amaya Jones. Kaukauna has its top two scorers, Alexa Kinas and Addison Baumgart, returning as well as key players Savanna Robinson, Taryn Christopher and Jozy Ebben.

Don't be surprised if all three teams find themselves in the top 10 of the Associated Press and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association rankings next season, and all three should be considered state title contenders.