Merrill wrestling sends four to state; two boys earn podium finishes

It was a big weekend for Merrill High School (MHS) Varsity Wrestling at the Kohl Center in Madison, with four Bluejay wrestlers competing at the WIAA Individual State Wrestling Tournament held Feb. 26-28, 2026 — three boys and one girl. In proud Merrill fashion, the teens were sent off with a police and fire department escort to the edge of town, with area students and supporters cheering them on along the way.
The boys brought home hardware, with two landing on the podium for the first time in over a decade, while Marissa Miles represented the girls program at the 2026 tournament, finishing 1-2.
“Overall it was great to get two Merrill wrestlers on the podium. We haven’t had that in over 10 years. It serves as a challenge to future teams,” said Merrill Boys Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Brian Suchocki.
On the girls side, Merrill Girls Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Scott Arneson said the State experience was meaningful for Miles. “It was a neat opportunity for Marissa; she also swam down at the WIAA State Swim meet this year, which we believe was an advantage for her in that she has already been on a big stage,” Arneson said.
Remington Skic — 150 lb., 4th place

MHS Junior Remington Skic had a standout run at 150 pounds, winning two matches to secure a spot on the podium before finishing fourth.
“Remington had some great offense in both matches. His shots were well executed and he had constant pressure. Those two wins guaranteed a spot on the podium,” Suchocki said.
Skic opened with a dominant tech fall over Fletcher Brock, then won a tight decision over John Faulkner in the quarterfinals to advance to the semis. In the semifinal against Jacob Lootans Jr., Skic came out with an early takedown, but the match went back and forth.
“I feel Remington was the aggressor, but unfortunately he gave up some takedowns,” Suchocki said.
Skic lost the semifinal by decision, then fell in the third-place match.
“I’m proud of Remington taking fourth in the state. It’s such a great accomplishment. Remington works extremely hard to accomplish his goals. He is a Junior and will have another opportunity next season,” Suchocki said.
Noah Klug — 190 lb., 6th place
Senior Noah Klug made his long-awaited State debut count, grinding through the wrestle-back bracket to finish sixth at 190 pounds.
“Noah had a great tournament. Noah was able to make State after being so close three seasons before. Noah made the most of it,” Suchocki said.
Klug dropped his opening match to Drew Chelberg on a controversial last-second takedown, then battled back through the consolation bracket. He posted a major decision win, followed by a tight decision, and then secured his spot on the podium with a pin over Eli Ogi.
“The determination and perseverance to make the podium all came to realization with the win. I was thrilled because Noah broke through. Nothing is ever given,” Suchocki said. “Noah ended up sixth. What a great way to finish his Senior season.”
Hunter Opper — 175 lb.
Senior Hunter Opper went 1-2 at state at 175 pounds. After a tough opening-round loss, Opper regrouped and came back with a pin before his tournament run came to an end.
“Hunter had an awesome run. Hunter was always a good wrestler, but something really clicked in his Senior season. He is a great leader for us, and it was great to see him have so much success this season,” Suchocki said.
Seniors will be missed, wrestling continues to grow
Suchocki had high praise for Klug, Opper, and the rest of the Senior class.
“Noah, Hunter, and all the Seniors will be missed. It was a great group of leaders for our team. They have demonstrated what it means to be a Merrill wrestler,” he said.
Suchocki also noted the growth of the sport statewide.
“The state of Wisconsin has been so competitive in wrestling and it continues to grow,” he said.
Marissa Miles — 165 lb.
Merrill High School Girls Varsity Wrestling’s Marissa Miles finished the weekend with a 1-2 record, which would have placed her between ninth and 12th had she been wrestling to placements.
Miles dropped her first match but showed enough to give her coaches confidence heading into her second bout.
“She battled well in her first match but came up short. We believed she wrestled solid, which gave us confidence she would wrestle well her second match — which she did just that,” Arneson said. “The neat thing was everything that we worked on with her the week prior to the State Tournament was exactly what she used to defeat her opponent. It was nice to see that our plan was right on the results: she got her first win with a pin at State.”
Miles entered her third match with momentum, but it wasn’t enough to extend her tournament run.
“We thought she was dialed in for a second match, but it wasn’t in the cards. She lost her third match and was eliminated from the tournament,” Arneson said. “She had a great season and represented herself, her teammates, coaches, school, and community with class.”
Arneson recognized those who helped make the State experience special. “We would like to thank the Wrestling Club for the fan bus and all the little extra things they do to make the State experience great for all the kids,” he said. “A shout out to the Assistant Coaches for their work and effort with the girls this season — thank you: Bummer Weix, Jesse Severt, Josh Stutting, Rob Klug, Dom Belfiori, John Kroll, Ali and Ben Natzke, and Ed Fuchs.”
“Hopefully, our girls on the team will be joining other teams this spring and continuing to compete and improve as athletes,” Arneson said. “Another chance to be Consistent, Resilient, Persistent, Relentless, and Respectful.”

Individual detailed results for Merrill:
• Remington Skic (2-2) 150 lb. — 4th place (12.5 pts)
Champ. Rd of 16 — Remington Skic (45-6) Jr., MERR over Fletcher Brock (26-17) Sr., NPE (TF 25-5, 4:41)

Quarters — Remington Skic (45-6) Jr., MERR over John Faulkner (44-5) Sr., XAVI (Dec 8-5)
Semis — Jacob Lootans Jr. (49-7) So., REAL over Remington Skic (45-6) Jr., MERR (Dec 12-8)
3rd Place Match — Westin Ingham (45-3) Jr., AMER over Remington Skic (45-6) Jr., MERR (MD 16-3)
• Hunter Opper (1-2) 175 lb. — DNP (3 pts)
Champ. Rd of 16 — Carter Ries (41-6) Sr., BFWB over Hunter Opper (42-5) Sr., MERR (MD 14-2)
Cons. Sub-Quarters — Hunter Opper (42-5) Sr., MERR over Jax Kibler (23-23) Jr., WIUN (F 2:04)
Cons. Quarters — Steven Kielpikowski (48-5) Sr., DENM over Hunter Opper (42-5) Sr., MERR (F 2:06)
• Noah Klug (3-2) 190 lb. — 6th place (9 pts)
Champ. Rd of 16 — Drew Chelberg (39-7) Sr., SHAW over Noah Klug (39-11) Sr., MERR (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Sub-Quarters — Noah Klug (39-11) Sr., MERR over Jayden Stave (39-14) So., SCC (MD 16-6)
Cons. Quarters — Noah Klug (39-11) Sr., MERR over Caleb Walshire (46-10) Fr., WIUN (Dec 1-0)
Cons. Semis — Noah Klug (39-11) Sr., MERR over Eli Ogi (25-13) Jr., KEWA (F 4:46)
5th Place Match — Caden Anderson (49-9) Sr., WSB over Noah Klug (39-11) Sr., MERR (F 3:18)
• Marissa Miles (1-2) 165 lb. — Finished between 9th–12th place