There were not many questions that needed answering heading into the Division 3 Auburndale regional.

Most of the teams competing are from from the Marawood Conference, so they know each other well. What was kind of a question mark, however, was how Spencer would stack up against the Marawood schools.

The Rockets fit in well and were very competitive, crowning two regional champs while advancing a pair of runners-up and finishing third in the team standings.

Stratford, the odds-on favorite to win the team title, did so with ease, amassing 237 points and crowning five champions. Edgar was a distant second with 189 points. Spencer rounded out the top three with 172.5 points.

The Tigers will take on Amherst in a Division 3 team sectional semifinal Tuesday at 6 p.m.

"It's exciting to be going to the team sectional again," Stratford sophomore Kam Bornbach said. "We worked hard today. We won some matches we weren't expected to and lost a few we thought we'd win. We have a good group going to (individual) sectionals, and we'll keep working hard and do our best to get as many people as we can to state."

Bornbach was one of Stratford's individual champions. He won the 182-pound weight class by beating Athens' Tucker Roesler by technical fall, 19-4.

"At this point in the season you have to come in with the right mindset," Bornbach said. "You have to take it one match at a time, because one slip and your season is over."

Stratford's other regional champs were AJ Schoenfuss (106), Jeremy Schoenherr (113), Mason Kauffman (126) and Hunter Kauffman (220).

Mason Kauffman was one of just two wreslters to exit the regional tournament undefeated. He improved to 41-0, while Edgar's Devin Lemanski (170) is 35-0. Stratford had three wrestlers finish as runners-up, and they will compete in next week's Bonduel sectional.

For Spencer junior Tim Bauer, it was all about timing during the 132-pound final.

Trailing 5-4 against Stratford's Sam Wenzel with less than 10 seconds left in the match, Bauer earned an escape with two seconds remaining to force overtime.

"I have troubles on the bottom anyway, so I was just trying to do anything to escape and tie the match," said Bauer, who improved to 27-13.

During the one minute sudden victory period, he scored the winning takedown with five seconds left.

"We were in a scramble situation, and I ended up getting the two," Bauer said. "I didn't expect it, but it's exciting and an honor to be a regional champion."

Teammate Hunter Luepke won the 195-pound weight class with an overtime victory over Kurt Jankowski of Athens. Zach Schneider was the 170-pound runner-up and advanced to the sectional as well for Spencer.

Host Auburndale had two champions, Paul Willfahrt (145) and Wyatt Weiler (160), and Pittsville advanced one wrestler, Kaleb Meyer, as the 152-pound runner-up.

Team scores: Stratford 237; Edgar 189; Spencer 172.5; Athens 155.5; Auburndale 126.5; Pittsville 86; Marathon 68.

106: AJ Schoenfuss (ST) pinned Matthew Grossman (P), 1:10. 113: Jeremy Schoenherr (ST) def. Colton Heil (ED), 11-3; wrestleback: Bryce Shaw (SP) def. Heil (ED), 6-3. 120: Veliko Kochiu (ED) def. Anthony Gliniecki (ST), 8-1; wrestleback: Gliniecki (ST) pinned Kody Kauth (P), 1:13. 126: Mason Kauffman (ST) tf. Dylan Altmann (AUB), 20-3. 132: Tim Spencer (SP) def. Sam Wenzel (ST), 7-5 (ot); wrestleback: Kodi Chase (ED) def. Wenzel (ST), 4-2.138: Nate Mose (ATH) pinned David Marquardt (ST), 3:10. 145: Paul Willfahrt (AUB) def. Austin Engel (ATH), 7-5. 152: Alex Lemanski (ED) def. Kaleb Meyer (P), 9-2. 160: Wyatt Weiler (AUB) won by inj. def. over Judd Gross (ED). 170: Devin Lemanski (ED) pinned Zach Schneider (SP), 3:03; Wresteleback: Schneider (SP) def. Tannor Frahm (ATH), 2-1. 182: Kam Bornbach (ST) tf. Tucker Roesler (ATH), 19-4; wrestleback: Roesler (ATH) pinned Travis Stelson (SP), 2:28. 195: Hunter Luepke (SP) def. Kurt Jankowski (AUB), 4-2 (ot). 220: Hunter Kaufffman (ST) won by inj. def. over Wesley Dittman (ED); Wrestlelback: Dittman (ED) pinned Dakota Venzke (ATH), 1:16. 285: Jacob Mohr (MAR) pinned Tyson Kauffman (ST), 1:15.
