Here are 5 breakout high school wrestlers in the Milwaukee area this season

Willie Du Chemin, Wilmot

The top four wrestlers currently on Wisconsin Grappler's Division 1 106-pound rankings are all freshmen, led by Wilmot star Willie Du Chemin. Du Chemin has wrestled 37 matches and has lost just one and has three victories over wrestlers among the top five in Division 2 at 106, including top-ranked Shane Rochon (35-1) from Dodgeville. Du Chemin has won the Badger State, On The Water and the Burlington Demon Invite at 106 with a third-place finish at the annual Ted DeRousse Invitational in Illinois. Du Chemin and best friend Thiago Guardiola (23-3, No. 4 rank) at 113 have Wilmot in a great position to capture a regional title on its home mats, according to coach Ryan Gartner.

Joey Kayon, Shoreland Lutheran

Kayon has gone from 24-22 as a junior in his first year on the mats to a 30-8 mark this season and has become Shoreland Lutheran's program leader. Kayon has won 18 of his 30 matches by pin and won the Viking Invitational, Winnebago Lutheran Invite and Bill McCreary Duels this season at 175 pounds. "Joey has stepped up as the main vocal leader on our team in only his second season of wrestling. He has a ton of natural ability and is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached," Shoreland Lutheran coach Zach Brug said. "That mixture has led to a breakout season for Joey. He is wrestling at a very high level right now and he gets better every time he steps on the mat. He has the potential to make a big run this postseason."

Ben Lauer, Waukesha North

Lauer went 34-17 last season as a freshman, won a regional title and qualified for the individual state tournament at 132 pounds. So far this season, Lauer has gone 26-5 after going up two weight classes to 144 pounds and has won the Ed Stech and Herb Tyler tournaments. He won his last eight matches going into the week and sits at No. 11 in Wisconsin Grappler's Division 1 144-pound rankings. "Ben has really turned it up another gear this past year, and watching him grow and having the privilege to coach him as he continually gets better with every week is a true honor," Waukesha North coach Josh O'Neil said. "He always works hard and is consistently looking for ways to improve his wrestling. He was also named a captain this year by his peers, which is uncommon for someone so young." Between the rise of Lauer and freshman teammate Alex Peña Soto (21-8, 165/175), who O'Neil calls "an absolute beast of a freshman," the Northstars have a pair of names to keep eyes on as the postseason awaits.

Natalia Poplawski, New Berlin West/Eisenhower

The first year of the New Berlin co-op girls wrestling program saw both Poplawski sisters qualify for the first state tournament held at the Kohl Center in 2023. Older sister Natalia finished her first season on the mats at 19-19, while younger sister Amelia finished fifth at state in the 132-pound bracket. New Berlin coach Kyla Hensel noted that Natalia wanted to spend more time on the mats in summer programs after the season ended, and the extra work has paid off. She is 23-4 at 138 and has won her last 15 matches dating to Dec. 29. She's ranked No. 9 on Wisconsin Grappler's top wrestlers at 138, while Amelia sits at No. 5 at 132 with a 13-1 mark. "Natalia takes time after practice to stay late and hone in her individual skills, watch film with coaches, and perfect her craft," Hensel said. "Natalia strives everyday to become a top-tier wrestler and puts in the work to get there. All her effort this season has put her on the map as a breakout wrestler and a leader for our program."

Jackson Villarreal, Oak Creek

Similarly to Lauer, Villarreal found himself on the grand stage of the Kohl Center as a freshman last season for Oak Creek. He finished the year at 30-18 with a regional title and a runner-up finish at the South Milwaukee sectional to qualify for Madison. With the new classification of the 14 weight classes in place, Villarreal has jumped up from 152 pounds to 165 pounds this season and is on the cusp of some Oak Creek history as Wisconsin Grappler's No. 7-ranked wrestler at 165 in D1. He currently sits at 36-3 with 28 of those victories coming via pinfall. The school record is 30 pins in a season set by former Knight Malcolm Briggs in 2007. Villarreal owns two victories over top-10 grapplers at 165 with one of the few losses he's suffered coming to South Milwaukee star Connor O'Donnell (33-2), who has committed to Brown University in a loaded weight class that also features Caleb Cady (29-2) from Pewaukee.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 breakout high school wrestlers around the Milwaukee area this season