Wrestling in Kansas: Washburn Rural, Pratt, Hoxie, Clay Center shining in early season

Hoxie’s Derek Johnson, shown last season, and the Indians are off to a great start. (Submitted photo).

By CONOR NICHOLL

Washburn Rural girls wins prestigious Council Bluffs tournament – Broxterman hits 100-pin milestone

Washburn Rural won the 32-team Council Bluffs (Iowa) tournament Saturday, one of the nation’s most challenging fields. The Junior Blues won with 648 points. Lewis Central was second with 433.5. Racoon River took third at 364. Among Kansas schools, Olathe North finished fifth, Gardner-Edgerton took seventh, Olathe South took tenth and Blue Valley Southwest finished 14th.

At 100, Molly Spader (8-2) finished third. After two byes, Spader finished 4-1. At 105, Kristen Rezac (9-1) was second at 105. In a matchup of undefeated wrestlers, Rezac lost to Lincoln East (Neb.)’s Mileena Notaro in the title.

At 125, Addison Broxterman took second and moved to 12-1. Broxterman won her five matches by fall. She hit 100 career pins. Alexis Frederickson (11-2) took second at 130. Fatima Escobar (10-1) was third at 190.

Rural has six ranked wrestlers. Rezac, a junior, is ranked first at 105. Broxterman is ranked first at 125. Frederickson, a senior, is second at 130. Junior Laiken Clark is fifth at 140. Sophomore Madison Davison is sixth at 145. Junior Sophia Ross is fourth at 235.

Rural is first, first and second at state the last three years.

Defending state champion Pratt girls continue with strong start; Returning 5-6A titlist Dodge City girls open solidly

Last winter, Pratt rolled to a 4-1A state wrestling title. Tate Thompson earned a national coach of the year award. On Saturday, Pratt won the second annual Douglass Goodwill Invitational. The Greenbacks finished with 179 points, while Spring Hill was second with 142. Derby took third with 136, while Newton finished fourth with 115 and Wichita Southeast finished fifth at 114.

In the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association (KWCA) rankings, Columbus ranked first, Pratt second, and Baldwin third.

For Pratt, 105-pounder Lilly Herrman (6-3) finished third. Miranda Webb (7-2) was first at 120. Gracelyn Hembree (5-4) took third at 125. Jadyn Thompson (8-0) rolled to the championship. Thompson won her four matches by fall in 22 seconds, 32 seconds, 16 seconds and 1:08. For 135, Wendy Candia improved to 8-1 with four wins by fall: 19 seconds, 18 seconds, 41 seconds and 1:10.

Keimarla Thompson is 8-1 at 140 after three wins by fall and an injury default victory. Gloria Webb (4-3) finished second at 145.

Eleven wrestlers had at least four pins. Thompson and Candia had the least total pin time with 2 minutes, 18 seconds and 2:28, respectively. Douglass’ Cheyenne Wagonner was third with 2:52. As well, Arkansas City’s Lily Pendergrass, Augusta’s Jill High, Spring Hill’s Gracie Oppeau, Chaparral’s Jaiden Jones, Wichita Southeast’s Aileya Sath, Pratt’s Hembree, Haysville-Campus’ Erin Jackson and Chaparral’s Taryn Meek have four pins.

High, ranked second at 125, Candia and the Thompson sisters led all wrestlers with 28 points.

As well, Pratt opened the season with a tournament championship at the host Pratt tournament on Dec. 2. The Greenbacks won that tournament with 150 points, Liberal was second at 143 and Hoisington third at 129. Dodge City, the reigning 5-6A state champion, was fourth with 94 points.

At that tournament, Herrman was third, Jadyn Thompson was first, and Wendy Candia earned a championship, too. Keimarla Thompson and Gloria Webb each took second.

Currently, Herrman is ranked fourth in the classification. Jadyn Thompson is ranked first at 130. Keimarla Thompson is first at 140. Candia is fifth at 135. Junior Emmaline Primrose is fifth at 155.

For Dodge City, Elizabeth Ramirez was second at 100. Hodilla Velazquez won the 110-pound title. Maribel Castro was second at 170.

Liberal had a third place finish from Keirsie Carille at 100. Mana Chanthasone won the 100-pound title with wins in 59 seconds, 26 seconds and 5:25. Isabela Gutierrez was first at 105, including three wins by fall. Angelica Quezada was third with 135. Jasmine Rangel took first at 170.

Dodge City is currently ranked first in 5-6A, and Washburn Rural second. Chanthasone is ranked second at 100.

Wellington girls won own meet; Mulvane’s top duo stays undefeated

Wellington won its nine-team invitational Saturday. The Crusaders were first with 141 points. Winfield took second at 89. Mulvane finished third with 76.

For Wellington, Nexy Young (5-1) was first at 110. Isabelle Cullens (5-3) was second at 115-120. Bri Walker (10-0) captured the championship at 130-135.

At 170, 190 and 235, Wellington earned runner-ups with Kaylee Horinek (8-3), Aubrey Hunt (9-1) and Maddy LeValley (3-4).

Mulvane has two undefeated wrestlers. Leiannah Landreth (10-0) was first at 115-120. She had a bye and won her four matches in the first period. Kammie Schanz, a state champion, improved to 9-0 at 145. Schanz had a pair of first period wins and a forfeit victory.

Katelyn Wyant (5-1) won the championship at 155.

Landreth is ranked first at 115, and Schanz is atop 145.

Koppes defeats Hurla in matchup of defending state girl champions

Girls also competed in the meet. Rossville won with 83.5 points, and Marysville took second with 74 points. The massive matchup came in the 125-130 girls’ championship. Clay Center’s Gabi Koppes defeated Rossville’s Kendra Hurla, 6-5, in the title. Koppes improved to 10-0 and Hurla dropped to 7-1.

Koppes finished 30-0 with a state title last season. Hurla was 62-2. Both ranked in the top-12 all-time in winning percentage, per research from Sports In Kansas.

As well, Rossville’s Keera Lacock (6-0) won the 115-120 title. She won crowns by fall in 20 seconds, 58 seconds and 1:25. Nagos Hale (3-3) earned second at 135. Reagan Wonnell (7-2) took second at 140-145. Hailey Horton (5-1) was first at 155.

Koppes is ranked first at 125, while Hurla is first at 120 in 4-1A. Lacock is fifth at 125.

Two-time champion Hoxie boys continue to roll

Hoxie boys rolled to a record-breaking margin last February en route to its second consecutive 3-2-1A state wrestling title. The Indians won their own tournament Dec. 3 and collected a Clay Center title Dec. 10.

On the boys’ side, Hoxie was first with 197.5 points. Clay Center took second with 145.5. Marysville finished third at 84. Every Hoxie wrestler except two finished first or second.

At 106, Kash Schlitz (8-1) collected the championship with four wins by fall. Ian Giancola (6-1) captured the 113 title.

Hoxie is ranked first in 3-2-1A. Schlitz is ranked third at 106. Giancola, a freshman, is third at 113.

At 120, Tate Weimer went 7-0 with a bye, a major decision victory and two wins by decisions. Wayne Shepard took second at 126. Weimer is ranked first, Shepard second.

Carson Ochs (9-0) was first at 132. He won all five matches in 2:38 or less. Dayton Bell (10-0) won at 138. He collected four pins and a 6-2 decision. Duncan Bell (9-1) won at 144. Bell had four wins by fall in 1:16 or less and picked up a 5-4 victory.

Derek Johnson (9-0) rolled at 157 after three straight state titles. Johnson won in 1:05, 3:45, a bye, a fall in 1:22 and a technical fall victory in the championship.

At 165, Drew Bretz (8-0) and 175-pounder Sam Watkins (8-0) won championships. Bretz earned a quality win against Holton’s Jayden Fletcher with a 3-1 victory in the semifinals. Fletcher is 10-1 and ranked first at 165 in 4A. Watkins had three falls in 37 seconds or less and a 6-1 decision.

Ochs, Bell, Johnson and Bretz are all ranked first. Watkins is ranked second.

For Clay Center, Blaize Charbonneau (9-2) was second at 106. At 157, 165, and 175, Clay Center took second with Talyn Pfizenmaier (3-1), Brett Loader (8-2) and Tucker Johnson (3-1).

At 190, Ethan Tiers (10-0) collected a championship. Tiers received a bye, then won two first-period falls and won 7-3. At 215, Braylon Berry (10-2) took second. At 285, Luke Young (10-1) was second.

Clay Center is ranked sixth in 4A. Pfizenmaier is ranked sixth at 157. Loader is ranked first at 175. Young is ranked fourth at 285.

Rossville’s Jacob Carver went 4-0 and won the 285-pound championship. Carver is ranked first at 285.

Boys: Newton, Augusta and Derby in close matchup at Douglass tournament

Newton boys won the 70th annual Douglass Goodwill Invitational. Newton had 219.5 points, while Augusta had 211 points, and Derby was third with 191.5.

Newton is ranked second in 5A boys. Derby is first in 6A. Augusta is ranked third in 4A.

At 113, Lucas Kaufman (7-0) captured the championship. Nick Treaster (6-0) as first at 120. AB Stokes took second at 126. Augusta’s Marcus Terry defeated Stokes, 8-5. Terry moved to 7-0.

Kaufman, Treaster and Stokes are all ranked first in 5A.

Newton’s Keon Edwards (7-1) won at 165, while 285-pounder Rio Gomez is 7-0 after a championship. Gomez ranked first at 285. Brody Harper (4-3) and Logan Buchanan (5-3) earned second at 175 and 190.

Augusta’s Elijah Foy was second at 106 and moved to 8-2. Kalvin LaPlant (6-1) was second at 132.

Grady Fox (7-0) captured the championship at 138. Cannon Carey (6-1) collected the title at 150.

Gabe Kant (6-1) and Willy Jon Morales (7-1) finished second at 215 and 285, respectively.

Foy is ranked sixth at 106 in 4A. Terry is ranked first at 126. Fox is ranked first at 138. LaPlant is ranked third at 132. Carey is ranked third at 150. Morales is ranked third at 285.

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