By CONOR NICHOLL
5A Great Bend wins the Bob Kuhn Senior Prairie Classic in Hays
Great Bend captured the 25-team Bob Kuhn Senior Prairie Classic in Hays in a strong field that featured multiple ranked teams. The Panthers tallied 187.5 points, while Kapaun finished with 146.5, McPherson had 146, Garden City 144 and Pratt finished fifth with 107.5.
Great Bend is ranked fourth in 5A, McPherson eighth and Kapaun tenth.
Salina Central took sixth at 106, and 3-2-1A power Hoisington finished seventh at 90. Great Bend had plenty of depth. Kaden Spragis (23-6) earned fourth at 106, and Avery Wolf (17-9) was third at 113.
At 120, Wyatt Weber (20-8) took second in a 1-0 decision to Garden City’s Silas Pineda, who improved to 30-8. Weber is fifth at 120, and Pineda is first in 6A.
Drew Liles (126) and Caryn Schooler (132) each won the title under the dome light – the Bob Kuhn is long well-known for its championship matches held in darkness except for the dome light over the center mat. Liles is 27-2 and Schooler stands at 25-3. Liles is fifth at 126, and Schooler is first at 132.
In the finals, Liles beat Phillipsburg’s Jacob Sisson by a 5-0 margin. Schooler also beat Phillipsburg’s Aaron Lenker, 4-1. The Phillipsburg duo is a combined 53-6. Sisson is ranked third in 3-2-1A at 126, and Lenker stands second at 132.
George Weber (15-2) captured the title at 138 with a team-high 28 points – and won one of the highlighted finals matches. Weber won his first three matches by fall, and then had a 2-0 victory in the semifinals. In the championship, Weber beat Garden City’s Jacob Holt, 4-2, in sudden victory. Holt is 21-2. Weber is ranked second at 138 in 5A, and Holt is first in 6A.
At 145, Gage Fritz (29-0) remained perfect and is second in 5A. He earned a quality win in the finals versus McPherson’s Rhett Edmonson, 5-3. Edmonson is 21-4 and is fourth in 4A. At 285, Kevin Miramontes (19-13) earned fifth place.
4A Ulysses’ Perez dominates at 285 – leads Kuhn field in scoring
Ulysses’ Ayston Perez is 22-1 and tallied 30 points. Perez is first at 285 in 4A.
He was dominant in all of his matches with four victories by fall, all in two minutes or less. In the finals, he pinned Ellsworth’s Tyler Walford by fall in 1:55. Walford is 13-3 and is fourth in 3-2-1A.
Perez, Hays High’s Gavin Nutting, Salina Central’s Kray True and Isaac Phimvongsa led the field with four pins, and Perez easily had the shortest total pin time in 4:55. Perez led the field with 30 points, followed by 28 from GB’s George Weber, Hoisington’s Wyatt Pedigo, and Pratt’s Devon Weber. Kapaun’s Bubba Wright was fifth at 17.5 points. Wright is first at 106 5A.
3-2-1A’s Pedigo stays perfect for Hoisington, picks up elusive Bob Kuhn title
Last year, Hoisington’s Pedigo, a North Dakota football signing and two-time 3-2-1A state champion, finished 39-1 last winter with only a loss to Salina Central’s Taylon Peters at the Bob Kuhn. This year, Pedigo tallied 28 team points, went 4-0 in the tournament and improved to 25-0 for the season. After two falls in a combined 1:45, Pedigo held off Southeast of Saline’s Sterling Harp, 4-0. Pedigo and Harp are ranked first and second at 195 in 3-2-1A.
In the finals, he pinned McPherson’s Landon Frantz, but required the full six minutes. Frantz is 24-3. Frantz is second at 195 in 5A. Pedigo is ranked first in 3-2-1A.
Pedigo was also second at the Bob Kuhn as a sophomore and did not place at the Bob Kuhn as a freshman.
5A’s Wright remains undefeated for Kapaun
Wright (26-0) won at 106, including a great finals match versus Ulysses’ Quentin Pauda, 4-2, in sudden victory. Pauda was also perfect entering the finals and is 20-1. In the semifinals, Wright beat Great Bend’s Kaden Spragis by technical fall. Pauda is ranked third in 4A.
At 170, freshman Nathan Fury (25-1) won the title and defeated three ranked wrestlers. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Ellis’ Mason Gottschalk by fall in 3:42. In the semifinals, Fury beat McPherson’s Jonah Clarke, 9-8. In the championship, Fury beat Garden City’s Alex Rodriguez, 9-7. Fury is ranked fourth at 170 in 5A.
3-2-1A’s Dunn earns title for WaKeeney-Trego
Last year, Dunn took third at the Bob Kuhn. This year, he delivered a 6-2 victory versus McPherson’s Mason Thrash, a Butler County football commit, in the finals. Thrash is 22-5. In the semifinals, Dunn beat Ellsworth’s Brendan Tripp by technical fall. In the championship, Parker Opat (23-5) earned third at 285.
Dunn is up a spot and is ranked first at 220 in 3-2-1A. Thrash is fourth at 220 in 5A.
Other winners headlined by Pratt’s Devon Weber, Campus’ Nathan Bowen, and McPherson’s Kourtney Craig
Pratt’s Devon Weber (27-1) won the 113-pound crown. He is ranked first in 4A. Weber had a bye and then captured a pair of victories by fall. In the finals, Weber earned a 5-3 victory against Campus’ Dylan Sheler.
At 152, Nathan Bowen (24-4) earned first after a win by fall, a pair of decisions, and then won by fall against Garden City’s Josh Janas in the final. Bowen is ranked first in 6A.
At 182, Kourtney Craig (20-5) earned the title. After a first-round bye, Craig won matches by 11-1 and 3-0 margins and earned a fall in 1:38 in the championship versus Kapaun’s Charlie Frisch. Craig is ranked fifth in 5A.
5A’s Blue Valley Southwest cruises to another title at Beloit
The Beloit Invitational celebrated its 50th year and commemorated many past top wrestlers from the tournament.
BVSW won its fourth straight team title at Beloit. While the margins had been in close in previous seasons, BVSW had a sizable margin this time. The Timberwolves had 261.5 points, while Chanute was second at 197. Marysville took third at 133, while Hoxie finished fourth at 131.5 in the 21-team tournament.
The Timberwolves are ranked second in 5A. Marysville is third in 4A. Hoxie is first in 3-2-1A, and Beloit is third in 3-2-1A.
At 113, Hayden Mills (27-4) earned the championship, including a 5-3 win in a highlighted title match versus Chanute’s Kolton Misener. Mills is first in 5A ,and Misener is second in 4A.
Brett Umentum (28-3) earned the crown at 126, including three victories versus ranked wrestlers. In the quarterfinals, Umentum beat Marysville’s Isaac Novotny by fall. In the semifinals, Umentum had a 6-4 victory versus Hoxie’s Drew Bell. In the finals, he beat Abilene’s Will Stroda, 9-1. Bell is 25-2, and Stroda is 25-4.
Umentum is third in 5A. Novotny is ranked fifth in 4A. Bell is second in 3-2-1A. Stroda is second at 126 in 4A.
At 132, Weston Becker (25-7) earned the title, including a 9-2 finals victory versus Hoxie’s Derek Johnson. It marked Johnson’s first loss of his career. The standout freshman is 25-1. Johnson continues to stand third at 132.
Brandon Madden became the tenth four-time Beloit champion. At 145, Madden (27-2) won the title in dominant fashion. In the semifinals, Madden beat Beloit’s Tate Kadel, 4-0. In the finals, Madden beat Marysville’s Jonny Crome by technical fall. Madden is 27-2.
Madden is first in 5A. Kadel is third in 3-2-1A. Crome stands second in 4A.
Daniel McMullen earned the championship at 152 with a 7-1 victory versus Chanute’s Brady McDonald. McMullen is 9-2, and McDonald stands at 23-5. McMullen is fifth in 5A. McDonald is first in 4A.
Seth Nitzel, a Missouri commit, improved to 27-0 at 170 with a dominant run. After a first-round bye, Nitzel captured three wins by fall: in 2:44, 3:12 and 3:42. In the championship, Marysville’s Noah Ackerman is 22-2 and was ranked first in 4A at 170. Nitzel is second in 5A.
Nitzel, Colby’s Tyler Voss, and Hoxie’s Dylan Weimer tied for the most individual points at 28. Voss earned the title at 120 and is 22-2. Voss is fifth in 4A.
At 220, John Hubbel (22-1) delivered a championship. He went 4-0 with a win by decision, two falls and a major decision over Keegan McDonald, 11-3. Hubbel is third in 5A.
Chanute, ranked No. 1 in 4A last week, takes second; Dillow defeats Finnesy
At 106, Trent Clements (26-1) won the title. After a bye, he won two matches by fall in 1:23 and 3:40. In the finals, he met Clay Center’s Rhett Koppes in a battle of 4A’s 1-2 wrestlers. In the finals, Clements defeated Koppes, 5-0. They remained in the second spots.
At 145, Logan McDonald took third, and Brady McDonald was second at 152. Parker Winder (25-3) won the title at 160, and Brayden Dillow (27-0) earned the championship at 182. Winder defeated Hoxie’s Andrew Foote, 5-0, in the final.
McDonald is fourth, McDonald first, Winder is third, and Dillow third in the 4A rankings.
Dillow had a highlighted finals match versus Plainville’s Jordan Finnesy, a defending 3-2-1A state champion. In the finals, Dillow improved to 27-0 with a 6-5 ultimate tiebreaker 6-5 win versus Finnesy. In the semifinals, Dillow defeated Blue Valley Southwest’s Jackson McCall, 3-1, in sudden victory.
Finnesy, though, still moved from second to first in 3-2-1A. He flipped spots with Beloit’s Brennan Walker.
3-2-1A’s Tre Barrientes of Lincoln (Sylvan-Lucas) wins stacked field at 285
Entering the tournament, Beloit’s Creighton Johnson was undefeated and ranked first in 3-2-1A. Republic County’s Eyann Zimmerman had just one overall loss, to Johnson. Barrientes had taken just one loss.
Barrientes defeated Beloit’s Johnson, 3-1, in the semifinals. In the championship, Barrientes beat Zimmerman, 8-5. Barrientes had not faced Zimmerman, though had lost to Johnson earlier this year.
Barrientes is first, Johnson second and Zimmerman third. Last week, Johnson was first, Zimmerman second and Barrientes third.
Hoxie, Norton, Beloit ranked first, second and third in 3-2-1A
Hoxie had won several team titles earlier this winter. The Indians received fourth-place showings from Drew Bretz (120), third place from Drew Bell (126) and second from Johnson at 132.
At 138, Dylan Weimer is 13-1 after a championship. He earned three wins by fall in 2:28 or less. In the finals, Weimer won 2-1 in sudden victory against Marysville’s Joey Bockin. Weimer is first at 138.
As well, Aidan Baalman (29-3) placed third at 152, and Andrew Foote took second at 160. Baalman is ranked second at 152.
Hoxie remains first, while Norton and Beloit flipped spots at second and third, respectively, this week.
4A’s Champoux defeats Booi for title for second straight year
Last year, Marysville’s Garron Champoux defeated Colby’s Hagan Booi, a 3-2-1A defending state runner-up, in the Beloit. This season, Champoux defeated Booi, 5-4. Champoux is 19-2, and Booi is 21-2. They continue to rank first and second at 195.
5A Maize dominates at Blue Valley Northwest; Mill Valley without several key starters
Maize, the No. 3 ranked team in Class 5A behind Goddard and Blue Valley Southwest, scored 421 points, well ahead of second-place Topeka Seaman at 260.5. Mill Valley was third with 242 points, 34 points ahead of Blue Valley West, the next Kansas school. Mill Valley missed three starters, notably top-ranked Zach Keal and Ethan Kremer.
MV received championships with 106-pounder Eddie Hughart and 138-pounder Carson Dulitz, along with Austin Keal at 145. As well, Brodie Scott took second at 170, third place from Cole Moberly at 120, fifth from Kolten Jegen at 220, and sixth by Dalton Harvey at 182.
Hughart is ranked third at 106, Zach Keal is first at 132, Dulitz is third at 138, Austin Keal is third at 145, Scott is second at 170, Tyler Green is second at 195, and Kremer is first at 285.
Hughart is 25-8, while Dulitz stands at 23-10, and Austin Keal is 26-9. In the finals, Keal defeated Maize’s Connor Padgett, 4-2, by tiebreaker in the championship.
For Maize, Keton Patterson (14-5) won at 120. After a double bye, Patterson won by technical fall and then earned decisions by 9-0 and 6-0 margins. Cayden Hughbanks (16-5) earned second at 132, while Connor Padgett (20-6) took runner-up at 145.
Devin Gomez took first at 152 with an 11-0 record. Gomez had a bye and then three falls in 2:35 or less and then defeated Hutchinson’s Izaiah Devalle, 3-1.
Carson Wheeler (22-1) won the 160 title. He was 5-0 at the tournament with a win by fall, a technical fall, a major decision, a technical fall, and a fall in 4:26 against Topeka Seaman’s Dylan Williams.
Hughbanks is ranked fourth, Wheeler third.
At 170, Duwayne Villalpando (18-1) dominated with a 4-0 mark with a fall, a technical fall, and two wins by fall. He won the three matches by fall in 2:29 or less.
Kyle Haas, ranked second nationally, is 8-0 and cruised at 220. Haas captured all his four matches by fall in 2:58 or less. Wheeler, Haas and Villalpando led the tournament with 40, 40 and 39.5 points. Gomez, Villalpando and Haas are all ranked No. 1.
Nickerson’s Nichole Moore clears 100 career victories
Moore, a Baker University commit, has been a starter on the Nickerson boys’ team for the last several years as well as a nationally ranked girl wrestler. Moore cleared 100 career victories in the last week. Moore also wrestled on back-to-back days in two different tournaments 172 one-way miles apart.
Last Friday, Moore took first at 113 pounds at the Nickerson Invitational. Moore moved to 14-5 against boys, including a 10-0 victory versus Wichita North’s Richard Shields for the Nickerson title. As well, Moore’s brother, Gavin, is 20-2 and won the title at 106. He won his three matches by fall in 48 seconds, 35 seconds and 46 seconds.
At the 14-team Independence girls tournament on Saturday, she led Nickerson with 49 points and a fifth-place finish. Burlington was first at 101 points, Chanute second at 73, Labette County third at 70, and Caney Valley fourth at 55.
She went 5-0 at 116 with five wins by fall in 47 seconds, 1:34, 2:37 and 36 seconds and 1:28. Moore is ranked first at 116 in girls.
Nickerson is ranked second in the team standings behind McPherson.
At 101, Labette County’s Chloe Gile was first, and Burlington’s M.J. Huff took second. Independence’s Alexis Allen took first, and Chanute’s Laynee Joyce finished second at 109. Allen is into the Jan. 28 rankings at sixth.
Anderson County’s Clarissa Sheahan earned the 130 title, and Burlington’s Matti Huff earned second. Caney Valley’s Cassidy Anderson took first, and Burlington’s Kamron Clay was second at 136. Anderson is ranked third.
Labette County’s Abbie Jones, ranked first, was the champion at 143. Caney Valley’s Miracole Walters won at 155, and Anderson County’s Shelby Dunn took second. Burlington’s Chrissy Hall and Chanute’s Hannah Williams took the top-two places.
235 Girls goes through big changes
Haley Angleton won at 191, and Nickerson’s Maddi Miller earned first at 235, followed by Caney Valley’s Grace Pinkerton. Miller defeated Pinkerton by fall in 1:40.
Class 235 went through big changes. On Jan. 21, Pinkerton was ranked first, and Miller was unranked. Now, Washburn Rural’s Dajia Anderson moved from second to first. Miller is second and Pinkerton is fifth.
WaKeeney-Trego’s Sydney Boyle named Most Outstanding Wrestler at Atwood
Garden City won the girls’ portion of the Atwood meet with 95 points. Sydney Boyle won the 143-155 division and earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. She is 23-2 overall. In the tournament, Boyle finished 3-0 with wins by fall in 1:38, 1:36 and 1:23.
Boyle stands fourth again at 143.
