By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Shawnee Heights 285-pound wrestling standout Rykan Carver was one win away from earning a Class 5A state medal in the 2023 state tournament and immediately set his sights higher for his senior campaign.
Shawnee Heights senior 285-pounder Rykan Carver reacts at the end of his 4-3 semifinal victory Friday at Hartman Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior 285-pounder Rykan Carver hugs T-Bird assistant coach James Landry after his 4-3 semifinal victory. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I lost in the blood round last year,' Carver said. "It's my last year so there's no way I wanted to go home without medaling.''
Now, entering the final day of his competitive athletic career, Carver has not only reached his goal of becoming a state medalist but will have a shot on Saturday to claim high school wrestling's biggest prize -- a state championship.
Carver, who will study engineering at Kansas State next year, said his regional championship last Saturday gave him confidence that he could challenge for a title this weekend.
"I won the regional tournament and I wasn't necessarily expecting that,'' Carver said. "That gave me some more confidence that I could do it.''
After opening his state bid with a pair of wins by pin on Thursday, Carver reached the 285 title match with a hard-earned 4-3 semifinal victory over Hutchinson senior Camdon Jensen Friday morning at Hartman Arena.
Carver will take a 37-8 record into Saturday's final against St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore Stephen Carroll (23-11), who advanced with a 3-2 win over Emporia's Josiah Bradley.
Shawnee Heights senior Rykan Carver will wrestle for the Class 285-pound title on Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I feel pretty good,'' Carver said. "Obviously I can't under-estimate any matches here. I've just got to go out and wrestle my best again.''
Carver's match against Jensen was tight throughout, with ties at 2-2 and 3-3 before Carver scored the match-winning point in the third period.
Shawnee Heights senior Andrew Bonebrake also advanced to the 5A semifinals with a pair of pins on Friday but was pinned in the semifinals by defending state champion Adam Maki of Goddard at the 1:51 mark of the first period.
Bonebrake (33-7) can still finish as high as third place.
Saturday's final day of the state tournament will get under way at 9 a.m.
