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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn's chances for a third straight MIAA win looked somewhat bleak at halftime Saturday, with the Ichabods trailing by 11 points at Central Missouri.
But the No. 16-ranked Ichabods came storming back in the second half behind senior point guard Tyler Geiman to take a 70-68 win over the Mules.
Central Missouri, which fell to 6-12, opened the game on a 7-0 run and went to the locker room with a 39-28 advantage, but 14-3 Washburn battled back to take its first lead (53-52) on a 3-pointer from sophomore Tyler Nelson with 8:20 remaining.
There were three lead chances and three ties the rest of the way until Washburn tied the game at 68 with 41 seconds remaining on a hoop from Geiman and scored the game-winning points on a layup from senior Jace Williams off a Geiman assist in the closing seconds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- A year ago, Washburn Rural's Dajia Anderson became Topeka's first girls state wrestling champion while the Junior Blues won the team championship in the first official Kansas State High School Activities Association girls state tournament.
Anderson and Washburn Rural began defense of those titles in Saturday's Division I Regional girls tournament, with both coming through with victories.
Anderson, a senior who moved to the 191-pound division this season after winning at 235 a year ago, won the regional title in dramatic fashion over Shawnee Heights junior standout Maranda Bell and was joined on the top of the victory stand by sophomore 120-pounder Addison Broxterman and senior 155-pounder Rebekah Smith as Washburn Rural qualified all 12 wrestlers for Friday's sub-state at Wichita Heights while capturing the team championship by a 211-168 margin over host Emporia.
"Man, we got 12 in, I'm happy as a clam,'' said Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker, who was named the regional coach of the year. "It's awesome. We get to bring everybody back and do it again next week and we'll have the exact same goal next week and that's get 12 through and set ourselves up for state and win subs.''
Washburn Rural's Rebekah Smith competes in the 155 pound class at the Girl's Regional Wrestling in Emporia. Photo by Rex Wolf/TSNAnderson went into the regional ranked No. 3 at 191 pounds by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, but was able to knock off No. 2 Trinity Ervin of Emporia (24-4) by 4-0 decision in the semifinals before rallying to take a 4-2 win over top-ranked Bell (26-3) in the championship match with a takedown as time ran out.
"It was fun," said Anderson, who improved to 24-4. "You're sitting on the bleachers worrying and over-thinking it and then when you actually get on the mat and actually wrestle, even though you win or lose, it's still ends up being fun, so I had fun.''
Broxterman, who is ranked No. 2 at 120, improved to 18-5 on the season with a pin in 1:39 over Shawnee Heights sophomore Riley Thompson (19-9) in the finals while Smith, top-ranked at 155, needed just 1:21 to pin Bonner Springs freshman Chloie Knapp in the championship match.
Broxterman and Smith both won all of their matches by pin, combining for five on the day.
In addition to the three champions, Washburn Rural got second-place finishes from junior Shayne Miles (115 pounds) and freshman Laiken Clark (143) while freshman Kristin Rezac (101), sophomore Alexis Fredrickson (126), senior Eliise Romine (132) and junior Jaliah Johnson (170) all finished third and sophomore Kaitlyn Morris (109), sophomore Carmen Alston (138) and freshman Sophia Ross (235) posted fourth-place finishes.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden seniors Will DeVader and Clayton Stephenson extended their wrestling seasons after posting top-three finishes in Friday's Class 4A regional boys tournament at Jefferson West.
DeVader advanced to the 182-pound final before dropping a 14-8 decision to Louisburg's Aiden Barker in the championship match while 220-pounder Stephenson rebounded from a first-round loss to post three straight wins by fall and finish third, ending his day with a pin of Holton's Dalton Roush in the third-place match
DeVader improved to 19-5 on the season while Stephenson is now 29-6.
DeVader and Stephenson will compete in a 4A sub-state tournament at Chanute next Saturday, with the top four advancing to state competition.
SILVER LAKE, ROSVILLE COMBINE FOR SIX REGIONAL CHAMPS
Silver Lake finished second as a team in Friday's 3A-1A regional at Rossville with four individual champs while Rossville had a pair of individual titlists.
The Eagles got regional championships from senior Kai Allen (138), junior Daigan Kruger (170 pounds), junior Tristan VandeVelde (182) and junior Preston Gillen (195) while Rossville got titles from senior Layne Hurla (145) and junior Sam Twombly (152).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' wrestling program showed its superior depth in Friday's Class 5A boys regional tournament at Leavenworth, with the T-Birds qualifying all 14 competitors for Class 5A sub-state competition while winning the team championship by a 252.5-187.5 margin over Bonner Springs.
The T-Birds captured four individual championships, led by junior 160-pounder Caden Walker, who improved to 32-0 on the season with a third-period win over Leavenworth's Tristan Mercado.
Caden Walker
Shawnee Heights also got individual titles from sophomore 106-pounder Tyler Lincoln, junior 120-pounder Brock Ferguson and 182-pound junior Preston Hartman.
Lincoln (33-2) pinned Leavenworth's Julian Long at the 1:35 mark of the 106 final while Ferguson (34-2) pinned Bonner Springs' Trevor Andrew at the 4:24 mark of the 120 final and Hartman (33-5) pinned Basehor-Linwood's Tanner Parish 1:15 into the 182 title match.
Shawnee Heights coach Chad Parks was named the regional coach of the year.
Seaman senior Kyle Adams (11-0) won the 126-pound title with a pin over Leavenworth's David Drake (4:21) while Viking sophomore Jaxson Thomas (21-2) won the 195-pound crown by fall over Shawnee Heights' Sean Wunder (4:40).
Shawnee Heights also got second-place finishes from Ty Lewis (138), Joey Hilton (145), Cole Manrose (170) and Garrett Perry (220) while Decker Stickelman (126) and Allen Baughman (152) finished third and Cole Parrish (132), Andrew Bonebrake (113) and Dawson Campbell (285) placed fourth.
Seaman got third-place finishes from Justin Kruse (113), Hunter Reno (170) and Ewan Mills (285) and fourth-place showings from Zach Jowers (152) and Garrett Griffin (220).
Friday's top-four qualifiers will compete in a 5A sub-state tournament at De Soto.
CLASS 5A BOYS REGIONAL AT LEAVENWORTH
TEAM SCORES
Shawnee Heights 252.5, Bonner Springs 187.5, Basehor-Linwood 147, Lansing 132, Seaman 131, Leavenworth 110.5, DeSoto 48, KC Piper 34.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
106 -- 1. Lincoln, Shawnee Heights; 2. Long, Leavenworth; 3. Vielhauer, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Simmons, Piper.
113 -- 1. Cook, Bonner Springs; 2. Kozminski, Leavenworth; 3. Kruse, Seaman; 4. Bonebrake, Shawnee Heights.
120 -- 1. Ferguson, Shawnee Heights; 2. Andrew, Bonner Springs; 3. Finn, Leavenworth; 4. Kellley, Basehor-Linwood.
126 -- 1. Adams, Seaman; 2. Drake, Leavenworth; 3. Stickelman, Shawnee Heights; 4. Marquez, Bonner Springs.
132 -- 1. Maestas, Lansing; 2. Tapia, Bonner Springs; 3. McMillen, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Parrish, Shawnee Heights.
138 -- 1. Lara, Bonner Springs; 2. Lewis, Shawnee Heights; 3. Suchy, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Sumter, Leavenworth.
145 -- 1. Vanderpool, Bonner Springs; 2. Hilton, Shawnee Heights; 3. Baker, Basehor-Linwood; 4. McMurray, Leavenworth.
152 -- 1. Daniels, Bonner Springs; 2. Elven, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Baughman, Shawnee Heights; 4. Jowers, Seaman.
160 -- 1. Walker, Shawnee Heights; 2. Mercado, Leavenworth; 3. Wallar, Bonner Springs; 4. Henson, Lansing.
170 -- 1. McLain, Lansing; 2. Manrose, Shawnee Heights; 3. Reno, Seaman; 4. Duncan, De Soto.
182 -- 1. Hartman, Shawnee Heights; 2. Parish, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Nehl, De Soto; 4. Baragary, Lansing.
195 -- 1. Thomas, Seaman; 2. Wunder, Shawnee Heights; 3. Shields, Lansing; 4. Mortell, Bonner Springs.
220 -- 1. Ward, Lansing; 2. Peery, Shawnee Heights; 3. Vazquez, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Griffin, Seaman.
285 -- 1. Caballero, Bonner Springs; 2. Kincaid, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Mills, Seaman; 4. Campbell, Shawnee Heights.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, the top-ranked boys wrestling team in Class 6A, lived up to that billing in Friday's regional meet at Wichita Southeast, with the Junior Blues winning the team championship by a 251.5-198.5 margin over Derby while advancing 13 wrestlers to next week's sub-state tournament.
Leading the way for the Junior Blues were six regional champs -- junior Jacob Tangpricha (27-2) at 113 pounds, senior Bishop Murray (23-1) at 120, senior Bowan Murray (26-2) at 138, junior Austin Fager (25-3) at 170, senior Remington Stiles (22-7) at 182 and senior David Huckstep (23-3) at 285.
Huckstep, who began the week second-ranked in 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, turned in what was arguably the performance of the day for Washburn Rural, knocking off No. 3-ranked Tai Newhouse of Free State 14-7 in the semifinals before taking a 7-4 win over No. 1 Damian Ilalio of Manhattan in the championship match.
Washburn Rural senior 285-pounder David Huckstep was named co-outstanding wrestler in Friday's Class 6A regional. [Photo courtesy of Eustacia Fager]
Huckstep was named co-oustanding wrestler of the tournament with two-time state champion Bishop Murray, top-ranked at 120. Murray claimed his title with a 3-0 decision over Free State's Darius Shields, a former 3A-1A state champ.
Washburn Rural 120-pounder Bishop Murray was named co-outstanding wrestler in Friday's Class 6A regional tournament, improving to 23-1 on the season. [Photo courtesy of Eustacia Fager]
