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All-Shawnee County wrestling: State-champion trio headlines 2023 boys team

Details: Created: Friday, 17 March 2023 05:45

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

State champions Easton Broxterman, Landen Kocher-Munoz and Jaxson Thomas headline the TopSports.news 2023 All-Shawnee County boys wrestling team.

EASTON BROXTERMAN

LANDEN KOCHER-MUNOZ

JAXSON THOMAS

TONY PENA

Washburn Rural sophomore Broxterman, a two-time state finalist, won the Class 6A 113-pound state title while his freshman teammate, Kocher-Munoz, won the 120-pound crown in his first state tournament and Seaman senior Thomas won the 5A 285-pound championship after jumping up two weight divisions for his final high school season.

Washburn Rural put a county-high six wrestlers on the all-county first team, with Broxterman selected as the wrestler of the year and Kocher-Munoz named newcomer of the year.

Seaman coach Tony Pena was named the TSN Shawnee County coach of the year after leading the Vikings to the United Kansas Conference team title in his first season as Seaman's head coach.

Broxterman, 49-3 on the season, won his first individual state championship after finishing second at 106 pounds as a freshman, taking the title with a 12-4 major decision over Junction City junior Ezekiel Witt in the finals. Witt defeated Broxterman in the 106-pound title match in 2022.

Kocher-Munoz capped a 37-5 freshman season with an 11-4 decision over Olathe East sophomore Aiden Stewart in the 120-pound final while Thomas, 46-5 on the season, avenged a regional loss in the championship match, pinning Blue Valley Southwest senior Tarin Forsyth in the second period.

The TopSports.news all-county team is based in part on selections made by the seven Topeka head coaches as well as at large selections for county schools Rossville and Silver Lake.

Also earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors for Rural were senior 126-pounder Henri McGivern (19-5), junior 138-pounder Blaine Baird (37-19), junior 157-pounder Brody Byrne (39-13) and junior 190-pounder Chase Calhoon (14-11).

Shawnee Heights put six wrestlers on the All-Shawnee County first team, led by senior multi-time 5A state placer Sean Wunder.

Wunder, who posted a 43-4 record on the season, finished third at 215 pounds after posting a fourth-place finish at 195 pounds as a junior.

Also named to the all-county first team for the T-Birds were freshman 106-pounder Tristan Buce (22-18), junior 132-pounder Andrew Bonebrake (37-12), senior 150-pounder Nick Freeland (41-10) and junior 175-pounder Allen Baughman (40-14).

Rossville is represented on the first team by Class 3A-1A state placers Paxton Willett and Jacob Carver while Topeka West's Mason Vickers and Topeka High's Jaxson Johnson also earned first-team spots.

Willett, a freshman, finished third at 157 pounds to finish his season 30-9 while senior Carver (24-5) finished fourth at 285 pounds after a runnerup state finish as a junior.

Rossville senior Jacob Carver posted a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A-1A state tournament at 285 pounds after a second-place finish as a junior. [Submitted]

Vickers, a senior, earned first-team recognition at 144 pounds while Johnson, a senior, was the first-team pick at 165 pounds. Vickers went 27-6 on the season while Johnson posted a 17-12 record.

ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING

All-Shawnee County wrestling: Dawgs' Hurla, Rural's Broxterman top girls team

Details: Created: Saturday, 18 March 2023 05:45

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Three-time state individual champion Kendra Hurla of Rossville and three-time team champ and four-time state medalist Addi Broxterman of Washburn Rural headine the TopSports.news 2023 All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team.

ADDISON BROXTERMAN and DAMON PARKER

KENDRA HURLA

Broxterman and Hurla were named the Shawnee County co-wrestlers of the year after Broxterman, a senior, helped Rural win its third Class 6A-5A state championship in four seasons while junior Hurla won her third straight Class 4A-1A 120-pound championship.

Broxterman, 45-4, placed third at state this past season ater back-to-back second-place finishes while Hurla won her third state title with a 9-5 decision over Columbus' Addison Saporito, capping a 27-1 season for the Bulldawgs, who finished second in the 4A-1A team standings.

The TopSports.news all-county team is based in part on selections made by the seven Topeka head coaches as well as at large selections for county schools Rossville and Silver Lake.

Washburn Rural, which won the 6A-5A team title by a 153-141 margin over Garden City, put a county-high eight wrestlers on the first team.

In addition to Broxterman, Washburn Rural is represented by sophomore 100-pounder Molly Spader (36-7), junior 105-pounder Kristen Rezac (36-6), sophomore 115-pounder Maddy Blow (29-14), sophomore 120-pounder Annie Gallegos (36-14), sophomore 145-pounder Madison Davison (26-14), sophomore 155-pounder Ashley Schwarz (32-12) and junior 170-pounder TaAni Rhoten (23-9).

Rezac placed third at state while Gallegos, Davison and Schwarz posted fourth-place finishes and Spader finished fifth.

Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker, who has led the Junior Blues to three state titles and a runnerup finish in the four years since girls wrestling became an official Kansas State High School Activities Association sport, was selected as the Shawnee County coach of the year while Schwarz was named the county newcomer of the year.

Hurla is one of three Rossville wrestlers on the TSN All-Shawnee County first team after the Bulldawgs placed second in the 4A-1A team standings.

KEERA LACOCK

Junior Keera Lacock (33-2) advanced to the 4A-1A championship match at 115 pounds en route to a runnerup finish while junior Hailey Horton (32-7) finished third at 155 pounds.

KOTI BEST

Seaman also put three wrestlers on the all-county first team, led by sophomore Koti Best, who finished second at state in the 130-pound division to finish off a 36-6 season.

Joining Best on the first team for the Vikings are sophomore 110-pounder Taylie Heston (29-7) and senior 140-pounder Kaidence Heston (28-12). K. Heston finished sixth at state.

Shawnee Heights, which was the highest placing 5A school in the 6A-5A state tournament for the second straight season with a fourth-place finish, is represented on the first team by sophomore 135-pounder Madison Freeland (32-7) and senior 190-pounder Lilly Blair (20-11).

MADISON FREELAND

Freeland was the 6A-5A runnerup in the 135-pound division.

Topeka West junior Tristyn Johnson made the first team at 235 pounds for the second straight season after posting a third-place state finish in 6A-5A. Johnson placed fifth at state as a sophomore.

ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING