By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Saturday's Centennial League boys wrestling tournament at Highland Park promises to be a lot bigger and more competitive than last year's league meet.
Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West did not wrestle in the 2020-2021 season while Seaman missed the tournament due to a COVID-19 quarantine, leaving just five schools in the field and some of those were missing regulars due to COVID-19.
Another change for Saturday's meet is that the league girls meet will be held in conjunction with the boys tournament after the two tourneys were held separately a year ago.
One thing that remains the same is that Washburn Rural is the team to beat in both the boys and girls divisions after sweeping the Centennial League crowns last season.
The Rural boys had eight wrestlers crowned league champions in the 2021 meet as the Junior Blues won their second straight team championship by a 230-159 margin over Manhattan.
Austin Fager
Washburn Rural's girls pulled out the league title by a 169-164 margin over Emporia after losing a 1-point decision to the Spartans in the first girls league tournament in 2020.
Washburn Rural returns five 2021 league champions, with senior Austin Fager shooting for his fourth straight league title.
The Junior Blues also got individual championships from sophomore Jon Morrison, senior Jacob Tangpricha, junior Henri McGivern and senior Nick Vincent.
Jacob Tangpricha
Tangpricha is a two-time Class 6A state champ while Morrison won a state crown as a freshman and Fager was a state finalist.
Six Rural wrestlers are ranked in 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, led by top-ranked seniors Aidan Boline at 160 pounds and Fager at 182.
Freshman Easton Broxterman (106) and Morrison (113) are second-ranked in 6A while Tangpricha is No. 4 (126) and McGivern No. 6 (120).
Seaman junior 195-pounder Jaxson Thomas is sixth-ranked in 5A.
Jaliah Johnson
Addison Broxterman
Washburn Rural's girls, the two-time defending state champions, return two individual league champions, junior Addison Broxterman and senior Jaliah Johnson.
Seaman senior Rylee Murray received the award as Outstanding Wrestler of the league tournament last season after taking the 115-pound championship.
Broxterman (120) and Johnson (155) are ranked second in 6A-5A while junior Alexis Fredrickson is No. 4 (132) and sophomore Kristin Rezac No. 5-ranked (101).
Saturday is the final Centennial League meet with the current nine-school field, with Seaman and Topeka West moving to the United Kansas Conference next school year and Highland Park moving to the Kansas City Atchison League.
Saturday's tournament will begin at 9 a.m., with the championship finals slated for approximately 3 p.m.
