By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The gong was busy at the close of Tuesday's Western Athletic Conference dual between Great Bend and Hays. The Panther boys celebrated Senior Night at the GBHS gymnasium with five straight pins to close out a 53-21 win over the Indians.
Hays jumped out to an 11-3 lead with wins in two of the first three matches. Kaiden Hoffman ended that run with a pin at 126 pounds. Sixth-ranked Skyler McMullen held off Holden Lind 7-1 at 138 pounds, then Jace Schartz tech-falled his 144-pound opponent 18-3 in the final seconds of his match. Third-ranked Cooper Liles, in his new weight at 150 pounds, gave the Panthers the lead for good with a 21-second pin.
Trevin Maciel was pinned by sixth-ranked Dalton Meyers at 157 pounds, but after that it was all Great Bend. Michael Montoya started things off with a pin at 165 pounds, and Matthew Johnson followed with a 36-second pin at 175 pounds. Trenton Kern (190), Keyven Schroeder (215), and Brody Schnoebelen (285) all followed suit.
Sixth-ranked Triston Tomlinson grinded out a 6-3 decision against fourth-ranked Grady Lind to open the dual at 106 pounds. Ambrose Kramer (113), Zaiden Burkes (120), and Hayden Kelly (132). Burkes was pinned by his ranked opponent, and Kelly lost a 9-0 decision to top-ranked Harley Zimmerman.
Senior Night was not as kind to the Lady Panthers. Hays was ranked No. 4 in the Jan. 10 KWCA polls but dropped out of the rankings ahead of Tuesday's dual. The Lady Indians still scored the first 27 points and led 51-6 before hanging on to a 51-30 win.
Third-ranked Daizy Gomez stopped the bleeding with a 45-second pin at 125 pounds. Hays wrestlers won the next four matches by fall before Paige Sanders, and Audrey Gutierrez wrestled two scoreless periods at 155 pounds. Sanders eventually got the pin in the third period. Lea Nokes followed with a 90-second pin at 170 pounds, and Natalee Daniels (190) and Haylee Holinde (235) picked up open points to close out the dual.
Hannah Crathorne ran into fourth-ranked Tionna Napue at 115 pounds, losing by fall in the first period. Kaylea McMullen trailed 4-3 heading into the final period at 120 pounds. Hays picked up late reversal points to secure a 6-4 decision. Sierra Ferguson made it through a scoreless first period before getting pinned in the second period at 130 pounds. At 135 pounds, Katie Kuhlman trailed 9-0 after two periods and was down 11-0 when she was pinned in the final minute of the match.
Jaydon Davis was leading her 140-pound opponent 2-1 after one period before getting pinned midway through the second. Likewise, Danica Cline at 145 pounds hung around at 2-2 after two minutes before being pinned late in the second. Karley Stukey suffered a late pin in the first period at 105 pounds.
The Panther boys return to action at Hays Friday, and the Lady Panthers head to Wichita Saturday.