By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
There was no team drama at the Class 3-2-1A State Wrestling Championships in Hays this year. Hoxie set a win-margin record last year with a second-straight title by 89 points. Saturday, the Indians wrapped up a 260-point performance, setting a state record with that and a new margin record of 159 points against second-place Norton.
Saturday's championship action began at 165 pounds. Hoxie's heavyweight won an exciting 285-pound match in the final seconds, and action was paused temporarily after the 106-pound championship match when a Hoxie man suffered an unknown medical emergency on the floor. First responders provided CPR, and the man was responsive before being wheeled out of the arena.
But the final day of the season was not without some big local finishes. Larned junior Luke Fischer picked up a state championship at 190 pounds. He pinned two opponents and defeated second-ranked Kyle Werner in the tie break to reach the finals against top-ranked senior Garrett Urban of Norton. Fischer was trailing that match 2-1 before scoring the state-title winning takedown in the final 30 seconds to win 3-2. He caps his season with a 40-3 record.
Fischer lost in the blood round last year to miss a medal. He shared some tears with his father in a Walmart parking lot after that loss and vowed to not let it happen again.
“I work on a farm and we’re baling at three in the morning,” Fischer said. “All that hard work, it just makes you tougher. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. You have to put yourself in hard situations to capitalize on moments like that. I just had to trust in myself, take that shot, and go for it.”
Hoisington junior Josiah Ball medaled as a freshman but battled football and wrestling injuries last year to make an early exit at state due to injury. He had a tall task Saturday against unbeaten Carson Ochs of Hoxie in the finals at 132 pounds. After two scoreless periods, Ball took a 1-0 lead early in the third with an escape. Ochs picked up a late takedown to secure the title and a perfect 38-0 season. Ball finishes at 30-5 as the state runner-up.
The 126-pound bracket featured two area medalists. Hoisington senior Eastin Redetzke advanced to the semifinals with a pair of decisions before losing to the runner-up from Hoxie. He won an 8-3 decision against Ellsworth sophomore Will Donley to advance to the third-place match where he pinned his opponent from Atchison County. Donley pinned his first opponent before losing to West Elk's third-ranked Evan Coble in round two. Coble again got the best of Donley in the fifth-place match.
Larned senior Carter Atteberry wrapped up his prep career with a third-place finish at 215 pounds. After pinning his first opponent, he missed the semifinals by a tie-break loss. Third-ranked Atteberry won three straight decisions on the back side to reach the consolation finals, where he defeated his Lakin opponent 3-1 to secure third place.
Hoisington senior Deryk Yott placed fifth at 150 pounds. He advanced to the semifinals Friday with a pin and decision before losing to the eventual runner-up from Atchison County. After a loss to the fourth-place finisher from Lakin, Yott won an 8-2 decision against Hill City in the fifth-place match.
Cardinal sophomore Teron Kraft advanced to the semifinals at 157 pounds with a pin and a sudden-victory win against second-ranked Jonathan Renyer of Sabetha. Kraft went the distance in a 5-2 loss to third-ranked and runner-up Joseph Ord of Sabetha. After a loss to the fourth-place finisher from Phillipsburg, Kraft lost a 6-5 decision to Renyer in the fifth-place match.
Russell senior Brayden Strobel won his sixth-place medal the hard way at 175 pounds. After a round-one loss, he had a major decision, decision, and fall before getting pinned by the third-place finisher from Hoxie. Strobel lost a 10-8 decision to Republic County in the fifth-place match.
Lyons freshman Easton Benavidez and Larned sophomore Jai Sean George each came up a win shy of a medal at 106 pounds. George ran into unbeaten Brogan Monty of Beloit in round one. The freshman Monty won the title Saturday to preserve his perfect record.