The Hoxie wrestlers flexed their collective muscles at the fifth-annual Dodge City Invitational Saturday. Despite being a Class 1A school with just 12 wrestlers in action, the Indians scored 208.5 points to win the tournament. Manhattan finished second with 190.5 points, and Great Bend scored 102.5 points for eighth.
Fourth-ranked Jace Schartz finished third at 150 pounds. The sophomore cruised through his first two matches before winning a 7-4 decision against Pratt. After a loss to fourth-ranked Kaden Garvalena of Dodge City, Schartz defeated second-ranked Therron Meade of Gardner-Edgerton 7-2 to capture third.
The 215-pound bracket featured two Great Bend wrestlers. Keyven Schroeder pinned his first three opponents before losing to fifth-ranked Jaxon Vikander of Manhattan. He rebounded with another pin in the third-place match. Brody Schnoebelen also finished at 4-1 for fifth. He pinned four of his five opponents but lost to Vikander.
Triston Tomlinson finished at 4-1 at 106 pounds, including a 50-second pin, before losing to sixth-ranked Roman Clouse of Gardner-Edgerton. Tomlinson finished fifth in the bracket. Kaiden Hoffman placed seventh at 126 pounds with a 3-2 record, including a pair of pins.
Matthew Johnson, ranked No. 2 at 175 pounds, finished at 2-2 with a pair of quick pins for sixth place. Trenton Kern posted a 4-1 record at 190 pounds with a pair of pins and two major decisions. Kern placed fifth with his one loss coming against fourth-ranked Dai’mont Mucker of Valley Center.
Sixth-ranked Skyler McMullen had a scary finish for eighth place at 138 pounds. McMullen pinned his first two opponents before losing a 6-0 decision to No. 2 Patrick Foxworth of Junction City. McMullen was knocked unconscious in his next match.
Fourth-ranked Cooper Liles was sitting at 2-0 before a suffering an 11-0 loss to third-ranked Zachary Wessley of Goddard. Liles was unable to finish his final two matches due to injury to drop to eighth. Hayden Kelly ran into top-ranked Carson Ochs of Hoxie at 132 pounds, losing that match by fall but finishing at 3-2 overall with three pins for eighth place.
Ambrose Kramer went 1-4 at 113 pounds for 12th.
Lady Panthers finish fifth
The girls wrestled in the third-annual Dodge City
Invitational Saturday. The top-ranked Red Demons edged Dumas, Texas 205-198.5
for the title. Great Bend scored 114 points for fifth behind reigning 4-1A
champion Pratt and the team from Discovery Canyon, Colo.
All eyes were on the 125-pound bracket with the potential rematch between third-ranked Daizy Gomez and Dodge City’s top-ranked Ariana De La Rosa. Gomez picked up a pair of quick pins to reach the finals but again came up short in a 10-3 loss to De La Rosa.
Freshman Kaylea McMullen also pinned her way to the finals at 120 pounds. There she met Emporia’s third-ranked junior Katina Keosybounheuang, who needed just 21 seconds to claim the title.
Natalee Daniels also wrestled for a championship at 190 pounds. Daniels pinned each of her first four opponents before losing a 4-3 decision to her Dumas, Texas opponent in the finals.
Haylee Holinde ran into tough competition in the 235-pound semifinals. Holinde pinned her first three opponents with two matches lasting no more than 44 seconds. After a loss to third-ranked Gracie Orr of Valley Center, Holinde was pinned by her Texas opponent to place fourth. Sierra Ferguson was sitting at 2-0 with a pair of pins at 130 pounds. She lost to top-ranked Jadyn Thompson of Pratt in the semifinals, then fell to Dumas, Texas to finish fourth at 2-2 overall.
Tough work continued for Katie Kuhlman at 135 pounds. She lost matches to fifth-ranked Hailey Ramos of Dodge City and fourth-ranked Wendy Candia of Pratt before pinning her Liberal opponent to secure seventh place.
After a loss to Dodge City to open her day, Karley Stukey pinned an opponent and held on for a 1-0 decision against Gardner-Edgerton to capture ninth place. Hannah Crathorne finished 11th at 115 pounds with a 2-2 showing, including a pair of wins by fall.
Braelyn Turner was also part of that loaded 125-pound bracket that featured De la Rosa and Gomez. After a loss to Emporia, she won her final three matches, two by fall, to place ninth.
Melissa Martinez placed ninth at 145 pounds with a 1-4 record. Jaydon Davis finished at 2-2 overall for 10th place at 140 pounds. She pinned one opponent and won the other by sudden victory. Lea Nokes posted a 2-3 record at 170 pounds, with both wins by fall, to place 10th.