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Azura Credit Union Athletes of the Week – Week of 3/1/20
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WIBW and Azura Credit Union are proud to celebrate the achievements of local high school athletes with our weekly Athlete of the Week honors.

Azura Credit Union is proud to support these athletes who are committed to go above and beyond for their team. Azura Credit Union knows that by going above & beyond for their members today, that tomorrow they will continue to bring you innovative financial service, more resources and a more customized experience. Together they are building a better, brighter future for you and our community.

This week’s Azura Credit Union Athletes of the Week are Washburn Rural state champion wrestlers Jacob Tangpricha and Bishop Murray, plus the entire Washburn Rural girls wrestling team, who were state champions.

Tangpricha won the 106-pound 6A championship with a 4-2 decision over Derby’s Cody Woods in the finals on Saturday at Hartman Arena in Park City. The sophomore, who wrestled JV last season, finished his year with a 31-10 record. He was joined at the top of the podium on Saturday by Murray, who won his second career state title by beating Dodge City’s Damien Mendez 5-2 in the 113-pound final. Murray finished 34-3 and added to his first-place finish as a freshman and third-place finish as a sophomore. The two helped Rural to finish in second place in the 6A team standings for the second time in three years. We spoke with Jacob about the emotion of winning state, what he learned as Murray’s training partner, how he went from JV one year to state champ the next, and more.

Jacob Tangpricha – Washburn Rural wrestling

The Rural girls team won the first ever KSHSAA-sanctioned state championship last Thursday in Salina, edging out Great Bend 84 points to 80 for the title. Daija Anderson was a state champion at 235 pounds, Rebekah Smith and Jaliah Johnson were third at 170 and 191 pounds respectively, and Halley Robinett placed fifth at 155 pounds. Jaiden Taggart (109) and Addison Broxterman (116) also qualified for state and helped the Lady Blues accumulate points. We spoke to Washburn Rural head wrestling coach Damon Parker about how far these girls came as wrestlers, the culture within his program, the future promise for the sport at Washburn Rural and as a whole, and more.

Damon Parker – Washburn Rural wrestling