News
State Wrestling Preview 2020
When the state wrestling tournaments get underway this week, the capital city will be well-represented. Forty-one boys and nine girls from six of the seven city schools are state qualifiers this season.
Washburn Rural’s girls and boys both enter state with realistic state title dreams. The boys qualified wrestlers for the 6A tournament in all fourteen weight classes on their way to winning the regional crown. 195-pound senior Gavin Carter brought home an individual regional championship, and six other Junior Blues wrestled in the finals. Washburn Rural has never won a state wrestling title, but were second in 6A in 2018 and have finished in the top 10 each of the last three seasons. The Rural girls were also regional champs, and qualified six wrestlers for the first ever KSHSAA state girls wrestling tournament. Three girls will go as regional champions – Rebekah Smith at 170 pounds, Jaliah Johnson at 191, and Dajia Anderson at 235.
Topeka High saw three wrestlers make it through regionals to 6A state, including Caeman Blake, who has been state-ranked throughout the season at 160 pounds.
Shawnee Heights nearly sent their whole team to the 5A state tourney as well, settling for 13 qualifiers. Tyler Lincoln’s second-place finish at 106 pounds was the best individual finish for the T-Birds at regionals. Heights placed fifth as a team at regionals and are hoping to improve upon their 21st place finish at state last season. The T-Birds girls team will be represented at state by a pair of wrestlers.
Seaman will take ten wrestlers to the state tournament as they look to move up from the 24th-place finish they managed in 5A last year. Two Vikings were regional runners-up – 113-pounder Zack Boucher and 160-pounder Dylan Williams.
Highland Park’s Morgan Dean qualified for 5A state at 220 pounds, and Topeka West’s Bri Randles made it to girls state at 130 pounds.
We spoke to the head coaches from Washburn Rural, Seaman and Shawnee Heights about their teams and their state-bound contingents. Click the names below to hear the interviews.
The girls who will be competing at the first ever KSHSAA state championships in Salina on Thursday, February 27th (records in parentheses, regional champions are in italics)
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
Alexandria Buce, 10, 101 (12-12)
Amelie Jungwirth, 11, 116 (29-3)
TOPEKA WEST
Bri Randles, 10, 130 (24-2)
WASHBURN RURAL
Jaiden Taggart, 12, 109 (27-1)
Addison Broxterman, 9, 116 (29-9)
Halley Robinett, 12, 155 (26-6)
Rebekah Smith, 11, 170 (25-2)
Jaliah Johnson, 10, 191 (19-5)
Dajia Anderson, 11, 235 (26-1)
The boys who will wrestle at the 6A and 5A championships, held in Park City Friday through Saturday (records in parentheses, regional champions are in italics):
HIGHLAND PARK
Morgan Dean, 10, 220 (22-18)
SEAMAN
Justin Kruse, 10, 106 (27-19)
Zach Boucher, 12, 113 (28-14)
Cameron Smith, 12, 132 (24-13)
Landon Willard, 12, 145 (38-8)
Dylan Williams, 12, 160 (31-3)
Baily Meredith, 12, 170 (27-20)
Blake Smith, 12, 182 (24-17)
Jaxson Thomas, 9, 195 (21-16)
Ezra Shove, 12, 220 (31-18)
Ewan Mills, 11, 285 (25-11)
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
Tyler Lincoln, 9, 106 (33-9)
Brock Ferguson, 10, 113 (35-4)
Decker Stickelman, 11, 120 (35-10)
Ty Lewis, 10, 126 (26-19)
Cole Parrish, 10, 132 (23-20)
Joey Hilton, 10, 138 (27-20)
Caden Walker, 10, 145 (38-4)
Preston Hartman, 10, 152 (23-13)
Zack Gonzales, 12, 160 (22-9)
Sean Wunder, 9, 170 (19-21)
Cole Manrose, 10, 182 (27-17)
Bryce Yeagley, 12, 195 (20-16)
Garrett Peery, 10, 220 (24-16)
TOPEKA HIGH
Caemen Blake, 12, 160 (25-7)
Elijah Barron, 12, 182 (25-8)
Tre Thomas, 11, 220 (36-11)
WASHBURN RURAL
Jacob Tangpricha, 10, 106 (27-10)
Bishop Murray, 11, 113 (30-3)
Caleb Douglas, 12, 120 (15-10)
Trace Lawler, 10, 126 (17-13)
Bowen Murray, 11, 132 (23-9)
Nick Vincent, 10, 138 (20-13)
John Vincent, 12, 145 (25-12)
Austin Fager, 10, 152 (23-5)
Cole Wells, 12, 160 (27-12)
Aidan Boline, 10, 170 (23-13)
Remington Stiles, 11, 182 (22-13)
Gavin Carter, 12, 195 (37-0)
Andrew Davis, 12, 220 (26-4)
David Huckstep, 11, 285 (26-7)