Wichita talent shines at Newton wrestling Tournament of Champions
Goddard won only two brackets but placed nine others on the podium.
The Lions won the 2019 Newton wrestling Tournament of Champions on Saturday, topping the No. 2 and 3 teams in Class 5A and the top four teams in Class 6A. And their best wrestler, Troy Fisher, didn’t enter the bracket.
Goddard is coming off its fourth straight state championship. The Lions lost three state champions from last year but are looking as strong as ever.
Junior Jason Henschel Jr. won the 113-pound bracket to get Goddard on the board in Newton. He pinned Eureka senior Kendall Beitz, the No. 1 wrestler in Class 3-2-1A, in the first period.
Two weight classes later, freshman Jerrdon Fisher made his name known with a title at 126 pounds. He beat Blue Valley Southwest senior Joseph Dennison with a 7-1 decision.
Sophomore 138-pounder Jace Fisher was the only Lion wrestler to finish runner-up in a title bout. He lost a 6-3 decision Blue Valley Southwest junior Brandon Madden, last year’s 5A runner-up at 120 pounds.
Goddard is the No. 1 team in Class 5A, according to the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rankings. The Lions have 10 wrestlers ranked in the top six of their respective weight class.
Arkansas City is the next highest in 5A with eight. With the Bulldogs’ second-place finish at the Tournament of Champions, only 22.5 points behind Goddard, the dual meet of the Kansas high school wrestling season.
Goddard hosts Arkansas City on Feb. 7.
Team Scores
1. Goddard - 216.0
2. Arkansas City - 193.5
3. Maize - 179.5
4 Manhattan - 155.0
5. Derby - 147.5
6. Washburn Rural - 146.5
7. Blue Valley Southwest - 123.5
8. McPherson - 112.0
9. Seneca - 107.5
10. Newton - 101.0
10. Wichita Northwest - 101.0
12. Dodge City - 91.0
13. Bishop Carroll - 90.5
14. Eurerka - 79.0
15. Winfield - 75.0
16. Emporia - 73.0
16. Valley Center - 73.0
18. Olathe South - 68.0
19. Holton - 60.0
20. Norton - 59.5
106 Pounds
1. Bisop Murray, Washburn Rural
2. Damian Mendez, Dodge City
3. Levi Connelly, Seneca
113 Pounds
1. Jason Henschel Jr., Goddard
2. Kendall Beitz, Eureka
3. Junior Camacho, Maize
120 Pounds
1. Kael Pappan, Arkansas City
2. Grant Treaster, Newton
3. Lucas Glover, Goddard
126 Pounds
1. Jerrdon Fisher, Goddard
2. Joseph Dennison, Blue Valley Southwest
3. Hartwell Taylor, Leavenworth
132 Pounds
1. Aidan Campbell, Maize
2. Gabe Buckbee, Arkansas City
3. Cason Lindsey, Derby
138 Pounds
1. Brandon Madden, Blue Valley Southwest
2. Jace Fisher, Goddard
3. Rhett Edmonson, McPherson
145 Pounds
1. Devin Gomez, Maize
2. Dalton Hembree, Seneca
3. Cayleb Atkins, Goddard
152 Pounds
1. Montez Robinson, Arkansas City
2. Crew Squires, Derby
3. Nolan Craine, Goddard
160 Pounds
1. Bubba Wilson, Manhattan
2. Scott Radke, McPherson
3. Trevor Dopps, Goddard
170 Pounds
1. Cade Lindsey, Derby
2. Ryan Murphy, Bishop Carroll
3. Dayton Fields, Seneca
182 Pounds
1. Kyle Haas, Maize
2. Owen Braungardt, Winfield
3. Triston Wills, Derby
195 Pounds
1. Preston Williams, Washburn Rural
2. Brady Bockover, Bishop Carroll
3. Deston Miller, Arkansas City
220 Pounds
1. Wyatt Hendrickson, Newton
2. Christian Schlepp, Manhattan
3. Hayden Wiltfong, Norton
285 Pounds
1. Marcus Hicks, Wichita Northwest
2. Evan Darville, Dodge City
3. Tony Caldwell, Valley Center