Wrestling recap: Stories on six of the KC area’s Kansas high school state champions
Crab legs for a title
As the final buzzer rang, Cameron Bates stood up and enacted snapping a crab leg.
The Kansas City Turner senior clinched an undefeated season with a 3-1 sudden victory decision over Salina Central senior Taylon Peters on Saturday at the Class 5A wrestling tournament and won a bet he made before the season with his coach’s wife.
“She said if I went undefeated the entire season, she will take me to the casino and buy me all-you-can-eat crab legs,” he said. “I eat it all the time. It’s up there in my favorite foods.”
Bates’ win capped 46 victories and he became one of only state champions from the Kansas City area.
The Wichita area and Western Kansas have dominated high school wrestling in recent years. Saturday, Derby and Goddard won team titles. Only one KC team finished in the top three in either Class 6A or 5A.
Bates said to win one for himself and the KC area was meaningful.
“People say Wichita is a lot tougher, and in some ways, they’re right, but today I proved them wrong,” he said.
Bates was dominant at the state tournament. He started with a pair of pins and advanced to the championship bout after Bishop Carroll senior Brady Bockover fractured a rib and was forced to forfeit.
With the state championship, he clinched tournament wins in back-to-back weekends after his regional title. He said Saturday was one he won’t forget.
“My coaches really pushed me all season,” Bates said. “I set a goal at the start of the season, and they did whatever it took to break me in the practice room and get me to where I am today.”
Slyter makes it two
As Olathe North’s Keegan Slyter capped his second straight state championship, he looked away from his fans and toward the Derby section, and delivered a goodbye wave.
Slyter beat Derby’s Bryce Wells with a 4-3 decision after a late takedown. The Derby fans booed him throughout.
“We fought with them and beat them last year,” he said. “They want to boo me during the match, I’m going to give it right back to them.”
Slyter’s second straight title capped a remarkable 46-4 junior season. He cruised through his side of the bracket, earning three straight pins —the longest coming at 4:25.
Last year, Olathe North won the Class 6A team title. The Eagles sent 12 wrestlers to the state tournament, but Slyter was the only championship finalist. He said he felt the support from the whole community.
“Everyone was cheering me on the whole time,” Slyter said. “That probably makes this one sweeter.”
One for two communities
The Class 6A team title came down to a wrestler who wasn’t on either of the teams battling for the crown.
Mill Valley sophomore Ethan Kremer beat Manhattan’s Christian Schlepp 5-1 in the 220-pound championship bout to hold the Indians off the top spot and send Derby to its first team title since 1986. The Panther fans chanted his name throughout the match.
Afterward, Derby wrestlers ran to him and hugged him. They jumped on the back of the Mill Valley coach and as his named was announced atop the podium, they cheered again. He was a hero for two towns.
Kremer said he knew the ramifications of his bout. But he said that didn’t propel him to a title. He wanted that for himself.
“This has been a dream for a long time, and a lot of hard work has gone into it,” he said. “I’m grateful for the coaches and my teammates to help make this happen.”
Southwest tango
Only one Kansas City area school had multiple state champions in 2019.
Blue Valley Southwest finished third in Class 5A and pushed 106-pound freshman Hayden Mills and 138-pound junior Brandon Madden onto the top of the podium.
Madden finished runner-up at state last year, losing to three-time champion Michael Spangler of Kapaun Mt. Carmel. He said he didn’t want to feel that again Saturday and won a 4-2 nail-biting decision over Goddard sophomore Jace Fisher.
“Last year just made me want to work harder,” he said. “I knew the situation. Short time, and he was coming around the corner. We both wanted it. I just had the clutch gene; didn’t let him get behind me.”
Fisher nearly tied the bout at the buzzer as a takedown call was not given that would have sent it to overtime. Instead, Madden has his first title and a 41-4 record.
Mills will have a chance at four state championships after earning a 3-1 decision over Maize South junior Ian DeMoss. He finsihed his season 37-6.
Narrow escape
Sean Ryan was the Kansas City area’s lone Class 4A champion.
The Bishop Miege senior 285-pounder won the tightest championship bout in 4A with a 1-0 decision over KC Piper’s Lemoses White. He earned an escape in the second period and defended his way to a title.
Ryan finished his season 32-2 and fought to one pin and three decisions in the state tournament. He finished fifth at state last year.
This story was originally published February 24, 2019 at 4:23 AM.