Derby’s Cason Lindsey avenges loss to win second Kansas high school wrestling title
.JPG "Derby’s Cason Lindsey")
The best thing that happened to Derby senior Cason Lindsey this season was his loss at the first wrestling tournament of the season.
“If somebody is better than me, I don’t like it,” Lindsey said. “I want to be better than them. My whole season was about what am I going to do to beat him? What am I going to do to get better than him?”
Lindsey spent the last two months putting in the work to be able to answer that question when it mattered the most at the Class 6A state tournament on Saturday at Hartman Arena in Park City.
When Lindsey reached the finals of the 152-pound bracket and met the wrestler who beat him in that early-season match, Dodge City’s Luke Barker, he came up with the answer in a thrilling 4-3 decision that required a last-second escape to score the winning point to secure his second straight 6A championship.
“It was just about digging deep and finding what’s inside of you,” Lindsey said. “It was about who was going to reach deeper? Who’s got the bigger heart? The third period is won by whoever has the bigger heart and I really truly believe that and it showed right there.”
Washburn Rural won the team state championship, while Derby finished fourth as a team behind state medalists in Cody Woods (second at 106), Tate Rusher (fourth in 126), Knowlyn Egan (fourth at 132) and Miles Wash (fourth at 182).
Lindsey became the 11th two-time champ in Derby’s history and just the second to win at least two titles in the last 18 years. Now he has family bragging rights over his father, Craig, who won a title in 1986 for Derby, and his older brother, Cade, who won a state title in 2016 for Derby.
“He’s grown up around the sport and he’s just very mat savvy,” Derby coach Bill Ross said. “He’s got a ton of heart. He’s a great leader and shows up to practice every day and works hard to get better. A lot of your matches you win with the preparation leading up to the match. You could tell he was prepared and he took advantage of his opportunities.”
After that early-season loss to Barker, who was the defending champion at 152, Lindsey said he had some people ask him if he was going to drop back down to 145, where he won his title at last season.
That just added even more fuel to his quest for a second title.
“I’m not a runner,” Lindsey said. “That’s not the person I am. Morally, I couldn’t let that loss eat me up. It didn’t define me. What defines us is what happens at the end of the season. I wanted to prove that to everybody that it doesn’t matter what happens first, it matters what happens here at state.”
West’s Quentin Saunders now 3-for-3 in titles
Wichita West junior Quentin Saunders’ quest to become Kansas’ next four-time state champion saw its third leg completed, as he mowed through the 182 field like he has all season to win his third straight 6A title with an 8-1 decision over Olathe South’s Zack Leskovac in the finals.
But this one came with a heavy heart, as Saunders was wrestling for his youth coach Charles “Toast” Knox Jr., who died less than a month ago.
“He gave me a little bit of knowledge when I was young,” Saunders said. “A little bit of recognition. I did this for him. He would be so proud of me right now.”
When asked what piece of advice from Knox Jr. still resonates with him today, Saunders recalled the first time he was beaten by a headlock move.
“He taught me how to defend it,” Saunders said. “He said, ‘Come here, boy’ and he helped me learn how to defend it and I’ve never got pinned with it again. Knock on wood.”
Saunders is the No. 1-ranked 182 wrestler in the state and completed his second straight undefeated season with a state title. After three seasons, Saunders, a Northern Colorado pledge, is a combined 80-1 with three state titles.
“He’s just so focused on accomplishing his goal of becoming a four-time state champion,” West coach Kenny Taylor said. “It’s just a lot of natural talent when it comes to him wrestling. He puts in the work and he has a goal set for himself. He just has this ability to impose his will on any opponent.”
That was true for another season and now Saunders will turn his sights on finishing off one of the best careers in Kansas history with the fourth title next season.
“We’ve got one more to get that fourth one,” Trish Saunders, his mother, said. “He works hard and I’m proud of him and I know Toast would be too. He would have done 20 back flips after (Saunders) won.”
Campus’ Nate Bowen wins one for the family
Growing up in the same household as older brothers Zach and Luke was sometimes a hazardous life for Nate Bowen.
“We would fight so much that our dad would tell us to take it outside,” Luke Bowen said. “So we would throw on the gloves and we would be outside boxing. It was a lot of fighting. (Nate) is definitely a lot tougher because of that.”
After watching both Zach (2017 graduate) and Luke (2019 graduate) reach the state wrestling finals and lose, the youngest brother in the Bowen family, Nate, now a senior at Campus, had his shot at a state title when he reached the 145 finals in 6A.
With both brothers in attendance, they beamed with pride as they watched Nate complete a dominant season with a dominant performance in the state championship match, a 10-1 major decision over Lawrence’s Trey Medina to cap off a 39-1 season.
Campus also had state medalists in Dylan Sheler (third at 126), Jacob Rymer (third at 132) and Corbin Williams (fifth at 170).
“It being my senior year, I really wanted to get a state championship,” Nate Bowen said. “A lot of it is thanks to my brothers. They helped me out a lot, too. They gave me the motivation, helped me in the practice room, took me tot he gym, pushed me. Taught me how to work hard.”
While Nate remained calm and collected while winning, it was actually more emotional for his older brothers after they had come so close themselves during their wrestling careers.
“Since me and my brother both came up short our senior year, when (Nate) won it, I felt like I was winning it too,” Luke said. “Just because of how much work we all put in together.”
Nate agreed with that assessment, although he pointed out he now has bragging rights in the family.
That’s OK by the two older brothers, who both laughed at the comment.
“I don’t mind that at all,” Zach said. “This is super special. We’ve been in the sport for 17 years and he’s the first high school state champ. It’s a pretty proud moment for our family. I’m really enjoying it.”
Northwest’s Mason Ross stays calm to win title
Few have been able to push Northwest senior Mason Ross at 220 pounds this season and his 13-8 decision over Blue Valley West’s Brooks Lowe to win the 6A state title looked like on paper another convincing victory.
But Ross was nearly pinned at the end of the first period, barely escaping as the clock ran out. He never panicked after the near-fall experience, even when he trailed 6-5 entering the final period. Ross saved his best for last, as he outscored Lowe 8-2 in the third period.
After a sixth-place finish at state last year, Ross, signed to play football for Butler Community College, capped off a 29-1 season to win his first state title.
“I’ve prepared for this all year,” Ross said. “Last year I didn’t get the finish that I wanted and came back this year to win it. Wrestling isn’t my favorite sport, but it’s always good to have that winning feeling and be a state champion and get your name up on the wall (at Northwest).”
Northwest sophomore Caden Ross, the younger brother of Mason, also wrestled in the state finals after beating a wrestler ranked ahead of him in the 195 bracket. Caden Ross lost an 11-4 decision to Gardner Edgerton senior Gus Davis in the title match, but his runner-up finish out-performed his pre-tournament ranking.
State tournament results
BOYS CLASS 6A
Saturday, in Park City; at Hartman Arena
Team scores: 1. Washburn Rural, 159.5; 2. Olathe North, 112; 3. Dodge City, 106; 4. Derby, 78; 5. Olathe South, 66; 6. Campus, 61; 7. Olathe East, 57; 8. Garden City, 54; T9. Lawrence, 53; T9. Lawrence Free State, 53; 11. Manhattan, 51; 12. Blue Valley, 42; 13. Wichita Northwest, 40; 14. Gardner Edgerton, 30; 15. Junction City, 29; 16. Blue Valley West, 26; 17. Wichita West, 22; 18. Blue Valley North, 21; 19. Shawnee Mission East, 19; 20. Olathe Northwest, 16; 21. Liberal, 12; 22. Shawnee Mission Northwest, 8; 23. Blue Valley Northwest, 6; 24. Olathe West, 0.
106 pounds: 1. Morrison, Washburn Rural, p. Woods, Derby, 7:21. 3. Bradley, Lawrence Free State, m.d. Witt, Junction City, 12-2. 5. Lawrence, Olathe North, m.d. A. Honas, Lawrence, 9-1.
113 pounds: 1. Tangpricha, Washburn Rural, d. Alderman, Olathe North, 3-1. 3. E. Streeter, Lawrence Free State, d. Elsten, Lawrence, 3-1. 5. Darling, BV West, d. Borge, Manhattan, 7-0.
120 pounds: 1. Murray, Washburn Rural, d. K. Honas, Lawrence, 9-2. 3. J. Vasquez, Olathe North, d. Blake, Junction City, 4-0. 5. Shields, Lawrence Free State, d. Perez, BV North, inj. 3:00.
126 pounds: 1. Contreras, SM East, d. Trisconria, Olathe North, TB-1 2-1. 3. Sheler, Campus, d. Rusher, Derby, 6-4. 5. Ramirez, Dodge City, d. McGivern, Washburn Rural, 6-3.
132 pounds: 1. Mendez, Dodge City, d. Taylor, Manhattan, 3-1. 3. Rymer, Campus, d. Egan, Derby, 3-1. 5. T. Vasquez, Olathe North, p. Bartlett, BV Northwest, 4:44.
138 pounds: 1. Dominguez, Garden City, d. Solomon, Blue Valley, 8-1. 3. Murray, Washburn Rual, d. Bragg, Olathe East, 2-0. 5. C. Streeter, Lawrence Free State, p. Barron, Olathe North, 3:33.
145 pounds: 1. Bowen, Campus, m.d. Medina, Lawrence, 10-1. 3. Samuelson, Olathe North, d. Cash Thomas, Olathe South, UTB 1-0. 5. Neuman, Junction City, p. Bammes, Manhattan, 2:39.
152 pounds: 1. Lindsey, Derby, d. Baker, Dodge City, 4-3. 3. Hyland, Blue Valley, d. Vincent, Washburn Rural, 6-1. 5. Knudsen, Olathe South, d. Troutman, Gardner Edgerton, 3-0.
160 pounds: 1. Otero, Dodge City, d. Wilkes, Olathe North, 5-4. 3. Janas, Garden City, m.d. Thomas, Olathe South, 11-2. 5. Boline, Washburn Rural, p. Doebele, Blue Valley, 4:52.
170 pounds: 1. Jouret, Olathe South, d. Fager, Washburn Rural, 5-1. 3. Avena, Olathe East, d. Rayas, Dodge City, inj. def. 5. Williams, Campus, d. Sharp, Olathe Northwest, 8-3.
182 pounds: 1. Saunders, Wichita West, d. Leskovac, Olathe South, 8-1. 3. Rivero, Liberal, d. Wash, Derby, 3-1. 5. Stiles, Washburn Rural, d. Washington, Olathe East, 8-2.
195 pounds: 1. Davis, Gardner Edgerton, d. C. Ross, Wichita Northwest, 11-4. 3. Farrington, BV North, m.d. Conover, Olathe Northwest, 14-5. 5. Loya, Dodge City, p. Allison, Lawrence Free State, 4:25.
220 pounds: 1. M. Ross, Wichita Northwest, d. Lowe, BV West, 13-8. 3. Lennard, Olathe East, d. Turner, Dodge City, 2-1. 5. Horner-Luettel, SM Northwest, d. Lahmeyer, Olathe North, 5-2.
285 pounds: 1. Ilalio, Manhattan, d. Huckstep, Washburn Rural, 9-4. 3. Lopez, Garden City, p. Carroll, Olathe East, 3:50. 5. Herzog, Blue Valley, d. Gallegos, Olathe North, SV-1 3-1.
BOYS CLASS 4A
Saturday, in Salina; at Tony’s Pizza Events Center
Team scores: 1. Andale, 115.5; 2. Chanute, 113; 3. Tonganoxie, 82.5; 4. Fort Scott, 76; 5. Holton, 58; 6. Augusta, 55; 7. Rose Hill, 51.5; 8. Colby, 48; 9. Frontenac, 47.5; 10. Pratt, 41; 11. Mulvane, 38; 12. Ottawa, 37; 13. Scott Community, 33; 14. Louisburg, 30; 15. Field Kindley, 29; 16. Abilene, 28; 17. Eudora, 26; 18. Perry-Lecompton, 25; 19. Buhler, 23.5; T20. Concordia, 22; T20. Ulysses, 22; 22. Clay Center Community, 20; 23. Larned, 18; 24. Wamego, 13; 25. Burlington, 11; 26. Winfield, 10; 27. Baldwin, 8; 28. Topeka Hayden, 4; T29. Columbus, 0; T29. Anderson County, 0; T29. Goodland, 0. T29. Independence, 0; T29. Paola, 0; T29. Bishop Miege, 0; T29. Rock Creek, 0; 36. El Dorado, -1.
106 pounds: 1. Terry, Augusta, d. Tatum, Rose Hill, 3-2. 3. Miller, Andale, d. Allison, Fort Scott, 5-0. 5. McCarty, Colby, p. Gilliland, Holton, 3:36.
113 pounds: 1. Cell, Abilene, p. Misener, Chanute, 1:06. 3. Moore, Tonganoxie, d. Carey, Augusta, inj. def. 5. Weber, Pratt, d. Cook, Colby, inj. def.
120 pounds: 1. Eck, Andale, d. Clements, Chanute, 4-0. 3. Pauda, Ulysses, d. McDaniel, Scott Community, 10-3. 5. Barnes, Holton, d. Fox, Augusta, 7-4.
126 pounds: 1. Serratos, Andale, d. Weber, Pratt, 3-1. 3. Sonntag, Tonganoxie, d. Ledford, Winfield, 8-4. 5. T. Dillow, Chanute, d. Wark, Colby, 7-1.
132 pounds: 1. Burchett, Fort Scott, p. Stahl, Mulvane, 5:51. 3. Holtzen, Louisburg, d. Furnish, Andale, 7-2. 5. Pelland, Pratt, d. Rohrbough, Scott Community, 7-5.
138 pounds: 1. Lynch, Eudora, d. Seely, Chanute, 8-4. 3. Creach, Ottawa, d. Voss, Colby, 3-1. 5. Moses, Mulvane, m.d. Wilson, Abilene, 10-0.
145 pounds: 1. Leedy, Chanute, d. Lapping, Frontenac, 5-3. 3. Duffett, Tonganoxie, p. Beavers, Rose Hill, 2:39. 5. Andrews, Eudora, d. Pfizenmaier, Clay Center Community, SV-1 6-4.
152 pounds: 1. Stinnett, Fort Scott, d. Bailey, Tonganoxie, 3-1. 3. Aouad, Andale, d. Fletcher, Holton, 8-3. 5. Besco, Rose Hill, d. Jackson, Clay Center Community, 6-1.
160 pounds: 1. Elliott, Buhler, d. Alboyd, Larned, 10-4. 3. Metcalfe, Perry-Lecompton, d. Hoback, Burlington, 10-6. 5. Tubbs, Colby, d. Dietrich, Mulvane, 12-6.
170 pounds: 1. Vann, Fort Scott, d. Compton, Frontenac, 7-5. 3. Lane, Ottawa, d. Davis, Augusta, SV-1 4-2. 5. Winsor, Pratt, d. Miller, Concordia, SV-1 6-4.
182 pounds: 1. B. Dillow, Chanute, d. Schroeder, Concordia, 3-2. 3. Oviatt, Wamego, d. Ensch, Frontenac, 9-2. 5. Degollado, Ulysses, p. Camp, Field Kindley, 2:07.
195 pounds: 1. Tannahill, Holton, d. Martin, Tonganoxie, 4-2. 3. Rogers, Rose Gill, p. Ferguson, Ottawa, 2:42. 5. Marx, Andale, m.d. Money, Augusta, 13-3.
220 pounds: 1. Winter, Andale, d. Younggren, Louisburg, 9-5. 3. McDonald, Clay Center Community, d. Roush, Holton, 3-1. 5. Thomas, Baldwin, p. Stephenson, Topeka Hayden, 2:06.
285 pounds: 1. White, Field Kindley, d. Bowers, Scott Community, UTB 4-3. 3. Cunningham, Chanute, d. Ryan, Colby, 1-0. 5. Robb, Perry-Lecompton, p, Scott, Mulvane, 3:46.
BOYS CLASS 3-1A
Saturday, at Fort Hays State (Gross Memorial Coliseum)
Team scores: 1. Hoxie, 154; 2. Hill City, 84; 3. Eureka, 61; 4. Norton Community, 54.5; 5. Silver Lake, 52; 6. Beloit, 50. 7. Republic County, 47; 8. Osage City, 46; 9. Marysville, 40; 10. Hoisington, 35; 11. Oakley, 32.5; T12. Rossville, 30; T12. Wellsville, 30; 14. Plainville, 26.5; 15. Remington, 26; 16. Jayhawk Linn, 25; 17. Uniontown, 24; 18. Cimarron, 22; 19. Atchison County Community, 20; 20. Decatur Community, 19; T21. Council Grove, 18; T21. Mission Valley, 18; T21. Southeast of Saline, 18; T21. Minneapolis, 18; 25. Erie, 17; T26. Rawlins County, 16; T26. Caney Valley, 16; T26. Marion, 16; T29. Humboldt, 14; T29. Kingman, 14; 31. Riley County, 12; T32. Howard West Elk, 11; T32. Wabaunsee, 11; 34. Douglass, 10; T35. Flint Hills, 9; T35. Ellis, 9; T35. Stafford, 9; 38. Pleasant Ridge, 7; T39. Chase County, 6; T39. Fredonia, 6; T39. Sabetha, 6; 42. Phillipsburg, 5; 43. Hillsboro, 4; T44. Bluestem, 0; T44. Wichita County, 0; T44. Russell 0; T44. Nemaha Central, 0; T44. Stockton, 0; T44. Lucas Unified, 0.
106 pounds: 1. White, Jayhawk Linn, m.d. Weimer, Hoxie, 12-3. 3. Underhill, Hill City, d. Kennedy, Eire, 12-6. 5. Coble, West Elk, p. Johnson, Minneapolis, 3:33.
113 pounds: 1. Fredrickson, Marysville, p. Stanton, Caney Valley, 2:03. 3. Atkins, Hill City, d. Shepard, Hoxie, 9-4. 5. Ball, Hoisington, p. Polansky, Republic County, 3:58.
120 pounds: 1. Wright, Remington, p. VanValkenburg, Council Grove, 1:36. 3. Normandin, Plainville, d. Hughes, Eureka, 6-0. 5. Wilburn, Pleasant Ridge, d. Ochs, Hoxie, 5-4.
126 pounds: 1. Field, Norton Community, p. Dayton Bell, Hoxie, 4:48. 3. Talkington, Republic County, d. Thelwell, Riley County, 5-4. 5. Collins, Osage City, p. Rogers, Chase County, 3:07.
132 pounds: 1. Drew Bell, Hoxie, p. Scholz, ACCHS, 0:05. 3. Hockman, Hill City, d. Rakestraw, Silver Lake, 2-0. 5. Young, Stafford, p. Heady, Erie, 1:45.
138 pounds: 1. Bretz, Hoxie, d. Cain, Oakley, 6-4. 3. Allen, Silver Lake, d. Reynolds, Douglass, inj. def. 5. Grafel, Decatur Community, d. Elliott, Wellsville, 14-12.
145 pounds: 1. Johnson, Hoxie, d. Hurla, Rossville, 3-1. 3. Schreiner, Kingman, d. Collins, Osage City, SV-1 7-5. 5. Harrison, Eureka, d. Bachman, SV-1 5-3.
152 pounds: 1. Eck, Uniontown, p. Escareno, Eureka, 2:55. 3. Amrein, Hill City, p. Twombly, Rossville, 3:10. 5. Urban, Norton Community, p. Mumpower, Wabaunsee, 2:01.
160 pounds: 1. Lowe, Eureka, d. Baalman, Hoxie, 5-3. 3. Kadel, Beloit, d. Hubert, Republic County, 4-3. 5. Wallin, Wabaunsee, p. Bird, Wellsville, 3:24.
170 pounds: 1. Prochaska, Beloit, m.d. Rodriguez, SE of Saline, 17-9. 3. Kruger, Silver Lake, d. Hansen, Plainville, 9-4. 5. Pfeifer, Ellis, d. Hermann, Sabetha, 5-0.
182 pounds: 1. Ball, Hoisington, p. Hamel, Hill City, 1:49. 3. Uehlin, Decatur Community, d. Walker, Beloit, 5-1. 5. VandeVelde, Silver Lake, d. Claibourn, Fredonia, 4-2.
195 pounds: 1. Seabolt, Cimarron, d. Palic, Marion, 3-0. 3. Green, Rawlins County, p. Baccus, Minneapolis, 1:40. 5. Temaat, Oakley, d. Gillen, Silver Lake, 6-0.
220 pounds: 1. Sproul, Norton Community, d. Lott, Marysville, 9-3. 3. Beeson, Republic County, p. Koch, Oakley, 3:14. 5. Girty, Flint Hills, p. Buresh, Phillipsburg, 2:43.
285 pounds: 1. Whalen, Osage City, p. Parker, Mission Valley, 2:17. 3. Stephens, Wellsville, p. Watts, Humboldt, 3:56. 5. Walt, Hill City, p. Baker, Hoxie, 2:55.
This story was originally published February 28, 2021 at 3:26 PM.
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