Rose Hill boys wrestling shatters records to repeat as Kansas team state champion
After winning the program’s first state championship last season, simply repeating wasn’t enough for the Rose Hill boys high school wrestling team.
With as much talent on the team, the Rockets knew they had the chance to do something special.
And that something special materialized at the Class 4A tournament in Salina this past Saturday, as Rose Hill not only won its second straight team title but did so with a record-setting 215.5 points, courtesy of four individual state champions and a record 11 of 12 qualifiers ending up on the podium.
“Words can’t explain how proud I am of all of those kids,” Rose Hill coach Chris Saferite said. “Winning it last year was great for some school history, but we knew we had the target on our back this year. At the same time, we knew what we were capable of doing and we exceeded our goals. I’m extremely proud of them.”
Rose Hill senior Johnny Leck finished his career as a 3-time state champion and the program’s all-time wins leader, as he added the 144-pound title to his collection this season with a 16-4 major decision over Buhler’s Cruz Hershberger in the finals. Leck won the 132 title as a junior and 106 title as a freshman, while finishing runner-up as a sophomore.
“The dude just deserves, works for and earns everything he’s ever got,” Saferite said. “Words can’t describe the kind of guy Johnny is. At the end of the day, he’s just the ultimate competitor that you just love having around your room.”
Meanwhile, fellow seniors Samson Whitted and Damon Ingram both successfully repeated as individual champions. Whitted capped a 39-win season with a 4-1 decision over Andale’s Luke Martin in the 106 finals, while Ingram a little more than four minutes for the weekend to capture the 150 title with a 44-second pin in the finals of Fort Scott’s Trace Metcalf.
“Super proud of both of those guys,” Saferite said. “Samson is such a good kid and then Damon did what he always does: he just got after it. Those kids didn’t even stand a chance.”
The final individual champion was freshman Thunder Page, who finished a 30-3 season with an overtime victory over Tonganoxie’s Brady Martin in the 157 finals.
“He had a heartbreaker in regionals last weekend, so we had to hit the reset button,” Saferite said. “He came out this week and did what we all thought he could do. To be a freshman and make it to the finals and win it, that’s not an easy thing to do.”
Other state medalists for the Rockets included senior Trenton Richwine (113, second), junior Sebastian Bentley (126, second), sophomore Tucker Saferite (120, fourth), senior Adam Bilby (132, fifth), senior Cole Rogers (215, fifth), senior Tyren Emberson (165, sixth) and junior Leven Jones (175, sixth). The other state qualifier on the team was Cash McVay.
Trio of first-time state champions push Andale to team trophy
Behind a trio of first-time state champions, Andale finished third place in the team race with 137.5 points.
After coming close the last two years, senior Isaiah Wilson finally climbed to the top of the podium with a first-period pin of Chanute’s Cade Small to cap a 42-5 season.
Meanwhile, junior Ethan Eck registered an 11-3 major decision over Fort Scott’s Brody Gomez in the finals to capture the 165 title and freshman Judd Eck won the 120 title with a 7-1 decision over Augusta’s Brayden Luinstra in the finals to cap a 39-win season.
Other individual medalists from the area at the 4A state tournament included Andale freshman Luke Martin (106, second), junior Tristen Cox (144, fourth) and freshman Luke Seiler (113, fourth); Augusta sophomore Brayden Luinstra (120, second) and senior Devin Carroll (215, fourth); Buhler senior Cruz Hershberger (144, second), junior Sammy Hershberger (132, second) and junior Luke Kerns (165, fifth); Halstead senior Connor Herman (285, sixth); Mulvane senior Koehn Dietrich (120, sixth); and Winfield senior Talon Suttles (138, second), senior Owen Suttles (132, fourth).
Mulvane’s Leiannah Landreth among area winners in 4A girls meet
No one could question the bona fides of Mulvane senior Leinnah Landreth in the girls wrestling world, as she is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in Kansas.
But the one thing missing from her otherwise impeccable resume was a high school state championship.
Landreth left no doubt in her final go-around, completing a perfect 42-0 season with the 120-pound state title at the Class 4A tournament in Salina this past Saturday. She needed a total of 138 seconds over four matches to capture the championship, including a 40-second pin over Frontenac’s Mya Courtney in the finals.
“I was so happy for Leiannah because I know how much it means to her,” Mulvane coach Jesse Myers said. “She’s won all of these other prestigious titles and I know she wants to wrestle in the Olympics one day, so we anticipate her doing things beyond a high school state title. But this was kind of that last missing piece and I’m so happy she got it.”
After finishing runner-up at the state meet last season, Winfield junior Abby Brenn polished off a sterling 32-1 season with a dominant run to the 190 title with a 7-2 decision in the finals over Paola’s Ellie Baska.
Another successful second-to-first story came from McPherson senior Ciara Rawson, who was runner-up at 235 last season but climbed to the top of the podium this season after pinning Perry-Lecompton’s Meaa Allen in the 235 finals. It was the first state title for Rawson, who was a 4-time state medalist.
A strong start in the 145 finals allowed Buhler junior Macey Parks to hold on for a 6-5 decision over Chapman’s Taya Rowley to cap a 38-6 season with her first state title.
Other individual medalists from the area in the 4A state meet included Circle sophomore Alexis Wall (105, second); El Dorado sophomore Zoey Owens (105, fifth), senior Hannah Gantz (120, sixth), sophomore Aryana Vance (155, sixth) and sophomore Izzy Greer (235, sixth); Halstead senior Kahlyn Davis (130, second); Nickerson junior Elizabeth Dick (235, third); Rose Hill senior Carrigan Dellinger (115, second) and sophomore Stefania Aranguiz (170, sixth); Wellington senior Kaylee Horinek (170, fourth) and sophomore Maddie Fullerton (130, sixth); and Winfield senior Cora Moon (145, fifth).
.jpg)