Kansas high school state wrestling qualifiers: Maize sends loud message in 6A
The Maize boys wrestling team didn’t just win the Class 6A West regional championship Saturday.
The Eagles left Wichita North with something more valuable than hardware: a blueprint for how they plan to win their first state championship since 2023 next weekend in Overland Park.
In a tournament with eight of the top nine teams in 6A, the top-ranked Eagles turned the regional final into a final rehearsal for what matters most. Maize stacked up 272.5 points, outlasting two-time defending state champion Manhattan (251) and Washburn Rural (223.5) to tighten its grip on favorite status entering the state tournament.
Maize advanced seven wrestlers to the finals, crowned five regional champions and qualified 12 for state, the kind of performance and depth needed to win next week.
At 106 pounds, senior Zach Siatka looked like a wrestler determined to keep his mat time short and his message loud. It took him a little more than three minutes of mat time to get through four opponents and win the regional title. The exclamation point was a 36-second pin in the final against Wichita East freshman Enrique Tellez Jr. to improve to 20-2 this season.
At 113, junior Cooper Smith added another championship to the Maize haul, part of a run that kept the Eagles rolling through the early weights and set a tone. Smith won the 6A title at 106 last season and is the top-ranked wrestler at 113 this season.
The most dramatic swing in a Maize final came at 132, where sophomore Antonio Guebara needed every bit of poise to win. Trailing Wichita East’s Jordan Noble 6-5 entering the third period, Guebara scored a takedown to pull ahead, then piled on a nearfall to create separation and close out the title. Guebara won the 6A state title at 120 last season.
At 138, junior Vincent Rosas brought the sledgehammer. He won the bracket with three falls and one technical fall, which included a third-period pin over Washburn Rural’s Cooper Stivers in the final. Rosas improved to 14-1 this season and is looking for his first title after losing in the state final the last two seasons.
And then there was 190, where junior Everett Joyce advanced to the final with three straight pins and then dominated against Lawrence Free State’s Zane Shaw to earn a technical fall after scoring six takedowns in the final. The defending champion at 190 improved to 35-0 this season.
Maize’s depth also included junior Verbeck (126) and freshman Baron Rosas (157) reaching the finals, while other state qualifiers included senior Reese DeMoss (120), senior Talon Verbeck (144), junior Josiah Johnson (165), freshman Reid Joyce (175) and senior Atticus Marcenaro (285).
Another impressive performance came from Wichita East senior Donnie Jackson, who improved to 36-3 this season by rampaging his way to the 157 regional title. He needed just 51 seconds to rack up his first two wins, then followed with a technical fall and a 46-second pin of Baron Rosas in the finals.
Another key local moment came in the 165 finals, where Wichita Northwest junior Phillip Bowers closed another impressive performance with a second-period pin over Manhattan’s Brecken Crist-Funk in the finals.
Here is a complete recap of other Wichita-area state qualifiers from the 6A West regional.
Other Wichita-area Class 6A wrestling state qualifiers
Campus: Remington Pugh, so., 285, second; Trace VansDale, jr., 150, fifth; Keaton Ballard, fr., 126, fifth; Kale Ballard, fr., 138, seventh; Luke Parker, so., 190, eighth.
Derby: Quentin Williams, sr., 157, third; Jayden Reyes, fr., 106, third; Treyvon Washington, sr., 165, fourth; Alejandro Dieguez, so., 126, fourth; Colton Nelson, so., 113, fourth; Jaxon Avila, so., 120, fifth; Emilio Gauna, jr., 132, seventh; Pascual Gallegos, fr., 144, seventh; Tanner Perry, sr., 285, eighth; Favyen Del Gaudio, so., 138, eighth.
East: Donald Jackson, jr., 157, first; Jordan Noble, sr., 132, second; Prince Marshall, so., 175, second; Enrique Tellez, fr., 106, second; Carter Chadwick, so., 138, third; Anthony Noble, jr., 144, sixth; Terance Hopson, sr., 190, seventh; Emeory McGlory, jr., 120, eighth.
Heights: Chris Rosales, sr., 120, fourth; Tristen Jackson, so., 165, fifth; Jonovan Wyatt, sr., 150, seventh.
North: Thomas Shields, sr., 113, third; Noe Alvarado, sr., 175, seventh.
Northwest: Phillip Bowers, jr., 165, first; Casey Stuart, jr., 150, fourth; Jody Merkle, jr., 285, seventh; Ethan Hallinger, jr., 215, eighth.
South: Jayden Kirk-McGowan, sr., 215, second.
Southeast: Austin Herl, sr., 157, sixth; Tyler Barnett, jr., 126, seventh; J’shawn Hill, sr., 106, eighth.
West: Donald Spillman, sr., 285, sixth; Wyatt Powell, so., 150, sixth.
Wichita-area Class 5A wrestling state qualifiers
Andover: Dresden Beard, so., 175, first; Gunner Davis, sr., 285, fifth; Ian Pierce, jr., 132, fifth; Evan Hartman, sr., 157, sixth; John Martinez-Goodman, jr., 126, sixth; Jace Dryden, so., 120, eighth.
Andover Central: Ethan Worthington, jr., 126, fifth; Tyler Ven, jr., 113, eighth; Bobby Sands, so., 215, eighth.
Arkansas City: Teague Munson, so., 120, third; Zackry Mosier, so., 126, third; Briggs Terrill, so., 138, third; Landon Bedolla, so., 132, fourth; Exavier Martin, so., 215, fourth; Nate Munson, sr., 190, fifth; Jack Richardson, so., 113, fifth; Tucker Sparks, jr., 144, seventh; Talen Daily, sr., 150, eighth; Hayden McCorgary, fr., 285, eighth.
Bishop Carroll: Parker Landers, fr., 106, first; Connor Landers, jr., 138, second; Owen Newell, sr., 150, third; Campbell Denton, sr., 157, fourth; Jackson Hermann, jr., 126, fourth; Charles Kissling, jr., 175, fifth; Turner Gilman, sr., 190, sixth; Cage Hatcher, fr., 132, sixth.
Eisenhower: Malachi Rothenberger, sr., 150, fifth; Abe Starnes, sr., 165, fifth; Blayre Cline, jr., 175, sixth; Osten Kuehn, sr., 113, seventh; Eli Tornquist, jr., 157, eighth.
Goddard: Nick Miller, sr., 138, first; Kolton McElwain, sr., 157, first; Oscar Gauna, jr., 113, first; Harrison Glover, sr., 126, second; Matthew Martinez, fr., 132, second; Easton McElwain, jr., 120, fourth; Thomas Walter, fr., 150, sixth; Micah Mayer, sr., 190, seventh.
Hutchinson: Cruz Cannon, jr., 126, first; Jackson Anderson, sr., 190, second; Max Harris, jr., 175, third; Dion Brown, so., 106, third; Cooper Harris, jr., 150, fourth; James Hill, so., 215, fifth; Karson Etienne, jr., 165, sixth; Zach Allen, jr., 120, seventh; Jair Maciel, sr., 138, eighth.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel: Adrian Monaco, jr., 165, first; Bennet Lerch, jr., 144, second; Eli Koster, jr., 157, third; Nathan Huff, fr., 285, fourth; Esteban Aranguiz, fr., 120, fifth.
Maize South: Josh Kerr, jr., 144, first; Max Kerr, jr., 150, second; Gavin Munoz, sr., 120, second; Canon Husen, so., 113, third; Nathan Russell, fr., 106, fifth; Cooper Orr, sr., 175, seventh; Gavin Axtell, jr., 157, seventh; Aaron Acosta, so., 132, seventh.
Newton: Wade Stubbs, so., 120, first; Exavier Torres, so., 132, first; Noah Vela, sr., 106, second; Nikko Hinojos, so., 165, second; Trevor Beyer, sr., 144, third; Cason Horton, jr., 215, third; Emrik Torres, sr., 190, fourth; Major Giles, sr., 157, fifth.
Valley Center: Gavin Saner, sr., 190, third; Colton Long, so., 144, sixth; Demarcus Rojas, sr., 138, seventh; Beau Young, sr., 285, seventh; Jack Lampe, sr., 165, eighth; Brody Hunter, so., 126, eighth; Jameson Blackwell, so., 132, eighth.
Wichita-area Class 4A wrestling state qualifiers
Andale: Tristen Cox, sr., 150, first; Ethan Eck, sr., 175, first; Luke Martin, so., 113, first; Judd Eck, so., 132, first; Levi Schmidt, fr., 106, first; Luke Seiler, so., 126, third; Emmett Eck, so., 157, third; Grant Eck, fr., 138, third.
Augusta: Gunner Carey, sr., 215, first; Brayden Luinstra, jr., 126, first; Cannon Terry, fr., 120, second; Cale Wills, jr., 132, fourth.
Buhler: Max Harmony, sr., 157, second; Sammy Hershberger, sr., 138, third; Jacob Burklow, so., 190, third.
Cheney: Colton Veach, sr., 165, third.
Circle: Luke Owen, so., 113, third; Lennon Farner, sr., 190, fourth.
Clearwater: Dalton Wulf, sr., 190, third; Christian Lange, sr., 150, fourth; Emmit Ohlde, so., 165, fourth; Dallen Kanngiesser, so., 215, fourth; Connor Stricklin, fr., 106, fourth.
El Dorado: D.J. Mitchell, sr., 175, third; Brailin Wright, so., 285, third.
Haven: Tanner Loughrie, sr., 132, third; Dante De Virgilio, jr., 113, fourth.
Hesston: Lyndon Dillon, sr., 175, third.
McPherson: Carter Leathers, so., 285, first; Dylan Hall, jr., 215, second; Madison Burkes, so., 120, second; Noah Garcia, jr., 113, third.
Mulvane: K.J. Schanz, sr., 285, second; Caleb Holle, jr., 215, third; Tysen Rhodes, so., 144, fourth.
Nickerson: Kristopher Monroe, sr., 165, third; Aiden Brinkley, so., 120, fourth.
Rose Hill: Leven Jones, sr., 165, first; Keedrin Jones, sr., 190, first; James Bilby, jr., 120, first; Cash McVay, jr., 144, first; Thunder Page, so., 157, first; Remington Merlau, so., 285, first; Sebastian Bentley, sr., 132, second; Tucker Saferite, jr., 126, second; Christian West, fr., 106, third; Nick Jones, so., 175, fourth.
Smoky Valley: Parker Gardner, sr., 215, first; Christian Erickson, jr., 157, third; Rette Krehbiel, so., 138, fourth.
Wellington: Cayson Ramirez, sr., 190, second.
Winfield: Landon Bonjour, sr., 165, second; Tommy Proctor, jr., 106, second; Peyton Tabor, jr., 144, second; Hayden Selle, so., 138, second; Quaid Gilliland, jr., 150, third.
Wichita-area Class 3-1A wrestling state qualifiers
Bluestem: Axton Vice, jr., 144, first; Noah Couey, sr., 215, second; Kaden Keil, sr., 165, third; Karsen Garner, jr., 106, third; Logan Squier, jr., 190, third; Ryder Whiteside, so., 132, third; Dylan Bailey, sr., 285, fourth; Tucker Reed, jr., 138, fourth.
Burden-Central: Max Bergman, so., 175, third.
Canton-Galva: Rustin Ayres, fr., 106, fourth.
Chaparral: Christian Planansky, so., 138, second; Brandon Jones, jr., 215, third; Hayden Rathgeber, fr., 120, third; Aaron Zacarias, sr., 144, fourth; Michael Kirkpatrick, jr., 165, fourth.
Douglass: Tanner Allan, jr., 190, fourth; Rylan Hilyard, fr., 106, fourth.
Eureka: Tate Scott, fr., 132, first; Mason Hughes, jr., 126, third; Killian Harrington, so., 285, third; Maddox Hughes, fr., 120, fourth.
Flinthills: Beau Hall, sr., 175, second; Deken Girty, so., 190, second; Jaxon Swafford, sr., 215, fourth.
Garden Plain: Carter Tatom, so., 165, first; Nate Eck, so., 106, second; Eli Catlin, fr., 126, fourth.
Halstead: Logan Overton, fr., 190, third.
Moundridge: Dan Kuder, jr., 132, fourth.
Remington: Ryder Armstrong, so., 126, first; Chayton Lineback, so., 132, fourth.
Sedgwick: Riley Queen, sr., 175, fourth.
This story was originally published February 22, 2026 at 6:23 AM.
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