Tickets Punched: Marysville wins Smoky Valley regional behind 10 state qualifiers

Though some regional tournament starts were delayed by “Old Man Winter,” all tournaments wrapped-up by the end of the day Saturday and the field is set for next weekend’s state tournaments.

Regional host sites included Garden City High School and Blue Valley High School (Overland Park) in class 6A; Bonner Springs and Arkansas City in class 5A; Chanute, Smoky Valley (Lindsborg), Paola and Pratt in class 4A; and Beloit, Fredonia, Rossville and Trego Community (WaKeeney) in class 3-2-1A.

In classes 5A and 6A regionals featured 36 total schools each and the top eight placers in each weight class qualified for state. Class 4A includes 59 total schools and 3-2-1A has wrestlers representing 89 total schools. At those regionals the top four placers in each weight class qualified for state.

State competition takes place next weekend, February 22-23, with classes 5A and 6A wrestling at Hartman Arena in Park City, class 4A at Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina and 3-2-1A at Fort Hays State University’s Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

Though some regional tournament starts were delayed by “Old Man Winter,” all tournaments wrapped-up by the end of the day Saturday and the field is set for next weekend’s state tournaments.

Regional host sites included Garden City High School and Blue Valley High School (Overland Park) in class 6A; Bonner Springs and Arkansas City in class 5A; Chanute, Smoky Valley (Lindsborg), Paola and Pratt in class 4A; and Beloit, Fredonia, Rossville and Trego Community (WaKeeney) in class 3-2-1A.

In classes 5A and 6A regionals featured 36 total schools each and the top eight placers in each weight class qualified for state. Class 4A includes 59 total schools and 3-2-1A has wrestlers representing 89 total schools. At those regionals the top four placers in each weight class qualified for state.

State competition takes place next weekend, February 22-23, with classes 5A and 6A wrestling at Hartman Arena in Park City, class 4A at Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina and 3-2-1A at Fort Hays State University’s Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

4A Northwest, Smoky Valley Regional

Second-ranked Marysville was the clear cream of the crop at the Smoky Valley Regional.

The Bulldogs are sending 10 to state, totaling 226.5 total points compared to second-place Abilene’s 168. Of the 10 state qualifiers, five Bulldogs won regional championships. Ethan Crownover (126), Jonny Crome (138), Joey Bockin (145), Noah Ackerman (160), and Garron Champoux (195) all brought home gold for Marysville.

Crownover was hardly challenged en route to a regional championship, winning three matches by fall and the championship by a 10-1 decision. The same can be said for Crome, who won a match by technical fall before winning his semifinal and final matches by fall. Champoux also won his three matches all by fall. 

Abilene will also be well-represented at state with nine wrestlers, including two regional champions in William Stroda (113) and Dakotah Whiteley (170). After winning his first two matches in a combined 61 seconds, Stroda eked out a 2-0 decision in the finals over Concordia's Jordan Anguish. Whiteley’s championship match was also a good one. The third-ranked 170 wrestler in 4A had to go through Marysville’s Storm Slupianek, ranked fifth, and prevailed by a 4-2 decision. 

Regional host Smoky Valley will be sending four wrestlers to state, led by regional champion Ethan Wampler at 285. Wampler is now 42-4 on the season and won all three of his matches by fall. Dax Hopp at 170 also took third while Chase Pywell (160) and Jon Burks (220) finished fourth.

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