By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating individual state champions Dasia Anderson and Rebekah Smith off of last year's team, Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker knows that capturing a third straight state team crown will be a tall chore.
But the Junior Blues are off to an impressive start this winter after a big week last week.
And although the subject won't be broached during the season, there's no doubt that winning another title will be on the Junior Blues' minds when February rolls around.
"At our preseason team meeting we talk about winning the state championship and then that topic is off limits until we get to Hartman Arena in Wichita,'' Parker said.
"We never talk about it in the (wrestling) room. It's just always about getting better today and what we can do to prepare for our next opponent, our next tournament.''
After claiming a 62-12 dual win over Chanute in its home opener on Thursday, Washburn Rural went on the road to Iowa and dominated Saturday's 26-school Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic, winning the team championsip by a 191-101 margin over Lewis Central.
Washburn Rural's girls wrestling team poses for a team picture after winning the championship in the Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic last Saturday in Iowa. [Twitter}
Senior Jaliah Johnson won the 165-pound title and sophomore Kristen Rezac won at 100 pounds at Council Bluffs, while the Junior Blues placed a total of nine wrestlers in the top four.
Juniors Addison Broxterman (120) and Alexis Fredrickson (132) both posted runner-up finishes in Iowa while Rural got third-place finishes from senior Kendall Reid (114), sophomore Laiken Clark (145) and sophomore Sophia Ross (235) as well as fourths from junior Carmen Alston (138) and sophomore Fatima Escobar (185).
Washburn Rural's boys, the defending Class 6A champ, followed up a tight dual win over Chanute on Thursday with a 10th-place finish among 41 teams at Council Bluffs.
Senior Austin Fager, a 6A state runner-up as a junior, led Washburn Rural with a third-place finish in the 182-pound division at Council Bluffs while sophomore returning state champion Jonathan Morrison finished fifth at 113 pounds and freshman Easton Broxterman (106) and junior Henri McGivern (120) both posted six-place finishes.
Washburn Rural's boys will compete in the Bishop Carroll tournament on Saturday in Wichita while Rural's girls will close out their pre-holiday schedule at Basehor-Linwood Saturday.
PARKS NOTCHES MILESTONE
Veteran Shawnee Heights wrestling coach Chad Parks recorded the 200th dual match victory of his coaching career in Saturday's Manhattan Duals Tournament.
Parks reached the milestone in the T-Birds' 51-30 win over Free State.
Shawnee Heights went 4-0-1 in the tournament, posting wins over Blue Valley (63-18), Smith Center (67-11), Dodge City (45-27) and Free State and tying host Manhattan, 37-37.
Preston Hartman
Senior 182-pounder Preston Hartman had a big day for the T-Birds, going 5-0 with all five wins by pin.
Hartman registered a pair of 29-second pins along with falls in 41 seconds, 1:31 and 2:30.
Also going undefeated on the day were senior 120-pounder Brock Ferguson (two pins), senior 160-pounder Caden Walker (three pins), senior 220-pounder Garrett Peery (one pin) and Christian Gonzales (three pins).
Shawnee Heights will host Seaman in a 5 p.m. boys and girls dual Wednesday (Heights' north gym) before competing in the Blue Valley tournament Friday and Saturday.
VIKES' MENTZER, THOMAS UNDEFEATED AT COLBY
Seaman's boys posted a 5-2 dual record in the 18-school Colby tournament, led by freshman 170-pounder Deyton Mentzer and junior 195-pounder Jaxson Thomas.
Both Menzter and Thomas went 7-0 with a combined nine pins.
Mentzer had five pins, all in the first period, to go with two forfeits, while Thomas had four pins and three wins by forfeit on the day, with all four pins in the first period and three in 48 seconds or less.
EAGLES SECOND AT SABETHA
Silver Lake's boys finished second in Saturday's Sabetha duals tournament, winning four straight matchups before dropping a 45-28 decision to host Sabetha.
The Eagles took a 78-6 win over the Sabetha junior varsity, a 63-18 win over the Washburn Rural JV, a 66-9 win over HTRS and a 55-19 win over Auburn.
Silver Lake 138-pounder Justin Rakestraw, 170/182-pounder Daigan Kruger and 195-pounder Triston VandeVelde all went undefeated in their five matches.
Kruger, who split time between 170 and 182, pinned all four of his opponents and also picked up a forfeit win.
VandeVelde pinned three opponents and also notched an 8-6 win and a forfeit while Rakestraw had a pin, 12-0 and 7-4 decisions and two forfeit wins.
-- Silver Lake's girls had four runner-up finishers in the Onaga tournament.
Karley Holmes finished second for the Eagles at 109 points while Havey Howey was second at 120, Maddie Spreer second at 143 and Hailey Horton second at 155.
LEITZ PACES ROSSVILLE WRESTLERS
Rossville's Barrett Leitz won the 220-pound championship in the Eudora Tournament of Champions, posting three straight wins in 55 or fewer seconds.
Leitz won by pin in 55, 40 and five seconds.
Rossville also got second-place finishes from Mason Broce (126), Colby Hurla (138) and Krew Lacock (145).
THREE WILDCATS POST TOP-THREE FINISHES AT ONAGA
Elaina Wolff finished third at 109 pounds for the Hayden girls in the Onaga tournament while Juan Roman-Perez posted a runner-up finish in the boys 220-pound division and Ben Holmes placed third at 113.
