OLATHE — Four Allen County Kids Wrestling Club Mat Warriors qualified for the 2012 Kansas Kids Wrestling State Tournament this coming Saturday and Sunday in Topeka.
The Mat Warriors competed at Saturday’s 2012 Kansas Kids Wrestling District 1 tournament at Olathe East High School. Three are going to the state tournament for the first time and one will make a return trip.
In the final match of the entire tournament, Stephen McDonald took on Brad Wilson of Lawrence Elite for the 220-pound championship in the high school division. Wilson, who placed second at the Kansas Class 6A State Wrestling Tournament in February, was able to get a 9-5 decision for the win. McDonald had Wilson on his back when time ran out in the match.
McDonald, who missed his entire high school wrestling season because of a severe knee injury suffered in football, makes his second appearance in the state kids wrestling tournament.
McDonald pinned Shane Schramm of DeSoto Kids in 3 minutes, 43 seconds in the first round. In the semifinals, McDonald recorded a pin of David Feist of East Kansas Kids in 4:52.
T.J. Taylor opened the district tournament with an 8-2 win over Blake Redmond of the Jr. Viking club in the 8-and-under, 46-pound weight class. Taylor was pinned by Cael Alderman of Olathe Southside Falcons in the semifinals bumping him to the consolation side of the bracket.
Taylor claimed a major decision, 11-0, over Danny Fraley of Gardner-Edgerton, which qualified him for the state tournament. Taylor cemented a better draw at the state by winning the third-place match — a 9-2 decision over Joe Jirak of Atchison Kids.
Seth Sanford claimed third in the 12-and-under 190-pound bracket. He won his first match with a pin of Marissa Patterson of Topeka Thunderbird in 2:28. Sanford was pinned by Jacob Hastings of Trailhands in 1:27 in the semifinals.
Sanford came back in the consolation bracket with a 7-0 win over Tyler Lowe of Effingham. Sanford won the third-place match by pinning Jon Krause of Tonganoxie in two minutes.
Tristan Sigfusson finished third in the round-robin bracket of the 120-pound class in the high school division. He lost 9-4 to Bailey Yetmar of Olathe Southside then got beat 8-1 by Cale Paquette of Ottawa Mat Warriors.
Sigfusson was pinned by Justus Seaton of Bonner Springs in 44 seconds. Sigfusson won by injury default over Logan Fields of Pittsburg.
Allen County’s Andrew Garber competed in the 14-and-under 155-pound class at the district tournament. Garber lost by a technical fall — a 15-point margin — 16-1 to Asher Huseman of Tonganoxie. In consolation bracket action, Garber lost 14-0 to Brandon Poe of Ogden’s Outlaws.
The four Mat Warriors go the state tournament Saturday and Sunday at Topeka’s Kansas Expocentre.
