OLATHE — Two members of the Allen County Kids Wrestling Club qualified for the upcoming state tournament by finishing in the top four of their respective divisions.
Both are two-time qualifiers
Curt Shannon, a first-grader at Humboldt Elementary School, took third in his age group, while TJ Taylor, a fourth-grader at Iola’s Jefferson Elementary School, took fourth in his division.
Several other Allen Countians also competed at the District 1 Regional Championships in Olathe.
Clay Shannon, Guisseppe Mangrella, Dylon Reiter, Trenton Jones, Jacob Benedict, Seth Sanford, Andrew Garber and Tavon Blazek all finished sixth in their respective age and weight groups.
“After a tough first round, I knew we had our work cut out for us the rest of the day,” wrestling club coach John Taylor said. “Every match these kids wrestled was close. We had several go into overtime. At the end of the day, these kids should be proud of what they accomplished this year. As a team, we are becoming stronger and more competitive every year.”
Shannon and Taylor will vie for state titles starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at Topeka’s Expo Center. The wrestling action continues into Sunday.
Shannon is the son of Derrick and Amy Shannon. He also qualified for state in 2013. He has a 17-7 record this season with seven pins. He is a third-year wrestler.
Taylor is the son of John and Jana Taylor. He had 32 wins this season with 14 pins. He took third at the District 1 South Sub-District Championships.
A shoulder injury prevented Taylor from competing in the third-place match in Olathe.
“No matter what happens this weekend, these boys have already made me proud,” Coach Taylor said. “They have worked hard all season and reached a goal they set for themselves. They have already proven they are two of the best wrestlers in their age divisions in the state.”
Area wrestlers earn repeat state berths
