CHERRYVALE Humboldt wrestling traveled to Cherryvale on Tuesday afternoon for a four-team jamboree. It was the first meet of three scheduled, and head coach Kent Goodner confirmed that his Cubs are on the right track.
The first tournament is always exciting, and it gives me a chance to see what we need to work on, Goodner said. This was a good opener. We made a lot of mistakes, which give me something to look forward to at practice.
Goodner praised freshmen Maddox Johnson, River Kauffman, and Dakota Slocum for their debut effort. Johnson finished a perfect 3-0, earning wins over Columbus, Erie, and Cherryvale in the 220-pound division. Kaufman split his two matches (1-1) in the 182-pound weight class, with his solo win coming over Erie. Slocum won both of his matches against Cherryvale and Erie in the 152-pound division.
Last seasons state qualifier and senior Gunner Elder competed in two matches against Columbus and Cherryvale, and won both handedly.
Gunner is a solid wrestler. Hes been with me since he was four years old, Goodner said. I was very impressed with the way Gunner wrestled tonight, and I have no complaints about his performance.
Colton Johnson and Clay Shannon competed in the 138-pound division. Johnson finished 0-3, and Shannon was able to muster only one win in three matches, with the victory coming against Cherryvale.
Ethan Doepke, Jed Nash and William Todd were unable to secure a win in their matches. Competing in the 285-pound division, Andrew Watts posted a 1-1 record, earning a win over Cherryvale.
Tuesday was the first time female wrestlers competed in a class of their own. Anna Goforth started the afternoon with a loss to Cherryvale, and capped off the meet with a loss against teammate Cheyenne Harris. Harris finished 2-0, with her first win coming against Cherryvale.
Cheyenne is a solid wrestler, Goodner said. She is fun to watch, and I am excited to see how far she goes since they sanctioned girls wrestling.
Humboldt will use todays practice as preparation for their home contest against Leon-Bluestem on Thursday. Goodner highlighted that the Cubs need to improve their takedown technique, along with conditioning as the season progresses. The Cubs will have their final meet of the week on Saturday in Caney.
