FORT SCOTT — Devin Culler needs a win later today to punch his ticket to the 2012 Kansas Class 4A State Wrestling Tournament next weekend. The rest of the Iola High wrestlers have more work to do to get in a position to go for a top-four spot in their weight classes.
Culler, a senior, opened the 2012 Kansas Class 4A Regional tournament at Fort Scott High with two wins in the 160-pound bracket Friday afternoon. He pinned Toby Therrien of Independence in 3 minutes, 39 seconds then recorded a technical fall, 21-5, with 1:40 left in the six-minute match over Fort Scott’s Cody Bunn.
Culler moved into the semifinals Friday evening and lost 4-2 to Prairie View High senior Josh Thoele, who had a 36-9 record coming into the tournament. That puts him in the consolation side of the bracket, one win away from the third-place match.
So today, Culler waits to see who he’ll wrestle. If he wins, he will be going to state either and can finish no lower than fourth at the regional.
The only other Mustang wrestler to win in the opening round Friday was junior Chase Roettgen at 220. He had a technical fall, 16-0, over Franklin Windler of Ottawa.
Five of Iola’s 14 competitors had a first-round bye. They all lost in the championship quarterfinals as did Roettgen.
That means Roettgen and freshman Trey Colborn in the 285-pound class have to win two matches today to reach the third-place matches. All the others have to win three straight in their respective weight brackets to get in the top four.
Action in the regional begins at 11 this morning at FSHS. Consolation matches make up most the action as Friday’s losing wrestlers battled for the third and fourth spots in each of the 14 weight classes.
Consolation and championship finals are scheduled to start at 5 o’clock.
Roettgen lost 11-3 in the championship quarterfinals to Jordan Drybread of Chanute. Roettgen, who started the season at 182 pounds for Iola, moved up to the 220-pound division to fill an open spot on the team.
Colborn had a first-round bye in the 285-pound division. He was pinned by fifth-ranked Spencer Gatewood of Labette County in 1:11 in the quarterfinals.
Tristan Sigfusson is Iola’s 120-pounder and he was pinned by Chase Cole of Chanute in the first round. Sigfusson had a bye in the consolation bracket’s first round.
At 126, Kaleb Mock was pinned by Fort Scott’s Jerard Heckman in 3:34. Then Mock received a bye in the first round of consolation action.
Cody Conner drew a bye in the first round at 132. In the championship quarterfinals, fourth-ranked Jacob Durossette of Fort Scott pinned Conner in 54 seconds. That sent Conner to the consolation side.
Brent Clark, another senior for Iola, was pinned by Andrew Cannon of Osawatomie to open his day at 138. He was awarded a bye in the consolation first round.
