OZARK, Mo. — Joplin, Neosho and Carthage all had wrestlers advance to the state wrestling tournament by finishing in the top four of their respective brackets on Saturday at the Class 4 District 3 tournament at Ozark High School.
Neosho had six wrestlers move on to state.
Neosho’s Carter Howard (138), Eli Zar (165) and Nico Olivares (285) were district champions, Fisher Butler was the runner-up at 120, Ulysses DeLeon took third at 190 and Collyn Kivett placed fourth at 157.
In the title match at 138, Howard earned an 8-3 decision over Lebanon’s Jonathon Perryman. Zar defeated Carthage’s Davion King 5-1 for the championship at 165. In the heavyweight title bout, Olivares won by fall over Ozark’s Peyton Greer. Butler suffered an 11-2 setback to Lee’s Summit North’s Charlie Dykes in the final at 120.
DeLeon pinned Lee’s Summit West’s Nate Moore in the third-place match. At 157, Kivett dropped a 7-0 decision to Springfield Central’s Gaven Bremenkamp for third place.
Neosho finished second in the team standings with 146 points. Ozark took first with 191 points.
The Carthage Tigers had four wrestlers advance.
Carthage had three athletes take second in their respective brackets—Tanner Putt (106), Grey Petticrew (150) and Davion King (165). Also for the Tigers, Bradyn Tate finished third at 132 pounds.
Putt suffered a 1-0 loss to Raymore-Peculiar’s Kamdon VonHolten in the title match at 106.
Petticrew suffered a loss by fall to Ozark’s Braxton Strick in the title bout at 150, while King lost to Neosho’s Zar, 5-1.
Wrestling for third, Tate won by fall over Kickapoo’s Tobias Collins.
Carthage finished seventh in the team standings with 102 points.
Joplin’s lone state qualifier is senior Draven VanGilder, who was the runner-up at 215 pounds.
In the title bout, Nixa’s Brennan Carey earned a 7-0 decision over VanGilder.
VanGilder beat Smith-Cotton’s Jerian Maupins 8-2 in the semifinals. He pinned Carthage’s Alexander Salas-Marquez in the opening round and topped Waynesville’s Joshua Bess 4-2 in the quarterfinals.
SENECA SHINES AT CLASS 2 DISTRICT 3 TOURNEY
SENECA, Mo. — The Seneca Indians had eight wrestlers advance to state by finishing in the top four of their weight classes on Saturday at the Class 2 District 3 tournament.
Seneca’s district champs were Brady Roark (132) and Andrew Manley (144) and Jace Renfro was the runner-up at 190.
Finishing third in their brackets for the Indians were Paxton Bruegal (106) and Eli Manley (126). Taking fourth were Landen Commons (157), Nolan Napier (165) and Lincoln Renfro (175).
Cassville had six qualifiers.
Taking second for the Wildcats were Akhilleus Arguelles (132), Riley James (150), Tristan Thompson (157) and Jake Anthonysz (165). Colton Roark was third at 144 pounds and DJ Glidewell finished fourth at 285.
Nevada had four athletes move on.
Nevada’s Tyler Longobardi was the runner-up at 175, Brayden Keonig (150) and Kenneth Johnson (215) both finished third and Joseph Fahnstock took fourth.
Monett’s Simon Hartline was the district champ at 120 pounds.
The top four teams were Pleasant Hill (218.5), Blair Oaks (174), Seneca (154) and Cassville (114.5).
STATE WRESTLING
The MSHSAA state wrestling tournament will now be a four-day affair in Columbia.
The Class 1 girls and Class 1-2 boys tournaments will be held on Feb. 22-23, while the Class 2 girls and Class 3-4 boys tourneys are slated for Feb. 24-25.
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