NEOSHO, Mo. — Led by four individual champions, Carl Junction finished second in the team standings at the Central Ozark Conference Boys Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Neosho High School.
Ozark claimed the team championship with 178.5 points and Carl Junction was second with 155.5.
Nixa (149.5), Neosho (138.5) and Carthage (134.5) finished third, fourth and fifth in the team standings.
Joplin area schools produced seven conference champions and six runners-up.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Carl Junction had 12 wrestlers finish in the top eight of their respective brackets.
Carl Junction’s conference champs were Lukas Walker (106 pounds), Sam Melton (113), Chance Benford (182) and Cayden Bollinger (220).
Walker earned a 6-2 decision over Ozark’s Damien Moseley and Melton earned a major decision, 8-0, over Ozark’s Caden Harrington.
Benford won by fall over Joplin’s Brayden Thomas and Bollinger edged Willard’s Alex Nunez 3-2.
Carl Junction’s Kameron Bennett took third at 285, while Tony Stewart finished fourth at 170.
Also for the Bulldogs, Max Matthews (120) and Dexter Merrell (145) each placed fifth, while Dylan Frazier (126), Kyran Addington (138) and Arlen Wakefield (152) all finished sixth. Keaton Colburn (132) was eighth.
NEOSHO HIGHLIGHTS
The Neosho Wildcats had one champ and 12 athletes place in the top eight.
Neosho’s individual champion was Eli Zar (170). Zar earned a 9-4 decision over Republic’s Connor Sandridge.
Hayden Crane was the runner-up at 132, while Johnny Chrisco (126), Nate Copeland (138), Bostyn Patterson (145), Trent Neece (152) and Collyn Kivett (160) all placed third.
Also for the Wildcats, Fisher Butler (113) was fourth, DeLeon Ulysses (195) took fifth and Eric Renner (220) was seventh.
Wyatt Black (120) and Gabe Mabery (182) both finished eighth.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The Tigers had one champion and 10 in the top eight.
Carthage’s Eli Sneed was the champion at 138 pounds. Sneed defeated Ozark’s Nolan Moeller 4-3 in the title bout.
Finishing second in their respective brackets were Bradyn Tate (126), Braxdon Tate (152), Davion King (160) and David Recinos (285).
Winning third-place matches were Dylan Huntley (113) and Christian Brown (120).
Tanner Putt (106) and Kip Castor (132) took fifth, while Brett Rockers (170) was eighth.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin had 10 wrestlers finish in the top eight, with one champ.
Gunner Price claimed a COC title for the Eagles, as he earned a 4-2 decision over Carthage’s Recinos in the heavyweight title match.
Joplin’s Thomas (182) was the runner-up at 182.
Finishing sixth in their brackets were Brayden White (106), Jack Stanley (160) and Drew VanGilder (170).
Taking seventh place were Toryn Jones (120) and Orion Norris (132), while Alex Short (126), Johnathon Burke (145) and Draven VanGilder (195) all finished eighth.
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Cardinals had eight athletes finish in the top eight.
Webb City’s Brantley Carter finished fourth at 152 pounds, while Javon White was fourth at 195 and Buddy Belcher took fourth at 220.
Finishing fifth were Colt Taylor (126) and Brenden Berry (138), while Aiden Moore (132) was sixth.
Taking seventh were Trenton Ogle (113) and Liam Taylor (182).
NOTES: Other conference champions were Nixa’s Zan Fugitt (120), Peyton Moore (126) and Brennan Carey (195), Ozark’s Braxton Strict (152), Branson’s Kyshin Isringhausen (132) and Willard’s Caleb Caldwell (145) and Gary Walker (160).
COC Boys Wrestling Tournament
Team scores: Ozark 178.5, Carl Junction 155.5, Nixa 149.5, Neosho 138.5, Carthage 134.5, Willard 117, Republic 91.5, Branson 84.5, Joplin 68, Webb City 60.
FULL RESULTS: 2022 COC Boys Wrestling Tournament (trackwrestling.com)
COC TOURNAMENT PHOTO GALLERY
