LKWC wins 11 individual titles at home meet

By Andy Brown
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Updated: January 21, 2016

Louisburg’s Tyson Blancarte squeezes his opponent for a pin Saturday during the Louisburg Wildcat Classic at Louisburg High School. Blancarte, who wrestled in the 8-under division, was one of 11 champions on the day for Louisburg.

The Louisburg Kids Wrestling Club put together a memorable home performance Saturday at Louisburg High School.

During the Louisburg Wildcat Classic, the Wildcats won 11 individual titles and five more finished runner-up in the open portion of the tournament. In all, Louisburg placed 28 wrestlers in the top four of their respective weight classes in the 28-team tournament.

Leading the way for the older group was Collin Hamilton and Ryan Owens.

Hamilton, who wrestled in the 14-and-under, 130-135 pound class, finished first overall. He defeated Olathe Northwest’s Alex Baiza in an 8-4 decision in the championship match and went 3-0 on the day.

Owens also won all three of his matches in the 12-U, 72-76 pound division. He defeated Kevin Honas of the Sunflower Kids Club by a 6-0 decision in the first-place match.

In the 8-and-under division, the Wildcats crowned three champions. Tyson Blancarte (49-55 pounds), Jovani Caudill (64) and Jack Armstrong (67-73) ended their day undefeated.

Blancarte, who is a defending kids state champion, went 4-0 with a pin, a technical fall and two major decisions. Caudill won all three of his matches by major decision, while Armstrong captured first-place with three straight pins, two of which were in 30 seconds or less.

Louisburg had six champions in the 6-and-under division.

Louisburg’s Jacob Meador works for a pin during a match Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Classic.

Brooks Rankin (37), Nick Beidelschies (40), Keegan Cooley (46), Cavan O’Brien (55), Jacob Meador (58) and Brody Campbell (61-64) each came away with first-place honors.

Rankin won the two matches he wrestled, while Beidelschies came in first with a 3-1 record, including a pair of pins and a major decision. Cooley was 3-0 with two pins in 10 and 28 seconds.

O’Brien had a big day for the Wildcats as he recorded four pins and didn’t spend a lot of time on the mat. He recorded pins of 16, 18, 29 and 8 seconds.

Meador was 3-0 with a pair of pins and a major decision, while Campbell also went 3-0 with a pin and two wins by decision.

Also in the 6-U division, Casen Miller (37), Sawyer Blue (43), Bo Ballard (43A) and Colten Miller (46) came in second. In the 8-U division, Brayden Yoder (76-80) finished runner-up as well.

Bo Ballard tries to put an opponent on his back Saturday during a match at the Louisburg Wildcat Classic at Louisburg High School.

Gavin Griggs (55) came in third, while Jacob Johnson (49A) and Braddock Tharp (40A) took fourth to round out the top four placers in 6-and-under.

In the 8-and-under class, Colton Prettyman (76-80) and Bronc Noll (58-61) came in third. Caden Miller (49-55) and Wyatt Tharp (64) finished fourth.

Kaden Allen (58-61), Jay McCaskill (73-76) and Kaven Bartlett (79) each finished third in the 10-and-under division and Ethan Showalter (88-92) came in third in 12-U.

Hunter Millbern (130-135) and Anthony Davis (120-125) took third and fourth, respectively, in the 14-U division.

Louisburg also had several placers in the novice portion of the tournament.

Many of those placers came in the 8-U division as the Wildcats had four wrestlers finish runner-up. Tanner LaBrie (52), Jonas Briley (76-80), Johnny Hendrickson (88) and Nate Capuro (95-110) each took second, while Lucas Swartz (70-73), Aiden Dickey (52) and Dakota Cummins (95-110) came in third.

Landon Shaffer (40-46), Will Showalter (55) and Myke McKitrick (58A) finished fourth overall.

At 10-U, Griffin Whisenhunt (150) was third, while Matt Madison (120-140) and Nathan Hamilton (88-96) came in second and third, respectively, in the 12-U division.