-
Final
HAR
LOU3
13 -
Final
HAR
LOU1
13 -
Final
LOU
SH0
9 -
Final
BAL
LOU6
12 -
Final
LOU
OTT14
8 -
Final
LOU
OTT21
4 -
Final
SH
LOU4
5 -
Final
WEL
LOU1
14 -
Final
WEL
LOU2
10 -
Final
LOU
BONSP7
0 -
Final
LOU
BONSP5
1 -
Final
LOU
TONG9
4 -
Final
LOU
PIP19
15 -
Final
LOU
PIP5
7 -
Final
LOU
LAN5
4 -
Final
LOU
LAN5
4 -
Final
LOU
BV6
16 -
Apr 25, 430 p
LOU
AC
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Apr 25, 6 pm
LOU
AC
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Final
LOU
PV19
3 -
Final
LOU
CHA6
10 -
Final
EUD
LOU5
16 -
Postponed
EUD
LOU
-
Final
LOU
PAO4
11 -
Final
LOU
PAO18
3 -
Final
BL
LOU10
4
-
Final
FRON
LOU11
0 -
Postponed
FRON
LOU
-
Final
BAL
LOU2
13 -
Final
LOU
OTT10
11 -
Final
LOU
OTT10
0 -
Final
SH
LOU13
2 -
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SH
LOU16
5 -
Final
WEL
LOU3
4 -
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WEL
LOU6
7 -
Final
LOU
BONSP4
1 -
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LOU
BONSP13
10 -
Final
LOU
TONG9
4 -
Final
LOU
TONG3
5 -
Final
LOU
MAC5
21 -
Final
LOU
EMP5
2 -
Final
LOU
BVW1
2 -
Final
FS
LOU12
0 -
Final
FS
LOU14
9 -
Final
EUD
LOU14
2 -
Final
LOU
LAN4
5 -
Final
LOU
CHAN0
10 -
Final
LOU
LAN1
3 -
Final
LOU
CHA1
6 -
Final
LOU
PAO9
2 -
Final
LOU
PAO12
3 -
Final
LOU
BAL10
0
-
Final
BAL
LOU3
1 -
Final
LOU
OLW0
2 -
Final
LOU
DES0
2 -
Final
PIP
LOU2
1 -
Final
BUR
LOU0
2 -
Final
LOU
OTT2
3 -
Final
LOU
FRON INV1st
PL -
Final
LOU
BONSP3
0 -
Final
LOU
EUD0
3 -
Final
FS
LOU0
2 -
Final
GIR
LOU1
2 -
Final
LOU
LOU INV2nd
PL -
Final
PAO
LOU0
3 -
Final
LOU
SH0
3 -
Final
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OTT INV1
4 -
Final
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LOU1
3 -
Final
LOU
ATCH INV2nd
PL -
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WAM
LOU0
2 -
Final
OLN
LOU1
2
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TONG
LOU51
53 -
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LOU
BUR51
63 -
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AC
LOU37
44 -
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LOU
BAL42
60 -
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LOU
FRON57
46 -
Final
LOU
EUD46
53 -
Final OT
LOU
SH60
57 -
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BAL
LOU62
46 -
Final
NEK
LOU55
54 -
Final 2OT
GIR
LOU58
56 -
Final
LOU
WAM45
56 -
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BON
LOU45
53 -
Final
PAO
LOU16
47 -
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LEE
LOU71
46 -
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LOU
OTT52
62 -
Final
LOU
TONG45
40 -
Final
SH
LOU44
42 -
Final
EUD
LOU52
49 -
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LOU
PAO46
29 -
Final
HAR
LOU57
52
-
Final
TONG
LOU48
28 -
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LOU
BUR38
43 -
Final
AC
LOU35
31 -
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LOU
BAL23
42 -
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LOU
FRON48
55 -
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LOU
EUD37
56 -
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LOU
SH46
59 -
Final
BAL
LOU52
31 -
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NEK
LOU41
49 -
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CHA
LOU53
36 -
Final
GIR
LOU42
34 -
Final
LOU
WAM24
63 -
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BON
LOU35
40 -
Final
PAO
LOU38
42 -
Final
LOU
OTT29
45 -
Final
LOU
TONG40
39 -
Final
SH
LOU43
37 -
Final
EUD
LOU38
30 -
Final
LOU
PAO39
35 -
Final
HAR
LOU33
40
Wildcats hope to end state medal drought
- Updated: February 25, 2016
Louisburg senior Anders Vance is one of five state qualifiers for the Wildcat wrestling team. The five Wildcats will begin their quest for a state medal tomorrow morning at the Salina Bicentennial Center.
It has been four years since anyone from the Louisburg wrestling team has returned from the state tournament with a medal.
The Wildcats are not only hoping to break that skid this weekend at the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships in Salina, but they are betting on bringing home more than just one. It would be the first state medal since Austin Hood’s state championship in 2012.
“Several of our weight classes could work out pretty well for us,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “There has been a feeling of excitement in the practice room. It’s not over-confidence or cockiness; it’s excitement about what we could accomplish. KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Activities Association) does a random assignment when it comes to building the state brackets, and there’s a formula that they apply once all the regional results are in. In several of our brackets, I really like how they panned out. I don’t want to jinx us, but it’s going to be an exciting weekend.”
There is a lot of excitement among the five Wildcat state qualifiers, which includes junior Mason Koechner (39-5), who is currently ranked No. 2 in Class 4A at 220 pounds.
Louisburg also has plenty of chances for a medal. Freshman Hunter Bindi (38-7) won the 106-pound regional last week in Columbus and has emerged as a favorite to stand on the medal podium in his first year at the high school level.
Junior Nathan Keegan (27-10) finished runner-up at the regional tournament at 120 pounds, while senior Anders Vance (43-8) came in third at 285 after recording three pins. Sophomore Thad Hendrix (16-20) will make his first appearance at state at 113 pounds.
Bovaird, along with assistant coaches Robert Ebenstein and Andy Wright, and a few varsity wrestlers, have been working with the five state qualifiers all week trying to prepare them for what lies ahead.
“Our guys are pretty excited for this weekend,” Bovaird said. “We’ve got the potential to bring home some medals. You never know what’s going to happen at state, but I’ve got a good feeling about this group. Coach Ebenstein, Coach Wright, and I have been floating around the room quite a bit working specifically with our qualifiers on strategies and game plans to win matches.
“At this point in the year, if you want to win a match at state, you’ve got to score points. We need to remind these kids that they need to focus on doing what they know how to do to score points. Sometimes kids forget the simple things like that; they focus on things beyond their control. Our job as coaches is to remind them of what has worked for them all year and to make sure they know how to get out there on the mat and make it happen.”
Bindi will open the tournament against Colby’s Kurt Schroeder (23-18), and should he advance, he will face off with one of two sophomores in Jefferson West’s Shane Kelly (26-13) or El Dorado’s Payton Sadowski (22-6)
“I am excited about it,” Bindi said. “Winning regional allowed me to get a good seed at state. My goal is to be one of the top two kids in the state, so we will see what happens.”
As for Hendrix, since he placed fourth at regionals, will meet a champion from a different regional in the first round. Hendrix will square off with Pratt junior Dylan Pelland (29-3) to open the tournament.
“I am looking forward to it and showing people what I can do,” Hendrix said. “I know this will be my first time going, but I am going to do my best and see what happens.”
Keegan is making his second consecutive trip to the state tournament, along with Koechner and Vance. Keegan, who will face a familiar foe in Baldwin sophomore T.J. Hopper (24-17) in the first round, is ready for a quest at a state medal.
Keegan would face either Pratt’s Brayan Balderramma (33-7) or McPherson’s Cole Kretzer (24-15) in the quarterfinals if he advanced.
“I think going to state last year will help me this time around because I know what to expect a little more,” Keegan said. “I am excited about it and hopefully I can go down there and get a medal.”
Koechner has served as the Wildcats’ top-ranked wrestler most of the season as he has climbed the ranking at 220 pounds slowly throughout the season. He will get his state tournament going against Hays’ Trey VanPelt (26-18) and would meet El Dorado’s Cameron Hunt (32-7) or De Soto’s Lawson Marshall (16-17) in the quarterfinals if he advances.
“I think last year I was just happy to go to state for the first time, but this year I am ready to go win some matches,” Koechner said. “My goal is to at least get in the top four if not better. I am looking forward to it.”
Of the five wrestlers, Vance might face the toughest road to a medal. Vance will meet Towanda Circle’s Austin King (24-1) in the first round. King is ranked No. 4 at 285 pounds.
Vance fell to King last year at the state tournament by a 4-0 decision but is ready to show others he is capable of making a run.
“I am looking forward to the chance of beating some people who have beaten me in the past,” Vance said. “There are a lot of good wrestlers there, and it is the state tournament, so there are supposed to be, but I am looking forward to the challenge. It will be fun.”
The action begins at 10 a.m. Friday at the Salina Bicentennial Center and will continue into Saturday.