Panhandle wrestlers will return home with 28 medals, although 5 have yet to learn if they’ll be coming back with gold or silver. The 3rd-6th place matches wrapped up this morning with Panhandle wrestlers claiming 6 thirds, 4 fourths, 6 fifths, and 7 sixths.
Class B accounted for 5 of the third places. Sophomore Baily Hort of Gering did it with a pin at 113, junior Devin Ushio of Alliance beat Scottsbluff sophomore Joseph Flores-Ybarra 5-4 in a Panhandle battle at 120, Alliance sophomore Walker Johnson took another 5-4 win at 126, still another sophomore, Sabian Harsh of Scottsbluff, was a 9-4 winner at 145, and Sidney senior Tanner Wintholz, headed to Chadron State to play football, claimed 3rd at 195 with a pin.
Finishing 4th besides Flores-Ybarra was senior Dawson Johnson of Alliance at 160, while Scottsbluff junior Andrew Aratani claimed 5th at 285.
The Panhandle’s 6th place finishers included another Alliance senior, Tyler Smith at 138, Chadron sophomore Willy Cogdill at 152, and senior Andrew Aratani of Scottsbluff at 285
Chadron senior Chance Bila…who came to state undefeated…wound up 6th at 170 after being injured in the championship semifinals…a match he lost 9-8… and not able to wrestle in the consolations.
The highest Class C placer was Bridgeport junior Brandon Nichols at 138, while the only 3 other placers were all from Mitchell and all finished 5th…senior Brendan Swanson at 170 and freshmen Drew Gilliland and Braydon Wiedeman at 106 and 182 respectively.
The 3rd place match at 220 in Class D was another Panhandle battle as junior Steve Horrocks of Hay Springs topped Banner County senior David Gifford 3-0. ..leaving Gifford 4th.
The region had a pair of 5th place finishers in Garden County senior Makay Beck at 152 and Bayard junior Tanner Willey at 195, and a trio in 6th place…senior CJ Sidrow of Morrill at 106, Hay Springs junior Joey Johnson at 132, and senior Allen Denton of Bayard at 160.
The six Panhandle wrestlers in the championship matches are all in Class B. Three are from Scottsbluff…Juan Delacruz at 106, Keegan Hessler at 113, and 2-time defending state champion Colton Adams at 132. Alliance has 2…Devin Ushio at 120 and undefeated Tyson Dowler at 152, while Chadron’s Colby Riesen is going after his 3 medal and first title at 160.
Going into the championship matches, the Class B team scores still had Scottsbluff second behind Omaha Skutt 138.5 to 111. Alliance had moved up to 5th with 83.5…just 2.5 points out of 4th and 6.5 out of 3rd…but Chadron had slipped from 10th to 13th. Bayard had also slipped out of the top 10 in D and sat 13th.