Mexico’s Johns pins No. 1 ranked girl to win at Battle at the Katy Trail

Mexico’s Alexus Johns earned the top spot at Saturday’s Battle at the Katy Trail.

The Sedalia tournament pitted girls from around the state against each other, including the best of the best. The returning state qualifier Johns won the 235-pound bracket after going 5-0 with five pinfalls, including the final one against the top girl in the state.

Johns took care of her first four opponents in short time as she needed the first period for two opponents and early in the second period for two others. She needed until early in the second period to pin Adrian’s Annabelle Rowe to win the tournament.

Karisa Hayden finished seventh at 170 after going 3-3, with two pinfall victories in the early rounds before winning by first-period pinfall in the seventh-place match against Excelsior Springs’ Reaghan Lawrence.

Mexico, while not at full strength due to injuries, finished 26th out 46 teams with 99 points.

Mexico boys come of out Christmas tournament with three top-five kids

Mexico boys wrestling had a few wrestlers have a good early Christmas.

The Bulldogs competed Friday and Saturday at the Harrisonville Christmas Tournament and had three finish in the top five of their respective classes. As a team, Mexico was 20th out of 34 teams with 351.5 points.

Grant Van Horn and Emille Scanavino each placed third at 157 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively. Van Horn was 5-1 — with a lone loss being a 3-2 decision against Marlow’s Zach Dawson in the semifinals — and had three pinfalls, a technical fall and a 7-4 decision victory against Ft. Zumwalt South’s Jeric Gumahin in the third-place match. Scanavino was 6-1 after winning by fall three times but also taking three close decisions, including a 2-1 against Helias JV’s Zyan Knollmeyer, a 4-2 over Harrisonville’s Jack San Nicholas and a 4-3 over Helias’ Bryce Allen in the third-place match.

Carlos Juarez Ramirez finished fifth at 106 pounds after going 3-2, with the two losses being a technical fall and a 3-2 decision to Carthage’s Tanner Putt and the wins being by pinfall, a 14-13 decision over Cassville’s Kaleb Artherton and an 8-0 major decision over Benton’s Cristian Mora Perez in the fifth-place match. 

Watson Azdell came close to top five with a seventh-place finish at 132 after going 3-3. Azdell won by pinfall and via an 8-3 decision over Warrensburg’s Justus Griffith.

Centralia’s Shelton impresses with Battle at the Katy Trail championship

No matter the competition, Centralia’s Jayci Shelton has impressed.

The eighth-ranked Class 1 wrestler — and 11th overall in state — Shelton doubled her record to a perfect 14-0 after winning by pinfall seven times in the 155-pound bracket at the Battle of the Katy Trail tournament on Friday and Saturday in Sedalia. Shelton won the title and accounted for 66 team points, which was the third-best among the field, and Centralia was 24th out of 46 teams with 110 points..

Shelton’s first five pins all happened in the first period and then she had a couple of state-ranked opponents in her way but merely for a moment. She pinned the fourth-ranked Class 1 wrestler and returning 155-pound state finalist Knob Noster’s Abby Sader in 26 seconds and then needed 2:33 in the second period to pin the second-ranked Class 1 wrestler and 155 state champion Cameron’s Justice Brewer.

Returning state qualifier Madi Shelton finished eighth at 125 after going 2-3 with two first-period pinfalls before losing by fall twice and a 10-8 sudden victory to Kearney’s Ella Herndon in the seventh-place match.

Seven Centralia boys medalists lead to second at Battle of the Katy Trail

The Centralia boys had plenty of contributions on Friday and Saturday against a loaded field.

The Panthers finished second out of 48 teams with 430.5 points — Wilton won with 652.5 — at Sedalia’s Battle of the Katy Trail Tournament thanks to seven individual medalists. Returning state finalist Rex Bryson led the way with his championship at 157 pounds and the other six boys were in the top six of their respective weight classes.

Bryson moved his perfect record to 25-0 after eight victories in the two days with four pinfalls, one technical fall, a major decision and two decisions. It was a battle of perfect records for the championship as Bryson defeated Marceline’s Conner Quinn 8-7 to move Quinn’s record to 18-1. 

Bryson Dubes at 106, Wyatt Adkisson at 165 and Ian Tuggle at 215 each finished third in their respective weight classes. Dubes pinned five opponents and was pinned once, Adkisson was 6-1 after four pinfall victories in the first minute and then was pinned and lost won a 12-2 major decision, and Tuggle was 6-1 after five pinfalls and one 5-1 decision over Marceline’s Scout Gooch. Adkisson’s semifinal loss occurred in the third period to Richmond’s Elijah Sanders and was his first loss of the season to move his record to 15-1, and Tuggle’s only loss was 2-1 decision in the semifinals to Fatima’s Trevor Herzing.

Weston Ward at 144 and Louis Suddarth at 150 each finished fifth. Ward was 6-1 after winning by pinfall five times, taking a 4-2 decision over Father Tolton’s Rowdy Narron in the fifth-place match and losing a 4-2 decision to North Callaway’s Collin Moore in the quarterfinals. Suddarth was 6-2 after two pinfall victories and four decision wins, with the final one being a 9-5 decision over El Dorado Springs’ Emory Crawford in the fifth-place match.

Charlie Robinson finished sixth at 126 after going 5-3. Robinson had three pinfall victories and two major decisions and one of his losses was in the early rounds via an 11-8 decision to Wilton’s Owen Adlfinger.

North Callaway takes home four medals from Battle at the Katy Trail

North Callaway wrestling were able to win some medals in a large field.

Three Thunderbirds medaled Saturday at the two-day Battle at the Katy Trail Tournament in Sedalia and the lone Ladybird wrestler that made the trip, Brooke Giboney, took home a fifth-place medal. As a team, the boys were 10th out of 48 teams with 243 points and were led by Lane Kimbley’s and Collin Moore’s second-place medals at 138 pounds and 144 pounds, respectively, and Casper Safranski’s fifth-place medal at 190. 

Kimbley was 6-0 until a pinfall loss to Father Tolton’s Grant Anderson in the championship match but had four technical fall victories and two pinfalls prior to that. He only allowed one point scored on him in those four technical-fall matches. 

Moore was 6-0 before being pinned by Wilton’s Jordan Dusenberry. Prior to that, Moore had three pinfalls to his credit, a major decision victory and two decision wins at 4-0 over Maysville’s Zach Griffith and 4-2 over Centralia’s Weston Ward.

Safranski was 7-1 at 190 as his only loss was a 4-3 decision to Lift for Life Academy’s Braxton Sneed. Before that, Safranski won by a major decision, two pinfalls and then closed his tournament with four decision victories, outsourcing his opponents 28-7 in those matches.

Giboney finished 4-2 at 105 pounds after winning by pinfall three times and via a 6-4 decision against Marceline’s Madison Teeter.