Taking a look at the returning state tournament points in Class 3A shows a very interesting and exciting race in 2022. Last year, it came down to the very end with Marlow holding off Jay to win the state championship. Those two teams return the most state tournament points, but Salina is right on their heels with teams like Comanche, Cascia Hall, Vinita Blackwell, Bridge Creek and others also looking to take home the state championship trophy this year.
Returning state tournament points guarantees nothing, but it is a good starting point for comparing teams at the start of the year. With last year being such a tough year on everyone, we are hopefully looking forward to a normal schedule with lots of outstanding wrestling to watch. The numbers below, of course don’t consider incoming freshmen, improved upper classmen, weight changes, injuries and all of the other factors that will have a definite impact on what happens at the 2022 State Tournament.
Jay, led by their outstanding sophomore class, lead the way with 70.5 returning state tournament points. Sophomores Gage Walker (19-1 record) and Devin Duran (34-4) are returning state champions while Maverick Williamson (35-3) was a state runner-up. Those three finished with a combined record of 88-8 in their freshman year, while fellow sophomore Connor Gough won 25 matches last year. The Bulldogs also return state placer Dustin Duran (31-7) and state qualifiers Jeron Newcomb and Kaden Murray. Jay will prepare for the State Tournament with a loaded schedule that includes participating in the Flo Kickoff Classic, Mid-American Nationals, Kansas City Stampede along with several other top tournaments in the state.
Marlow returns the largest number of wrestlers as ten wrestlers gained valuable experience at last year’s State Tournament. Marlow returns 60.5 points from their State championship team including state medalists Cody Huber, Zach Dawson, Kyle Wilson and Case Rich. The Outlaws are a senior dominated team with seven seniors that have State Tournament experience. Kyle Wilson already has made three trips to the State Tournament with finishes of SQ-4-3 and has compiled an impressive 102-20 career record. Cody Huber went 28-8 last year and was a state runner-up at 285. Case Rich, with a 69-19 record over the past two years was a State qualifier in 2020 and added a 4th place finish last year. Andrew Johnston is a two-time State qualifier with a 51-23 career record. Other seniors that competed at State were State qualifiers Cody Davis and Dason Davis and wrestle-in participant Trey Southerland. Zach Dawson earned a 2nd place finish at 126 (falling to 4X state champion Eli Griffin and was 29-4 in his freshman year. Lawson Knox was a State qualifier at 106 and Brayden Bowman competed in the wrestle-in match at 120.
Salina, led by state champions Hunter Fitzpatrick and Gavin Montgomery and two-time State runner-up Jack Wilkins, is just ½ point behind Marlow as they return 60 State Tournament points. Fitzpatrick has State Tournament finishes of SQ-2-1 while compiling a career record of 87-22. Montgomery finished 4th as a freshman before winning it all last year and has a career record of 60-15. Wilkins has compiled a strong 72-7 career record while finishing with the silver medal in his freshman and sophomore years. Wilkins fell to 3X champ and 4X finalist Kolby DePron (Bridge Creek) in the 2020 state finals and suffered a tough 6-5 tiebreaker loss to 2X state champion Jose Flores of Inola in 2021. Salina also returns 2X State qualifier Gaige Stock (49-20 career record) and wrestle-in participant Colby McIelland.
A team to keep an eye on is Berryhill. The Chiefs only return two state tournament points, but they may have been a school most affected by the shortened season last year as most of their wrestlers came into the 2021 State Tournament with only 10-15 matches under their belt. Ready to make some noise again are 2020 state runner-up Owen Martin, 3rd place medalist Wyatt Meredith, two-time state qualifier Hunter Waits, state qualifier Kyler Tabor and wrestle-in participants Chanc Bruner and Dalton Deathrage.
Listed below are the returning State Tournament participants for each team. SQ means State Qualifier and WI means lost wrestle-in match.
Wt. | Name | School | Grade | 2021 State | 2021 Record | State Points |
106 | Gage Walker | Jay | 10 | 1 | 19-1 | 21.5 |
113 | Devin Duran | Jay | 10 | 1 | 34-4 | 22 |
120 | Dustin Duran | Jay | 12 | 4 | 31-7 | 8 |
132 | Jeron Newcomb | Jay | 11 | SQ | 23-15 | 0 |
160 | Kaden Murray | Jay | 11 | SQ | 28-10 | 3 |
220 | Maverick Williamson | Jay | 10 | 2 | 35-3 | 16 |
170 | Connor Gough | Jay | 10 | WI | 25-11 | 0 |
JAY – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 70.5 | ||||
106 | Lawson Knox | Marlow | 10 | SQ | 28-8 | 3 |
126 | Zach Dawson | Marlow | 10 | 2 | 29-4 | 15 |
132 | Case Rich | Marlow | 12 | 4 | 30-6 | 9 |
152 | Cody Davis | Marlow | 12 | SQ | 30-11 | 1 |
160 | Dason Davis | Marlow | 12 | SQ | 16-11 | 2 |
170 | Andrew Johnston | Marlow | 12 | SQ | 20-8 | 4 |
182 | Kyle Wilson | Marlow | 12 | 3 | 31-2 | 12.5 |
285 | Cody Huber | Marlow | 12 | 2 | 28-8 | 14 |
120 | Brayden Bowman | Marlow | 11 | WI | 20-10 | 0 |
138 | Trey Southerland | Marlow | 12 | WI | 10-9 | 0 |
MARLOW – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 60.5 | ||||
106 | Gaige Stock | Salina | 12 | SQ | 21-10 | 3 |
120 | Hunter Fitzpatrick | Salina | 12 | 1 | 24-7 | 19 |
132 | Gavin Montgomery | Salina | 11 | 1 | 22-5 | 21 |
152 | Jack Wilkins | Salina | 11 | 2 | 28-5 | 17 |
113 | Colby McIelland | Salina | 10 | WI | 3-3 | 0 |
SALINA – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 60 | ||||
132 | Tucker Oliver | Comanche | 11 | SQ | 15-8 | 1 |
160 | Bryson Evans | Comanche | 12 | SQ | 19-9 | 0 |
170 | Kasen VanBuskirk | Comanche | 11 | 4 | 23-12 | 8 |
182 | Kooper Doucet | Comanche | 11 | 2 | 25-2 | 16 |
285 | Cade White | Comanche | 11 | 4 | 16-9 | 11 |
126 | Gunnor Yates | Comanche | 12 | WI | 12-16 | 0 |
195 | Owen Bigford | Comanche | 12 | WI | 16-3 | 0 |
COMANCHE – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 36 | ||||
106 | Tre Tecson | Cascia Hall | 10 | 3 | 34-7 | 11 |
145 | EJ Tecson | Cascia Hall | 12 | 1 | 28-2 | 20 |
152 | Luke Eschenheimer | Cascia Hall | 11 | SQ | 29-6 | 3 |
CASCIA HALL – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 34 | ||||
106 | Zane Donley | Vinita | 10 | 4 | 31-7 | 11 |
113 | Tanner Winesburg | Vinita | 11 | SQ | 24-8 | 0 |
120 | Hunter Tadych | Vinita | 11 | SQ | 24-14 | 1 |
126 | Rashaud Morgan | Vinita | 12 | SQ | 25-6 | 2 |
132 | Dylan Henson | Vinita | 12 | 2 | 28-4 | 16 |
138 | Josh Rexwinkle | Vinita | 12 | SQ | 27-13 | 3 |
VINITA – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 33 | ||||
106 | Aidan O’Dell | Blackwell | 12 | 2 | 27-3 | 14 |
126 | Kaiden Ailey | Blackwell | 11 | SQ | 34-11 | 2 |
170 | Christian Mora | Blackwell | 12 | 2 | 29-7 | 14 |
285 | J.D. McCleary | Blackwell | 11 | SQ | 20-16 | 0 |
182 | Kolby Looper | Blackwell | 11 | WI | 18-18 | 0 |
BLACKWELL – RETURING | STATE POINTS | 30 | ||||
113 | Kaizyn Kraft | Bridge Creek | 12 | SQ | 20-9 | 0 |
120 | Kaden Smith | Bridge Creek | 12 | 2 | 31-4 | 17 |
152 | Skyler Bean | Bridge Creek | 12 | 3 | 34-6 | 10 |
220 | Randy Nix | Bridge Creek | 11 | SQ | 28-15 | 3 |
BRIDGE CREEK – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 30 | ||||
120 | Grant Floyd | Inola | 11 | SQ | 25-6 | 2 |
152 | Jose Flores | Inola | 12 | 1 | 21-2 | 18 |
182 | Jedd Barrett | Inola | 12 | SQ | 17-8 | 0 |
INOLA – RETURING | STATE POINTS | 20 | ||||
138 | Brady Benham | Sperry | 10 | 1 | 34-5 | 18 |
106 | Liam Burke | Sperry | 10 | WI | 18-13 | 0 |
152 | Walker McCause | Sperry | 11 | WI | 16-10 | 0 |
SPERRY – RETURING | STATE POINTS | 18 | ||||
138 | Chace Massie | Chandler | 11 | SQ | 16-7 | 1 |
160 | Kobe Smith | Chandler | 11 | 2 | 17-4 | 16 |
CHANDLER – RETURING | STATE POINTS | 17 | ||||
106 | Carson Orr | Plainview | 11 | SQ | 25-12 | 0 |
126 | Reece Bennett | Plainview | 12 | SQ | 28-9 | 0 |
195 | Jeston Gilliam | Plainview | 12 | 3 | 16-5 | 16 |
220 | Lane Johnson | Plainview | 12 | SQ | 27-10 | 0 |
PLAINVIEW – RETURING | STATE POINTS | 16 | ||||
113 | Owen Martin | Berryhill | 11 | SQ | 12-6 | 2 |
120 | Wyatt Meredith | Berryhill | 11 | SQ | 8-4 | 0 |
126 | Hunter Waits | Berryhill | 11 | SQ | 9-5 | 0 |
138 | Kyler Tabor | Berryhill | 10 | SQ | 10-6 | 0 |
106 | Chanc Bruner | Berryhill | 10 | WI | 7-5 | 0 |
160 | Dalton Deathrage | Berryhill | 12 | WI | 9-8 | 0 |
BERRYHILL – RETURNING | STATE POINTS | 2 | ||||
195 | Ryan Lytal | Hinton | 11 | 2 | 24-3 | 16 |
145 | Jaxen Wright | Morris | 11 | 3 | 28-7 | 13 |
138 | Cameron Jackson | Tonkawa | 11 | SQ | 4-4 | 3 |
285 | Miccael Brown | Tonkawa | 12 | 3 | 18-4 | 13 |
170 | TJ Ramsey | Bethel | 12 | 3 | 24-5 | 11 |
113 | Gage Graham | Sulphur | 12 | 4 | 21-6 | 10 |
160 | Malique Barber | Pawnee | 12 | 4 | 30-10 | 6 |
285 | Chuck Long | Pawnee | 12 | SQ | 23-5 | 2 |
195 | Lesharo Wildcat | Pawhuska | 12 | SQ | 21-5 | 3 |
120 | Traven Richardson | Pawhuska | 10 | WI | 16-9 | 0 |
145 | Deacon Hendren | Pawhuska | 10 | WI | 13-9 | 0 |
145 | Brody Thomas | Locust Grove | 10 | SQ | 21-10 | 3 |
160 | Dakota Monk | Locust Grove | 12 | SQ | 12-8 | 0 |
138 | Jesse Remington | Locust Grove | 12 | WI | 13-7 | 0 |
152 | Kaleb Owen | Perry | 11 | SQ | 23-13 | 0 |
170 | Chance Davis | Perry | 12 | SQ | 30-5 | 3 |
170 | Ethan Hughes | Perry | 11 | SQ | 14-14 | 0 |
145 | Spencer Davidson | Geary | 10 | SQ | 11-13 | 0 |
285 | Chris Ward | Geary | 12 | SQ | 22-8 | 3 |
182 | Johnathon Roberts | OCS | 11 | SQ | 29-6 | 3 |
113 | AB Stokes | Lincoln Christian | 10 | SQ | 24-2 | 2 |
170 | Layton Cyrus | Anadarko | 12 | SQ | 21-13 | 2 |
220 | Carson Dildine | Barnsdall | 12 | SQ | 31-10 | 1 |
106 | Keith McGuire | Checotah | 10 | SQ | 16-7 | 0 |
170 | Cord Montgomery | Checotah | 11 | SQ | 16-7 | 0 |
182 | Joe Jackson | Watonga | 12 | SQ | 24-13 | 0 |
195 | Ernesto Duenez | Watonga | 11 | SQ | 16-16 | 0 |
120 | Kaiden Cue | McLoud | 10 | SQ | 21-4 | 0 |
145 | Hunter Lowe | McLoud | 12 | WI | 16-7 | 0 |
113 | Kolby Brasher | Perkins Tryon | 10 | WI | 9-9 | 0 |
152 | Rich Hart | Perkins-Tryon | 11 | SQ | 26-9 | 0 |
220 | Chadd Kriz | Little Axe | 11 | SQ | 22-11 | 0 |
182 | Shane Perkins | Cordell | 12 | WI | 16-10 | 0 |
152 | Rocky Woods | Morrison | 12 | WI | 19-9 | 0 |
132 | Xander Torix | Warner | 11 | SQ | 17-8 | 0 |