Mark Kirk
Edmond North’s Kody Routledge captured a national title to lead a group of nine wrestlers from Oklahoma that earned All-American honors at the NHSCA High School Nationals taking place March 25-27 in Virginia Beach. The tournament was divided into divisions by grade and other wrestlers earning Top 8 finishes included senior Drake Acklin (7th), sophomores Canon Acklin (5th), Talon McCollom (5th), Cash Donnell (6th), freshmen Beau Hickman (2nd), Miles Velasquez (5th) and middle school wrestlers Tommy Miller (4th) and Felipe Villarreal (8th).
Kody Routledge, a state placer for the Huskies, went 6-0 to win the 145 lb. title in the freshman division. Routledge had a tech fall and two major decisions on his way to the finals. In the finals, Routledge scored three takedowns, including two in the last minute of the match to earn a 7-2 win over Georgia state champion Christopher Mance to claim the title. Tuttle state champion Beau Hickman breezed to the finals with two falls, a 9-2 win over Arizona state champion Gabriel Gallardo and a 9-3 semifinal win over South Carolina state champion Blue Stiffler. Hickman fell in the finals to Anthony Evanitzky from Pennsylvania to earn a 2nd place finish at 138 lbs. in the freshman division.
Collinsville’s senior Drake Acklin went 5-2 with one fall and two major decisions before claiming a 3-2 win over Georgia state champion Zyan Hall to earn a 7th place finish at 160 lbs. Acklin, a 3X state finalist and 2X state champ has signed to wrestle for Appalachian State in college. In the sophomore division, 2X state champion Canon Acklin earned 7 wins in a loaded bracket to finish 5th at 113 lbs. In a battle of Oklahoma state champions, Acklin picked up a 2-1 win over Piedmont’s Cash Donnell in the 5th place match. Donnell won four straight matches to advance to the semifinals before dropping three close matches to finish 6th at 113.