Cory Hansen
Three Sooners braved the snow and cold on Sunday to compete in the University of Central Missouri’s Roger Denker Open in Warrensburg Missouri. All three picked up multiple victories on the day and got some crucial mat time as Roger Kish and his staff continue to develop and evaluate the teams depth.
Kaden Smith had a strong performance, winning the 141 pound bracket. After a first round bye, Smith came out firing on all cylinders with a tech fall in his first competed match. Smith followed this up with a strong 6-1 decision victory against Peyton Moore from the University of Missouri in the semi-finals. In the championship match Smith built up a lead against Ben Murphy from NAIA powerhouse, Grand View University, before earning a pinfall to bring home the hardware. Smith has been a key contributor for the Sooners this year with injuries in the starting lineup, and it was nice to see him have a successful day representing the Sooners.
Christian Forbes competed well in the 125 pound weight class, but fell short of placing. Forbes opened his tournament with a hard fought 11-6 victory to open the tournament before falling to Luqman Masud from Missouri in the second round….
