Rawlins, Southwest girls get second at wrestling meet

ATWOOD, Kan. — The Rawlins County (Kan.) wrestlers scored 157 points and took second among 20 teams at their Buffalo Invitational on Saturday.

Only Liberal (Kan.) topped the Buffs with 187.5 points, though they entered 20 wrestlers to Rawlins’ 10.

Ashton Bearley (15-9 record) pinned all three of his opponents in the first period to win at 220 pounds.

Rawlins teammate Ryan Sramek (22-6) roared through 120 with thee more pints.

Drew Withington (25-2) nearly took the 152-pound title, but Liberal’s Jesus Torres (20-5) scored a 1:24 pin in their finals match.

Gus Hanson (20-9 at 113) delivered another second-place finish and 18 points to go with Withington’s 22.

Like Drew, only a powerful opponent stopped Hanson from the championship. Scotty Engle of Sedgwick County (Colo.) showed why he’s 27-2 when he took a 13-6 title decision from Hanson.

Preston Bearley (20-6) pinned three heavyweights for second place and Josh Popp reached that same lofty level at 170. Liberal’s Trystian Juarez topped Popp in a 44-second match.

Kenneth Micek (14-12) captured third at 145 and tallied 20 more points to the Rawlins total.

Henry Holle delivered four more wins while earning fourth at 160.

The Buffaloes fought off Sedgwick County, who settled for third with 145 points.

Leoti-Wichita County was fourth (128.5) and Liberal’s girls to earn fifth place (77 points).

The Decatur Community (Kan.) Red Devils were 12th as they put 45 points on the board.

Not bad considering the Devils only entered three wrestlers from their smaller team.

Lukas Zodrow (18-6) finished second at 138 and lost only a 6-0 final to 23-2 Wyatt Gardner from Leoti-Wichita County.

Garrett Emigh placed third at 195 where he stuck two foes and won another by forfeit.

Reid Fort (9-0) finished fourth at 113 as he delivered a 44-second pin of Goodland’s Devon Rickard.

Girls also competed in the Buffalo Invitational and how about Rawlins’ Xavia Brenn (12-3) winning at 143?

Brenn needed two pins of Liberal wrestlers in :44 and 1:37.

Teammate Kaleigh McFee (9-5) reached third at 115 thanks to two first-period pins.

The Southwest Roughriders were also represented as Ambie Custard (18-5 at 120) and Ashlyn Latimer (10-9 at 170) both wrestled to second place.

Custard’s two pins required only 42 seconds total while Latimer finished Liberal’s Jasmine Rangel in 3:01.