Warriors break into top three at home

ARAPAHOE, Neb. -- Arapahoe placed third among 12 teams at the Warrior Wrestling Invitational on Saturday.

Elm Creek took the team title (154 points) just ahead of reigning Kansas 3A-2A-1A state champion Norton (149).

Arapahoe totaled 128 points to finish four better than Axtell (124) while Pleasanton placed fifth overall (90 points).

Senior Robert Gardner (34-6 record) powered the Warriors with four first-period pins and a 220-pound championship.

Gardner scored a team-leading 30 points.

Dalton Shimmin (21-5 record) captured Arpahoe's other title at 170.

State-rated Tyler Kapperman (28-6) reached the title match after pinning his first three foes.

However, Hitchcock County's Zach Janousek (22-5) earned a 6-4 overtime win over Kapperman.

Edwin Aguirre (106) and Noah Wadleigh (285) both placed third for the Warriors.

Hitchcock County finished eighth overall with 62.5 points just one day after competing at the Medicine Valley Invitational.

Besides Janousek's championship, Wyatt Standiford took third at 152 and raised his season record to 28-10.

Heayvweight Remington Hodges finished fourth.

The Cambridge Trojans entered just three wrestlers and tallied 46 points.

Trace Doyle (27-6 record) took home the 195-pound title thanks to a huge 5:49 pin of Axtell's Hunter Stratman (31-4).

Teammate John tenBensel (22-12) won three of four matches for third at 113.

Wauneta-Palisade produced 30 points as Sean McKay pinned two foes and placed second at 106.

Colton Barratt also pinned a pair and placd fourth at 138 pounds. Barrett got started with a round one win over Norton's Irving Martinez.

Many of these same teams will be competing again at Saturday's Southwest Invitational in Bartley.