By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 17 Fort Hays State wrestling team opened the season with six placers in the Kaufman/Brand/Bayly Open, hosted by Maryville University. The Tigers sent 13 student-athletes to western Missouri to compete against a loaded field that was split into two divisions, Elite and Amateur.
Competing in his hometown, Jordan Davis was the top finisher for the Tigers, finishing second in the Elite 285 division. After a narrow 3-2 decision and a pair of pins, the senior picked up an exciting victory in the semifinals to reach the championship. Davis took an early lead with a first period takedown and led most of the way until Ashton Mutuwa of Campbellsville recorded a takedown early in the third. Davis quickly escaped to tie the score at 4-4 before recording the deciding takedown just seconds before the final horn. He finished second after losing via pin to Brandon Reed of Lindsey Wilson.
Jonathan Ball was the only other Tiger to reach the championship semifinals in the Elite division, placing third in the Elite 149 bracket. Ball won via sudden victory in the first round, picking up the only takedown of the match in the first overtime period. He advanced to the semifinals thanks to multiple stalling calls on Mitchell Bohlken (Missouri) before moving to the consolation bracket due to a late penalty point. The sophomore won both of his backside bouts, rallying from behind in the consolation semifinals before taking another sudden victory win in the third-place bout.
A.J. Cooper recorded three pins en route to the third-place match in the Elite 285 division. He pinned Dustine Politte of host Maryville in his first bout before dropping a 7-3 decision to former conference rival Courvoisier Morrow of Lindenwood. The junior bounced back to record pins in his next two rounds before holding on for a 5-0 win to reach the final backside bout. Cooper took a 3-0 lead before suffering a pin in the second period to earn a fourth-place finish.
Marty Verhaeghe won a pair of backside bouts before capturing a win in a high-scoring fifth-place match in the Elite 174 bracket. The junior battled back from a four-point near fall in the opening period to send things to overtime at 11-11. Verhaeghe picked up the winning takedown early in the first period of extra time, nearly pinning his opponent before capturing two additional points.
Mason Turner impressed in the first competition of his redshirt-freshman season, finishing third in the Amateur 125 division. He reached the semifinals after back-to-back pins, including a win over Kooper Loehr of Division I Purdue. Turner suffered a sudden victory defeat in the semifinals before picking up two more pins on the back side to place third.
Payton Sadowski was the final Tiger to earn a spot on the podium, placing fifth in the Amateur 133 division. The redshirt freshman advanced to the semifinals thanks to a pin and a 9-4 decision in his first two matchups. After moving to the consolation bracket following an 11-6 decision, Sadowski picked up the only major decision victory for FHSU in the fifth-place match.
A small squad of wrestlers will travel to Baldwin, Kan. for Baker University’s Dan Harris Open Sunday (Nov. 10), with the bulk of the team returning to action next Saturday (Nov. 16) at the Bethany Swede Open.
Full results for all 13 Fort Hays State wrestlers can be found below.
Conrad Cole – Elite 133
Champ. Round 1 – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Christian Mejia (McKendree) won by decision over Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Nathan Browning (Ozarks) (Fall 2:08)
Cons. Round 4 – Charles McNeal (McKendree) won by decision over Conrad Cole (Fort Hays State) (Dec 4-3)
Jonathan Ball – Elite 149 – 3rd place
Champ. Round 1 – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won in sudden victory – 1 over Austin Ramsey (Lindsey Wilson) (SV-1 3-1)
Quarterfinal – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Mitchell Bohlken (Missouri) (Dec 3-1)
Semifinal – Tyler Stegall (Maryville University) won by decision over Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) (Dec 2-1)
Cons. Semi – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Richard Pocock (Missouri Valley) (Dec 5-4)
3rd Place Match – Jonathan Ball (Fort Hays State) won in sudden victory – 1 over Kyle Barkovich (Indianapolis ) (SV-1 3-1)
Anthony Scantlin – Elite 157
Champ. Round 1 – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Andy Santana (Kentucky Wesleyan) (Fall 4:40)
Champ. Round 2 – Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) won by major decision over Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) (Maj 10-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Gage Maxwell (Hannibal-LaGrange) (Dec 11-6)
Cons. Round 3 – Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Tracey Eitel (Ozarks) (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Clay Jones (Indianapolis ) won by fall over Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:58)
Marty Verhaeghe – Elite 174 – 5th place
Champ. Round 1 – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Nathan Walton (Cumberland (Tenn)) won by decision over Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) (Dec 9-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Nolan Puletasi (Missouri Valley) (Fall 3:48)
Cons. Round 3 – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Andrew Sams (Indianapolis ) (Dec 7-4)
Cons. Semi – Matt Pratt (Maryville University) won by decision over Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) (Dec 7-2)
5th Place Match – Marty Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) won in sudden victory – 1 over William Seibert (Missouri Valley) (SV-1 15-11)
Aryus Jones – Elite 184
Champ. Round 1 – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Colton Clingenpeel (Lindenwood) won by decision over Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) (Dec 7-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Isaac Odell (Wheaton College) won by major decision over Aryus Jones (Fort Hays State) (Maj 19-7)
Jordan Davis – Elite 285 – 2nd place
Champ. Round 1 – Jordan Davis (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Logan Radik (Maryville University) (Dec 3-2)
Champ. Round 2 – Jordan Davis (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Vinnie Scalelta (McKendree) (Fall 4:14)
Quarterfinal – Jordan Davis (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Jonathon Morris (Missouri Valley) (Fall 1:29)
Semifinal – Jordan Davis (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Ashton Mutuwa (Campbellsville (Ky.)) (Dec 7-4)
1st Place Match – Brandon Reed (Lindsey Wilson) won by fall over Jordan Davis (Fort Hays State) (Fall 0:52)
A.J. Cooper – Elite 285 – 4th place
Champ. Round 1 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Dustin Politte (Maryville University) (Fall 4:02)
Quarterfinal – Courvoisier Morrow (Lindenwood) won by decision over A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 4 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Jacob Stoneberger (Newman University) (Fall 4:05)
Cons. Round 5 – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Caleb Gossett (McKendree) (Fall 4:00)
Cons. Semi – A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Ashton Mutuwa (Campbellsville (Ky.)) (Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match – Tommy Helton (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) won by fall over A.J. Cooper (Fort Hays State) (Fall 4:37)
Mason Turner – Amateur 125 – 3rd place
Champ. Round 1 – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Ben Bohr (Lindenwood) (Fall 0:39)
Quarterfinal – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Kooper Loehr (Purdue) (Fall 0:46)
Semifinal – Kalen Napier (Lindenwood) won in sudden victory – 1 over Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) (SV-1 7-5)
Cons. Semi – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Preston Mattingly (Lindsey Wilson) (Fall 2:56)
3rd Place Match – Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Brayden Bradley (Missouri Valley) (Fall 3:45)
Collin Cole – Amateur 125
Champ. Round 1 – Collin Cole (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Brayden Bradley (Missouri Valley) won by fall over Collin Cole (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:29)
Cons. Round 2 – Collin Cole (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Haiden Dill (Kentucky Wesleyan) (Fall 1:25)
Cons. Round 3 – Jacob Andrews (Cumberland (Tenn)) won by fall over Collin Cole (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:05)
Payton Sadowski – Amateur 133 – 5th place
Champ. Round 1 – Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Armando Callejas (Indianapolis ) (Fall 5:00)
Quarterfinal – Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Ben Lindley (Lindenwood) (Dec 9-4)
Semifinal – Cameron Henderson (Campbellsville (Ky.)) won by decision over Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) (Dec 11-6)
Cons. Semi – Michael Leveille (Purdue) won by fall over Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) (Fall 5:56)
5th Place Match – Payton Sadowski (Fort Hays State) won by major decision over Michael Taylor (Hannibal-LaGrange) (Maj 11-3)
Devin Onwugbufor – Amateur 141
Champ. Round 1 – Devin Onwugbufor (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Branson Proudlock (Findlay) won by tech fall over Devin Onwugbufor (Fort Hays State) (TF 20-5)
Cons. Round 2 – Devin Onwugbufor (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Noah Patton (Fontbonne ) won by medical forfeit over Devin Onwugbufor (Fort Hays State) (MFF)
Josh Lenker – Amateur 149
Champ. Round 1 – Owen Zablocki (Indianapolis ) won by major decision over Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) (Maj 12-2)
Cons. Round 1 – Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Teddy Hickey (Drury) won by major decision over Josh Lenker (Fort Hays State) (Maj 21-7)
Nathan Dotson – Amateur 174
Champ. Round 1 – Cody Everhart (Maryville University) won by fall over Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) (Fall 2:23)
Cons. Round 1 – Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Jacob Murrie (Wheaton College) (Fall 6:14)
Cons. Round 3 – Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Zachary Rutten (Unattached) (Fall 2:46)
Cons. Round 4 – Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) won by fall over Brian Flanagan (Lindenwood) (Fall 3:56)
Cons. Round 5 – Ndayambaje John (Ozarks) won by fall over Nathan Dotson (Fort Hays State) (Fall 0:46)