By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State wrestling team placed 11 of their 15 competing wrestlers at the 2021 FHSU-Bob Smith Open on Sunday (Dec. 12), including three individual champions in Marty Verhaeghe (184), Tereus Henry (197), and A.J. Cooper (285).
Marty Verhaeghe made it to the 184 championship match with three major decision wins scored 17-5, 9-1, and 11-2 over Dylan Vodicka from Nebraska-Kearney. Verhaeghe grabbed the gold with a fall in 3:23 over Jacari Deal from Nebraska-Kearney for his second individual championship of the season. Tereus Henry started out strong in the 197 bracket with a fall in 2:41. He would reach the finals with a 10-9 decision and a tech fall 18-2. In the championship match, Henry would be victorious in a 7-1 decision over Jud Kuchera of Nebraska-Kearney. A.J. Cooper battled his way to the finals with three decisions scored 4-2, 3-0, and 7-0 and a 2-1 sudden victory over UCO’sChristian Arriola in the semifinals. In the finals, Cooper only needed 4:11 to take the championship as he pinned Gavin Nye from CSU-Pueblo for his first individual championship of the season.
Five Tigers finished the day with only one loss as Cason Lindsey (149) and Cody Hicks (157) finished second and Broderick Green (125), Rhett Edmonson (149), and Anthony Scantlin (157) finished third. Cason Lindsey was dominant in the 149 bracket. After receiving a first-round bye, he would pick up wins by fall in 4:45, tech fall 15-0, and a 5-3 decision over Bryce Boumans of NW Technical College to reach the finals. Lindsey battled hard in the finals, but was unable to finish the takedown to tie it up and fell 6-4 to Oklahoma’s Willie McDougald. Cody Hicks also received a first-round bye and worked his way to the finals with wins by fall in 1:12, and decisions 7-4 and 10-3. In the finals, Hicks would fall by major decision 12-1 to Jared Hill and finish as the runner up in the 157 weight class.
Green received a first-round bye and fell in the second round by an 8-7 decision. After receiving another bye on the backside, he would win five straight matches – fall in 1:22, 10-4 decision, forfeit, fall in 1:59 and would finish third due to his competitor reaching the five-match limit. Edmonson was able to reach the championship semifinals after receiving a bye in the first round then winning by 18-6 major decision and tech fall 17-2. He would end up on the backside after a sudden victory loss 3-1 to eventual champion McDougald. Edmonson would win by fall in the consolation semifinals and finish the day with a 9-4 decision to claim the bronze. Scantlin, FHSU’s final third-place finisher, would also reach the semifinals with wins by fall in 2:30 and 1:43 and a 3-2 decision over Justin Davis of CSU-Pueblo. Scantlin would fall in the semifinals to eventual champion Jared Hill, wrestling unattached from Oklahoma, by 6-5 decision. He would wrap up the day with a win by decision 4-3 in the consolation semis and 7-6 over Justin Davis, who Scantlin defeated to reach the championship semifinals, to finish third.
Tony Caldwell was the lone fourth place finisher for the Tigers as he fought his way to the championship semifinals after receiving a first-round bye and winning his next two matches by 8-0 major decision and a fall in 5:32. He would move to the backside of the bracket after being pinned in the semifinals in 59 seconds, but would find his way to the third place match with a 3-2 decision over Crew Howard from Nebraska-Kearney. Caldwell wrapped up the day with a loss by 3-2 decision to Christian Arriola from Central Oklahoma to finish fourth in the 285 weight class.
Clint Herrick claimed fifth place in the 165 weight class. He received a first round bye but then fell to eventual champion Tre’ Vaughn Craig from Central Oklahoma in a 3-2 decision. Herrick received his second bye on the backside and then pulled out an 8-2 decision to advance to the consolation semifinals. He would be pinned in 1:52 in the semis, but finish in fifth after a 1:23 fall over Jonathan Vincent of Labette Community College.
Aidan Johnson finished sixth in the 174 bracket. He made it through to the championship semifinals with wins by 10-4 decision and 9-1 major decision, but would fall by 6-2 decision in his semifinal match to Jacobi Deal from Nebraska-Kearney. Johnson would forfeit his next two matches finishing in sixth.
The Tigers will wrap up before winter break as they travel to Indianapolis for the 42nd Midwest Classic on Saturday (Dec. 18) with action beginning at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET).Full Results for Fort Hays State
125 – Colin Cole (0-2)
Champ. Round 1 – Dominick Castro (Unattached) won by fall over Colin Cole (Fall 1:25)
Cons. Round 1 – Colin Cole received a bye
Cons. Round 2 – Tristan Smith (Carl Albert State) won by fall over Colin Cole (Fall 1:50)
125 – Broderick Green (5-1) – 3rd place
Champ. Round 1 – Broderick Green received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Gabriel Taboa (CSU-Pueblo) won by decision over Broderick Green (Dec 8-7)
Cons. Round 2 – Broderick Green received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – Broderick Green won by fall over Tristan Smith (Carl Albert State) (Fall 1:22)
Cons. Round 4 – Broderick Green won by decision over Rhett Koppes (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Round 5 – Broderick Green won by forfeit over Riley Weir (Unattached) (FF)
Cons. Semi – Broderick Green won by fall over Nick Gonzalez (Air Force Prep) (Fall 1:59)
3rd Place Match – Broderick Green won by no contest over Tucker Owens (Air Force Prep) (NC)
125 – Rhett Koppes (1-2)
Champ. Round 1 – Rhett Koppes received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Rhett Koppes won by major decision over Luke Rider (Pratt Community College) (Maj 11-2)
Quarterfinal – Isaiah DeLaCerda (Adams State) won by major decision over Rhett Koppes (Maj 12-0)
Cons. Round 4 – Broderick Green won by decision over Rhett Koppes (Dec 10-4)
133 – Tom VanValkenburg (2-2)
Champ. Round 1 – Tom VanValkenburg won by fall over Samuel Dickey (Pratt Community College) (Fall 2:15)
Quarterfinal – Devin Lueck (CSU-Pueblo) won by fall over Tom VanValkenburg (Fall 1:12)
Cons. Round 2 – Tom VanValkenburg won by fall over Samuel Blackmon (Northwest Kansas Technical College) (Fall 3:44)
Cons. Round 3 – Drew Arnold (Nebraska-Kearney) won by major decision over Tom VanValkenburg (Maj 9-1)
141 – Cole Zebley (2-1)
Champ. Round 1 – Jacob Mitchell (Pratt Community College) won by decision over Cole Zebley (Dec 11-5)
Cons. Round 1 – Cole Zebley won by major decision over Caleb Streeter (Newman) (Maj 15-6)
Cons. Round 2 – Cole Zebley won by decision over Grayson LeCompte (Adams State) (Dec 10-7)
Cons. Round 3 – Cael Figueroa (Adams State) won by injury default over Cole Zebley (Inj. 0:00)
149 – Cason Lindsey (3-1) – 2nd place
Champ. Round 1 – Cason Lindsey received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Cason Lindsey won by fall over Chuck Hackleton (Carl Albert State) (Fall 4:45)
Quarterfinal – Cason Lindsey won by tech fall over Brody Arrants (Nebraska-Kearney) (TF 15-0)
Semifinal – Cason Lindsey won by decision over Bryce Boumans (Northwest Kansas Technical College) (Dec 5-3)
1st Place Match – Willie McDougald (Unattached) won by decision over Cason Lindsey (Dec 6-4)
149 – Rhett Edmonson (4-1) – 3rd place
Champ. Round 1 – Rhett Edmonson received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Rhett Edmonson won by major decision over Colt Newton (Unattached) (Maj 18-6)
Quarterfinal – Rhett Edmonson won by tech fall over Braydon Lemuz (Pratt Community College) (TF 17-2)
Semifinal – Willie McDougald (Unattached) won in sudden victory – 1 over Rhett Edmonson (SV-1 3-1)
Cons. Semi – Rhett Edmonson won by fall over Dawson Chavez (Barton) (Fall 4:33)
3rd Place Match – Rhett Edmonson won by decision over Bryce Boumans (Northwest Kansas Technical College) (Dec 9-4)
157 – Anthony Scantlin (5-1) – 3rd place
Champ. Round 1 – Anthony Scantlin won by fall over Fernando Luna (Colorado State University) (Fall 2:30)
Champ. Round 2 – Anthony Scantlin won by fall over Kase Givens (Cloud County Community College) (Fall 1:43)
Quarterfinal – Anthony Scantlin won by decision over Justin Davis (CSU-Pueblo) (Dec 3-2)
Semifinal – Jared Hill (Unattached) won by decision over Anthony Scantlin (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Semi – Anthony Scantlin won by decision over Daniel Manibog (Unattached) (Dec 4-3)
3rd Place Match – Anthony Scantlin won by decision over Justin Davis (CSU-Pueblo) (Dec 7-6)
157 – Cody Hicks (3-1) – 2nd place
Champ. Round 1 – Cody Hicks received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Cody Hicks won by fall over Daniel Mcgurk (Hastings (Neb.)) (Fall 1:12)
Quarterfinal – Cody Hicks won by decision over Daniel Manibog (Unattached) (Dec 7-4)
Semifinal – Cody Hicks won by decision over Tyler Collins (Nebraska-Kearney) (Dec 10-3)
1st Place Match – Jared Hill (Unattached) won by major decision over Cody Hicks (Maj 12-1)
Open 165
165 – Clint Herrick (2-2) – 5th place
Champ. Round 1 – Clint Herrick received a bye
Quarterfinal – Tre’Vaughn Craig (Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Clint Herrick (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Clint Herrick received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – Clint Herrick won by decision over Tytus Coombs (Unattached) (Dec 8-2)
Cons. Semi – Richie Lee (Northwest Kansas Technical College) won by fall over Clint Herrick (Fall 1:52)
5th Place Match – Clint Herrick won by fall over Jonathan Vincent (Labette Community College) (Fall 1:23)
Open 174
174 – Aidan Johnson (2-1) – 6th place
Champ. Round 1 – Aidan Johnson won by decision over Brandon Rohr (Cloud County Community College) (Dec 10-4)
Quarterfinal – Aidan Johnson won by major decision over Ben Parkhurst (Central Oklahoma) (Maj 9-1)
Semifinal – Jacobi Deal (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Aidan Johnson (Dec 6-2)
Cons. Semi – Trevor Dopps (Unattached) won by forfeit over Aidan Johnson (FF)
5th Place Match – Cody Lewis (Adams State) won by forfeit over Aidan Johnson (FF)
184 – Marty Verhaeghe (4-0) – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Marty Verhaeghe won by major decision over Aiden Warren (Air Force Prep) (Maj 17-5)
Quarterfinal – Marty Verhaeghe won by major decision over Gavyn Brauer (Nebraska-Kearney) (Maj 9-1)
Semifinal – Marty Verhaeghe won by major decision over Dylan Vodicka (Nebraska-Kearney) (Maj 11-2)
1st Place Match – Marty Verhaeghe won by fall over Jacari Deal (Nebraska-Kearney) (Fall 3:23)
197 – Tereus Henry (4-0) 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – Tereus Henry won by fall over Mitchell Peabody (Nebraska-Kearney) (Fall 2:41)
Quarterfinal – Tereus Henry won by decision over Ibrahim Ameer (Cloud County Community College) (Dec 10-9)
Semifinal – Tereus Henry won by tech fall over Fabian Lopez (Nebraska-Kearney) (TF 18-2)
1st Place Match – Tereus Henry won by decision over Jud Kuchera (Nebraska-Kearney) (Dec 7-1)
Open 285
285 – Tony Caldwell (3-2) 4th place
Champ. Round 1 – Tony Caldwell received a bye
Champ. Round 2 – Tony Caldwell won by major decision over David Huckstep (Labette Community College) (Maj 8-0)
Quarterfinal – Tony Caldwell won by fall over Jayson Davis (CSU-Pueblo) (Fall 5:32)
Semifinal – Gavin Nye (CSU-Pueblo) won by fall over Tony Caldwell (Fall 0:59)
Cons. Semi – Tony Caldwell won by decision over Crew Howard (Nebraska-Kearney) (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match – Christian Arriola (Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Tony Caldwell (Dec 3-2)
285 – A.J. Cooper (5-0) – 1st place
Champ. Round 1 – A.J. Cooper won by decision over Micah Lieberman (Labette Community College) (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 2 – A.J. Cooper won by decision over Henry Jones (Hastings (Neb.)) (Dec 3-0)
Quarterfinal – A.J. Cooper won by decision over Crew Howard (Nebraska-Kearney) (Dec 7-0)
Semifinal – A.J. Cooper won in sudden victory – 1 over Christian Arriola (Central Oklahoma) (SV-1 2-1)
1st Place Match – A.J. Cooper won by fall over Gavin Nye (CSU-Pueblo) (Fall 4:11)