Michael Smith
The Kearney boys wrestling team is just outside the top four in the MissouriWrestling.com Class 3 team poll.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 5 and could be a contender for a state trophy in February. They showed why in Saturday’s Excelsior Springs Tiger Classic Tournament as they took first place with 189.5 points. The defending Class 3 state champions, Hillsboro, only took part of their varsity team to the tournament, as it took second with 147.5 points. Excelsior Springs was third for 143.
Wrestler Interviews:
- Interview: Carthage’s David Recinos (215) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Hillsboro’s Sam Richardson (165) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Kearney’s Carter Temple (175) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Hillsboro’s James Penick (106) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Hillsboro’s Evan Litzsinger (113) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Excelsior Springs Ryne Marcum (132) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Hillsboro’s Jordan Penick (126) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Carthage’s Bradyn Tate (138) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: St. Joseph Benton’s Gage Snodgrass (157) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Kearney’s Ryder Shelton (120) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
- Interview: Hillsboro’s Griffin Morris (285) ,Excelsior Springs Tiger Class Tournament
“I think our team is great,” Kearney freshman Carter Temple said. “Everyone is wrestling great. I love my team.”
The Bulldogs had four wrestlers who won their weight division and four others who placed in the top three.
Two-time state champion Ryder Shelton (120 pounds), a junior who is ranked No. 2 in his weight class, was a big part of the team win for Kearney. He had three pins and a tech fall in his first four match before his championship match with Excelsior Springs’ Cooper Collins, ranked No. 2, in the championship, where he came away with a 6-3 decision for first place.
Shelton has moved up one weight class each year and is now facing his toughest challenge yet at 120 pounds.
“This has definitely been the hardest year,” Shelton said. “I didn’t put in as much work as I should’ve in the offseason. It shows. I am just going to have to get in the room and work harder.”
is on the rise for Kearney as he had an impressive showing on Saturday. He won all four of his matches, including two pins, a 4-1 decision over Hillboro’s Hunter Rhodes and a 8-1 decision against Belton’s Quinten Attebury.
“I used a bar almost every match,” Temple said. “I need to work on leg defense and I will be pretty good.”
Kale Tucking also earned first place for Kearney in the 150B-pound weight class. He won all of his matches as he had two pins and a 12-4 major decision that earned him first place. Senior Jakweli Gist (190) also took first as he beat Belton’s Jameson Lyons 9-0 in the semifinals before pinning Lee’s Summit West’s Cameron Thomlinson in the finals in just 27 seconds in the championship bout.
Others to finish third or better for Kearney were Phoenix Shelton (second, 106), Landon Westfall (third, 113), Kale Davis (third, 144) and JD Romero (second, 215).
Below is a breakdown of the winners of the other weight classes not already mentioned.
106: Hillsboro sophomore James Penick, ranked No. 5, had a marquee matchup with No. 6-ranked Phoenix Shelton in the finals and came away with a 13-7 victory to take first.
“I just capitalized off what he did wrong,” Penick said. “It was not too much, just off his reshot and I just had score off the drag. The wrist snaps really worked well in that last match…
