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Bonner’s Tapia and Caballero lead 16 state tourney qualifiers

Sumner senior B.J. Keith reacted joyfully after his last-second win over Pittsburg’s Cruz Lopez earned him a trip to the state tournament. Keith was one of 16 wrestlers from Wyandotte County schools who earned a spot in next weekend’s state tournament based on their finish in the regional tournaments. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Six Wyandotte County schools took part in the KSHSAA 5A regional wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday at Blue Valley Southwest High School.

Twelve wrestlers from four of those schools finished eighth or better to earn a spot in the 5A state tournament next weekend in Park City.

Bonner Springs senior Tony Caballero, top-ranked in the 285-pound class all year, pinned all four of his opponents, including Blue Valley Southwest’s Andrew Farrell in the tournament’s final match. Caballero placed second in last year’s state tournament and heads to this year’s tournament with a season record of 24-1.

Braves’ senior Jace Tapia won the 138-pound weight class, winning two matches by fall and another by decision. He pinned Ty Lewis, from wrestling powerhouse Shawnee Heights, in the championship match.

Caballero and Tapia will be joined at the state tournament by Bonner’s Shane Daniels, who took third in the 152-pound class, and Ethan Cook, who placed sixth at 120 pounds.

The Piper Pirates are sending five wrestlers to the state tournament. Piper’s top finisher was Ja’Diz Simmons, who placed third in the 106-pound class. He pinned three opponents, but was bested by Basehor-Linwood’s Brody Ballard in the semi-finals.

Heading to Park City with Simmons are Piper’s Sawyer Vas, who placed fifth at 170 pounds, and Payton Mills, who placed sixth at 126 pounds. Makao Groneman and Nick Hoover placed eighth in the 113- and 132-pound classes to earn their places at state.

Sumner’s B.J. Keith earned his tournament berth in dramatic fashion. He faced Cruz Lopez of Pittsburg in his third match with a trip to state riding on the outcome. The back-and-forth match was tied at 3 points, with neither wrestler having a clear advantage.

With only six seconds remaining, Keith scooped up Lopez and dropped him to the mat, earning a takedown, a match win, and an opportunity in Park City.

After the close-fought contest, Keith recounted his thoughts in those final seconds.

“I was just thinking to myself, ‘I’ve got to go,'” the Sabres’ senior said. “I’m going to state. I’m going to state. I don’t care what happens or what it takes.”

Turner’s Connor Scott and Mechia Marks placed eighth in the 170- and 195-pound brackets to earn two places at the state tournament for the Golden Bears.

Washington and Schlagle high schools had wrestlers participate in the regional tournament, but didn’t have any qualifiers to the state tournament.

In other regional wrestling action, Harmon and Wyandotte high schools participated in the 6A tournament held at Shawnee Mission South.

Harmon’s Juma Ibrahim and nDoma Gazadikwe placed fifth in the 120- and 138-pound weight classes to qualify for the state tournament. Wyandotte’s C.J. Anderson (113) and Franklyn VanBebber (285) both placed sixth and will represent the Bulldogs in Park City.

Bonner Springs senior Tony Caballero defeated Blue Valley Southwest’s Andrew Farrell in the 285-pound championship match. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Bonner Springs senior Jace Tapia wrestled Shawnee Heights’ Ty Lewis in the 138-pound final. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Bonner Springs senior Shane Daniels pinned Spring Hill’s Miles Bell to take third place in the 152-pound class. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper’s Ja’Diz Simmons pushed back St. Thomas Aquinas’s Tobius Kriner on his way to winning third place in the 106-pound class. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper junior Sawyer Vas took control of Mill Valley’s Holden Zigmant in their fifth place match-up in the 170-pound class. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper’s Payton Mills took a ride from Seaman’s Draven Bennett in the fifth place match in the 126-pound class. Bennett won 13-8 decision. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Turner’s Mechia Marks faced off with Draven Pipkin of Spring Hill in a 195-pound match. Pipkin won by major decision (11-1). (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper junior Nick Hoover wrestled against Seaman’s Colin Little. Hoover lost by fall in the 1st period, but went on to earn a spot in the state tournament. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Bonner Springs sophomore Ethan Cook sent Basehor-Linwood’s Hudson Strahm flying in their 120-pound match. Cook won by major decision (12-4). (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sumner freshman Miles Dean wrestled Seaman’s Jayden Foster in a 113-pound match. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The referee signaled two points for a takedown as time ran out in the 132-pound match between Sumner’s B.J. Keith and Pittsburg’s Cruz Lopez. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Several schools closing on Thursday because of weather

Several area schools will not have school on Thursday because of a predicted ice and snowstorm.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools will all be closed on Thursday, Feb. 17, because of inclement weather, according to an announcement. Inclement weather Plan D is in effect.

Turner Public Schools have announced the buildings will be closed on Thursday. High school students will attend virtually, logging into classes at the scheduled times, according to the announcement. Elementary conferences will shift to a virtual setting. Middle and high school evening conferences will be rescheduled to a day next week.

Bonner Springs Public Schools will have no school Wednesday, Feb. 16, through Monday, Feb. 21, for previously scheduled parent-teacher conferences.

All Kansas City Kansas Community College locations are closed on Thursday, Feb. 17, according to an announcement. All day and evening classes and events will be canceled Thursday.

The Donnelly College campus will be closed Thursday, Feb. 17, because of the weather. All day and evening classes will be in distance-learning format.

Bishop Ward High School will hold classes online on Thursday because of the impending storm. There will be no in-person classes.

All Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library locations will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 17, because of the weather, according to an announcement.

Residential trash service in Kansas City, Kansas, will be delayed by one day, according to an announcement.

Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered all state offices in Shawnee County (the Topeka area) will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 17, because of the weather. Employees who are able to work remotely were asked to do so.

The Kansas Department of Transportation advised drivers to stay home if possible on Thursday, or delay driving to give snow plows time and space to clear roads, ramps and bridges. When driving, wear your seat belt, lower your speed and put the phone down, KDOT stated.

Edwardsville Municipal Court will be canceled Thursday, Feb. 17, with cases to be rescheduled for a later date

Edwardsville City Hall will be open no earlier than 10 a.m., according to an announcement.

Four schools qualify wrestlers for state tournament

Bonner Springs sophomore Olivia Stean wasted no time in taking down Shawnee Mission North’s Cheyenne Paden, pinning her in just under 8 seconds in their match at the girls wrestling KSHSAA regional meet, held Saturday at Seaman High School in Topeka. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Eleven Wyandotte County wrestlers earned the opportunity to compete at the KSHSAA girls wrestling state tournament by placing in the regional meet in Topeka on Saturday.

Athletes from Bonner Springs, Harmon, Sumner, and Turner high schools finished fourth place or better to qualify for the tournament coming up on Feb. 23 at Hartman Arena in Park City, just outside Wichita.

Bonner Springs High School will send six wrestlers to the state meet, including Jenna Knight, who won the 120-pound weight class, and Olivia Stean, who won the 170-pound class.

Stean blasted through her two preliminary rounds, pinning her opponents in 8 and then 29 seconds. A rematch against Basehor-Linwood’s highly ranked Mandy Wilson for the title was imminent, but Wilson forfeited the match due to an injury sustained in her semi-final bout. Stean’s season record is now 38-0.

Knight won two matches by fall and a third by major decision to take the 120-pound regional title, pinning Lansing’s Kaylin Dunlap in the second round of their championship match. She heads to the state tournament with a 27-8 record.

Bonner Springs finished third in the team competition, edging past rival Basehor-Linwood in the final round.

After the meet, head coach Dale Taylor was upbeat about the team’s performance, even more about its future.

“I thought we could qualify all nine of us,” the coach said, “but we got six through. And the three that didn’t make it wrestled really hard.”

“We get this whole team back, and more,” Taylor said of his young regional squad that had no seniors and only two juniors.

Turner High School qualified two wrestlers for the state tournament. Arianna Ortiz won the 101-pound class, and Daisy Chavez finished second at 155 pounds. Ortiz defeated Mill Valley’s Raina Frantz in the final, and now holds an 18-1 record for the season.

Harmon High School will send freshman Kamahni Jackson and senior Angelica Aleman to state. Jackson won the 132-pound weight class at the regional, winning all three matches by fall and improving her record to 26-8. Aleman finished fourth in the 155-pound class.

Second-year Harmon athletic director Alma Rosas-Hall talked about her role, and the relatively new sport of girls wrestling.

“My main focus has been to improve our student involvement in activities and in sports,” Rosas-Hall said, “reaching out to the community and establishing that connection.”

Rosas-Hall cheered the team loudly from the floor, and was on hand with the coaches to encourage the Harmon wrestlers after each match.

“I’m very proud,” she said. “We’re tiny but mighty, and it’s just the belief that we can do it, no matter how big or how small you are.”

Sumner Academy’s Alissa Harris finished fourth in the 132-pound bracket to earn her spot at the state tournament.

Full list of state qualifiers:

Bonner Springs
Kylie Enriquez (109 pounds, 3rd place)
Jenna Knight (120 pounds, 1st place)
Emmalee Foya (126 pounds, 2nd place)
Chloie Knapp (155 pounds, 3rd place)
Olivia Stean (170 pounds, 1st place)
Tyler Wild (235 pounds, 2nd place)

Turner
Arianna Ortiz (101 pounds, 1st place)
Daisy Chavez (155 pounds, 2nd place)

Harmon
Kamahni Jackson (132 pounds, 1st place)
Angelica Aleman (155 pounds, 4th place)

Sumner
Alissa Harris (132 pounds, 4th place)