Lansing takes second in Kansas 5A state wrestling tournament

Source: The Star

CHRIS OBERHOLT | The Kansas City Star

Lansing’s Bo Pursel (top) defeated Colby Watters of Arkansas City and won the Kansas 5A state championship at 103 pounds Saturday in Wichita.

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WICHITA | Grant Hinckley’s state championship match had been over for a little while, but the Lansing senior’s knees couldn’t stop shaking.

Moments earlier, Hinckley had clinched the first championship of his career with a thrilling 4-2 overtime victory over Mill Valley senior Josh VanHolland in the 171-pound finals of the 6A-5A Kansas state wrestling tournament on Saturday at the Kansas Coliseum.

“It was all a blur,” said Hinckley, who won in overtime with a takedown. “I’ve been working toward this for five years.”

However, Hinckley was hardly the only Lansing wrestler to have success on Saturday, as the Lions had eight wrestlers place on their way to finishing second in the Class 5A team competition with a score of 152 points, just 7 1/2 shy of first-place Emporia.

“We really exceeded expectations,” said Lansing coach Ron Averill. “There’s no way I thought we’d give Emporia the run we did.”

Freshman 103-pounder Bo Pursel and sophomore 130-pounder Spencer Blew also brought home state titles for the Lions.

Vincent goes out on topOlathe North junior Lucas Vincent certainly made the most of what figures to be the final wrestling match of his career.

After trailing Wichita Northwest junior Trey Page 1-0 in the second period of the 285-pound 6A championship match on Saturday, Vincent rallied for 11 of the next 14 points and won the first state title of his career.

The victory over Page, the second-ranked wrestler in Class 6A, capped a terrific performance at state by Vincent, who pinned his first three opponents.

“I wanted to make the statement that I was the most dominant wrestler in Kansas, and I thought I did that,” Vincent said.

Vincent, a highly-regarded football player who said he has scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska, said he won’t wrestle next season because he wants to focus on football.

“I’m going out in style,” Vincent said.

Falcons’ champOlathe South senior Chaz Lawrence knew exactly what he was up against entering his 125-pound 6A state championship match against Wichita Heights sophomore Daniel DeShazer.

DeShazer, a defending champion who entered state with a 33-1 record, was the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class. However, Lawrence used his height and length advantage to negate some of DeShazer’s quickness and power, and wound up beating him 4-2.

“I had to wrestle one of the hardest matches of my career,” said Lawrence, who ends the season with a 46-1 record. “That’s how you want to go out.”

Madl, againThe latest rematch between Blue Valley junior Parker Madl and Blue Valley Northwest senior Linwood Peoples had a familiar ending.

Madl, who beat Peoples five times this season entering the 6A 140-pound championship match, earned his sixth win over his rival with a convincing 6-0 victory.

Madl used an aggressive approach to build a six-point lead midway through the third period. But while the victory appeared to be well in hand at that point, Madl didn’t take anything for granted. He blew a 3-1 third-period lead in the championship match at last year’s state tournament and ended up taking second.

“That was heartbreaking, but I’ve redeemed myself with this win,” said Madl.

RedemptionBlue Valley North sophomore Zack Tanenbaum was another local wrestler who finally prevailed this year after a devastating loss at 6A state last season.

Tanenbaum beat Manhattan senior Jeff Vesta 5-2 to win the 6A 119-pound state title, the first of his career on Saturday.

A Mill Valley firstMill Valley junior Trevor Boyer became the first wrestler in school history to win a state championship when he beat McPherson sophomore Tim Prescott 9-2 in the finals of the 5A 112-pound weight class.

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2009-02-28 22:26:01