By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post Sports
GARDEN CITY - Tanner Geist took home the 285 pound title from the prestigious Rocky Welton Invitational on Saturday. The Indians finished 9th as a team.
Geist won his first four matches via pin. The first two matches didn't make it out of the first period. The next two occurred in the second. Geist won the championship over Beau Young of Valley Center by a 8-2 decision. Geist is now 30-4 on the season.
Hays had two wrestlers in the finals. Johnny Rigler reached the championship before falling to undefeated Everett Joyce of Maize by major decision 14-2. Rigler won his first first two matches by fall. His first round pin happened in just 54 seconds. He then won the next two matches against out of state opponents 10-3 and 10-7.
Archer Amrein finished fifth at 175 pounds. Amrein picked up two pins in the first two rounds before falling in the quarterfinals. He then went 3-1 on the next four matches for the fifth place finish.
Jaxson Chartier also placed fifth and had to take a long road to get there after falling in the second round by a 1-0 decision. He bounced back with three straight victories before falling in the consolation semifinals 9-3. Chartier finished off the tournament with a 7-5 decision for 5th.