FHSU Athletics
MIAMI, Okla. - Eight of Fort Hays State's 13 competitors placed at the Golden Norsemen Open Saturday (Jan. 31). Three Tigers reached the championship bout, with Kolton Field taking home the championship at 141 pounds.
Field was a perfect 4-0 on the day, reaching the quarterfinals with a 1-0 decision before advancing to the semis with a 14-4 major decision. A 10-6 decision helped the junior secure a spot in the final where he held on for a wild 20-19 decision.
Two other Tigers reached the championship bout, with Justus Hulse (157 pounds) and Houston Frank (184 pounds) both finishing second. Hulse racked up three-straight bonus-point wins to reach the final, including an 8-0 major decision, a 19-4 technical fall and a pin in the semifinals that took just 29 seconds.
Frank's first bout at 184 pounds came in the quarterfinals where he picked up a 7-0 decision. He then reached the finals with an 11-2 major decision before finishing the day 2-1.
A trio of Tigers placed fourth, including Griffin Mitchell at 174 pounds and two that competed unattached - Aiden Shields at 133 pounds and Julien Kimling at 141 pounds. Shields tied for the team lead with four wins on the day, including one pin and one technical fall. Kimling turned in a 3-2 record on the day and also had one pin and one technical fall, while Mitchell went 2-2 with a pair of decisions.
Competing unattached, Andrew Honas placed fifth at 149 pounds after a 3-2 day that included two pins and a 17-1 technical fall in his placement match. Griffin Bohanan won his first matchup of the day with a pin in just 28 seconds before finishing sixth at 165 pounds.
Looking ahead, Fort Hays State will return to dual competition when the team hosts top-ranked Central Oklahoma next Saturday (Feb. 7) at 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Additional Tigers will head to Marshall, Mo. that same day for the Missouri Valley Open.