Hays Post Sports
HAYS - Hays High hosted the 5A West Super Regional in the first year of the new high school. The Indians qualified seven wrestlers for next week's 5A State Tournament. Johnny Rigler and Tanner Geist both won regional championships.
Newton won the team title over Goddard by five and a half points, 178.0 to 172.5. Hays placed sixth with 147.5 points.
Hays had the third most pins on the day with 17.
Rigler opened the 190 pound bracket with a bye the pinned his next three opponents. The first two falls came in the first period, including a 37 second victory in the quarterfinals. Rigler won by fall in the third period to advance to the championship match. His final wrestling match at Hays High School resulted in a 13-6 decision over Jackson Anderson of Hutchinson. it was Rigler's 40th victory on the season.
Tanner Geist won his first three matches by fall. The first two came in the first period, the quickest occurring in the first round at just 58 seconds. Geist defeated his semifinal opponent with a third period pin. He entered the regional tournament ranked fifth in 5A. He defeated the fourth ranked wrestler, Jose Vargas of Emporia, 3-1 in the final for his 40th victory.
Gaven Deneault qualified with a fourth place finish at 106 pounds. He won his first round by fall in just 48 seconds. Deneault then suffered his first defeat on the day by a 13-6 decision in the quarterfinal round. He quickly bounced back with back-to-back first period falls and a 3-1 decision. Deneault lost his third place match to the second ranked 5A wrestler, Dion Brown of Hutchinson, by a 10-5 decision.
Ethan Branaman took the long way to a state qualifying berth at 113 pounds after losing his first round match. Branaman won his first two consolation matches by fall and then the third by a 19-4 technical fall. That victory put Branaman into a state qualifying position and finished 6th on the day.
Grady Lind qualified at 144 pounds. Lind made his way to the semifinal round following a 5-0 decision in the opener and a second period fall in the quarterfinals. Lind lost his semifinal match to the number ranked wrestler in 5A. He then split his last two matches with a 4-1 victory and 5-0 loss.
Archer Amrein's first wrestling season at Hays High resulted in a state berth. Amrein now has 41 victories on the season after picking up three more wins and a fourth place finish on Saturday. Amrein won his first two matches by fall to advance to the semifinals. Like Lind, Amrein fell in the semifinals to the number one ranked wrestler in 5A. Amrein won his next match by injury default and then lost in the third place match to the number two ranked wrestler in the class.
Jaxson Chartier finished runner-up at 215 pounds. Chartier received a bye in the first round and then won in a late first period fall. The semifinal round ended in a heart-stopping 1-0 decision win for the Hays senior. Chartier lost in the championship match to a Western Athletic Conference foe, Trenton Kern of Great Bend, by fall.