Trojan wrestlers finish 14th

Trio earn medals

By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

Of the tough tournaments the Trojan wrestling team faces during the regular season, the Eureka Invitational is arguably one of the two toughest.

Behind a trio of medal winners, the Trojans took 14th out of 22 schools, scoring 43 points.

“Although the results this weekend were not as impressive, we’re pleased with the progress that this young group continues to make,” Trojan coach Scott O’Hare said. “We continue to see them get better in certain situations, attempt techniques that we are drilling in practice, and competing hard.

“We just have to keep reminding them that wins will come in time with continued improvement, a great attitude, and with great effort.”

Senior Mackenzie Bartel was limited to three matches, but still managed to secure a fourth place finish.

After tumbling in the semifinals to Rose Hill’s runner-up Matt Atkinson, Bartel had to face familiar Chase County foe Trint Rogers, whom Bartel upended a week ago at Halstead for the title.

Rogers avenged the previous loss despite Bartel jumping out to a 4-0 lead, with the Bulldog freshman getting the pin in 4:11 for third.

Jordan Bachman also managed a fourth-place finish in the 126-pound division.

Also wrestling a trio of matches, Bachman’s bid at a second consecutive final match was thwarted by Burlington’s runner-up T.T. Totty in 49 seconds.

In the consolation finals, Bachman fell behind early and never fully recovered with Humboldt’s Gunnar Elder picking up a pin in 1:52.

“I’m hoping both of these young men learned valuable lessons of what it will take to win matches against high level opponents,” O’Hare said of the duo’s crushing losses.

Andre Patton had perhaps his best performance of what’s already been a spectacular season, even with a fifth-place finish at 138 pounds.

After stumbling to second-seeded Zane Stanton of Caney Valley, Patton went on to dispatch all three of his next opponents with pinfalls.

Facing Remington’s Owen Thiel in the fifth-place match, Patton scored a pin in 4:11 on the Halstead runner-up.

Other competitors for Hillsboro were Charlie Major (2-2), Taryn Norstrom (0-2), Dylan Horton (0-2), and Ethan Plenert (1-2).