Matt McComb qualifies for state at 220 pounds.

Blake Bales qualifies for state at 126 pounds.

Ian Groom qualifies for state at 195.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — In a regional that included many peaks and valleys and a fair share of absolute drama, the Wellington wrestlers will be taking three wrestlers to the Class 4A State Tournament in Salina next weekend.

Blake Bales at 126, Ian Groom at 195 and Matt McComb at 220 will be representing Wellington starting Friday at Tony’s Pizza Event Center. Wellington’s overall performance was bittersweet in the tenacious Ark City Regional held Friday and Saturday.  Three Crusader wrestlers were eliminated in the consolation semifinals, in what is popularly termed the “blood” round in which wrestlers either quality for state or get eliminated.

Kadin Heacock at 138, Kanden Yong at 170 and Aaron Schoemann at heavyweight were eliminated in that round – and in heart-breaking fashion.

The Class 4A regional held in Ark City was perhaps one of the toughest regionals Wellington has participated in years. Ark City, which was relegated to Class 4A for the first time in its history, dominated the competition. It ended up with 264 points, 100 points in front of Andover Central, the second ranked school in 4A, with 165.5. Wellington finished seventh with 75 points.

Wellington head coach Mitch McComb said before the tournament Wellington could have gotten anywhere from one to seven wrestlers to state. He said realistically, though, five was a best-case scenario and three was probably the most likely number. He proved to be correct in his assessment.

What a wild ride, especially in the blood round. Perhaps, the most exciting moment of the tournament for Wellington occurred when Blake Bales scored a huge pin over Camdon Nickelson of Pratt at the 1:49 mark of the match. Bales was down significantly on points and was caught in a headlock.

He was able to escape and eventually put Nickelson in a headlock of his own for a pin.

But Bales victory was followed by a 1-3 run for Wellington in which K. Heacock, Young and Schoemann were eventually eliminated. The heavyweight division was extremely heartbreaking for Schoemann, who lost in a tiebreaker. Schoemann, who had never wrestled at heavyweight in post-season competition, was hoping to return to state and appeared on his way with two quick pins in the early rounds of this tournament.

Unfortunately, he was pinned late in the semifinals to Kendall Davis and then lost 4-3 in a super tiebreaker in a match he had led twice.

Matt McComb secured Wellington third state berth. He, too, was a victim of a tiebreaker in the semifinals losing to Maximus Shannon of Ark City in a sudden death on Friday.

But McComb had a good Saturday, winning by decision against Jace Burdick of Mulvane and then pinning Sevrn Hence of Pratt at 3:31 in the third place bout.

The word “tiebreaker” was a key word, and Wellington was on the short end of them all in this tournament.

Ian Groom was the lone wrestler in the 195-pound championship bout against Hunter Huber of Pratt, losing 3-2 in a match completely scored exclusively on escapes. Both boys scored one escape in regulation and each scored an escape in the first and second overtimes. Huber got the ultimate tiebreaker scoring the final escape.

Elsewhere, both K. Heacock and Young were on the short ends in the consolation semifinals after getting two victories earlier on Saturday. Heacock lost to Juan Terrazas of Ulysses by pin and Young, a state qualifier from a year ago, was decisioned by Britton MacLaughlin of Ark City 6-2. There was a lot of Ark City in this tournament.

FULL GALLERY OF THE WELLINGTON WRESTLERS AT THE ARK CITY REGIONAL CAN BE FOUND HERE. 

The KSHSAA has released the state wrestling brackets. Their first round competitions is as follows:

•Bales (16-20) will wrestle Kolby Roush of Holton(35-6) at 126.

•Groom (35-7) will grapple Chanz Gerleman of LaCynge-Prairie View at 195.

•McComb (24-13) will wrestle Jared Neal of Shawnee-Bishop Miege (17-10) at 220.

See full state tournament brackets here:

The full individual results for Wellington at the Ark City Regional is as follows:

113

Brennan Cantrell (6-5) place is unknown and scored 4.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Nathan Leininger (Hugoton) 27-13 won by decision over Brennan Cantrell (Wellington) 6-5 (Dec 5-3)
• Cons. Round 1 – Brennan Cantrell (Wellington) 6-5 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Brennan Cantrell (Wellington) 6-5 won by fall over Josh Bush (Mulvane) 14-10 (Fall 1:37)
• Cons. Round 3 – Corbyn Pauda (Ulysses) 15-10 won by major decision over Brennan Cantrell (Wellington) 6-5 (MD 11-0)

120

Montana Heacock (10-17) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Dylan Cox (Pratt) 18-16 won by fall over Montana Heacock (Wellington) 10-17 (Fall 1:23)
• Cons. Round 1 – Montana Heacock (Wellington) 10-17 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Dominic Eddie (Ulysses) 18-17 won by forfeit over Montana Heacock (Wellington) 10-17 (For.)

126

Blake Bales (16-20) placed 4th and scored 11.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Blake Bales (Wellington) 16-20 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Blake Bales (Wellington) 16-20 won by decision over Jacob Bush (Mulvane) 19-18 (Dec 7-2)
• Semifinal – Gabe Buckbee (Arkansas City) 34-8 won by tech fall over Blake Bales (Wellington) 16-20 (TF-1.5 4:00 (16-0))
• Cons. Semi – Blake Bales (Wellington) 16-20 won by fall over Camdon Nickelson (Pratt) 7-24 (Fall 1:59)
• 3rd Place Match – Chance Price (Winfield) 21-12 won by fall over Blake Bales (Wellington) 16-20 (Fall 0:54)

132

Quinton Redford (11-14) place is unknown and scored 1.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Jacob Henson (Holcomb) 17-15 won by major decision over Quinton Redford (Wellington) 11-14 (MD 14-4)
• Cons. Round 1 – Quinton Redford (Wellington) 11-14 won by decision over Cody James (Pratt) 13-20 (Dec 9-3)
• Cons. Round 2 – James Lingenfelter (Independence) 20-16 won by decision over Quinton Redford (Wellington) 11-14 (Dec 3-2)

138

Kadin Heacock (22-16) place is unknown and scored 5.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Kadin Heacock (Wellington) 22-16 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Bryant Page (Andover Central) 23-8 won by fall over Kadin Heacock (Wellington) 22-16 (Fall 1:55)
• Cons. Round 2 – Kadin Heacock (Wellington) 22-16 won by major decision over Trevin Biddle (Winfield) 4-17 (MD 10-1)
• Cons. Round 3 – Kadin Heacock (Wellington) 22-16 won by fall over Koen Shanz (Mulvane) 9-9 (Fall 3:40)
• Cons. Semi – Juan Carlos Terrazas (Ulysses) 26-15 won by fall over Kadin Heacock (Wellington) 22-16 (Fall 2:57)

145

Andrew Wolf (17-22) place is unknown and scored 6.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Andrew Wolf (Wellington) 17-22 won by fall over Ceetyn Anderson (Augusta) 10-20 (Fall 4:52)
• Quarterfinal – Kadence Riner (Pratt) 32-4 won by fall over Andrew Wolf (Wellington) 17-22 (Fall 0:46)
• Cons. Round 2 – Andrew Wolf (Wellington) 17-22 won by major decision over Lyric Gonsalves (Clearwater) 6-9 (MD 8-0)
• Cons. Round 3 – Ian Lawson (Independence) 25-17 won by fall over Andrew Wolf (Wellington) 17-22 (Fall 2:11)

170

Kanden Young (27-16) place is unknown and scored 6.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Kanden Young (Wellington) 27-16 won by decision over Brendon Griffin (Augusta) 17-17 (Dec 7-5)
• Quarterfinal – Tanner Johnson (Holcomb) 32-8 won by fall over Kanden Young (Wellington) 27-16 (Fall 1:27)
• Cons. Round 2 – Kanden Young (Wellington) 27-16 won by fall over Cole Swearingen (Independence) 17-18 (Fall 2:27)
• Cons. Round 3 – Kanden Young (Wellington) 27-16 won in sudden victory – 1 over Sebastian Morrissey (Winfield) 14-13 (SV-1 8-6)
• Cons. Semi – Britton MacLaughlin (Arkansas City) 27-15 won by decision over Kanden Young (Wellington) 27-16 (Dec 6-2)

195

Ian Groom (35-7) placed 2nd and scored 20.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Ian Groom (Wellington) 35-7 won by fall over Dalton Collins (Arkansas City) 18-21 (Fall 5:00)
• Quarterfinal – Ian Groom (Wellington) 35-7 won by fall over Dante Duran (Hugoton) 12-12 (Fall 4:24)
• Semifinal – Ian Groom (Wellington) 35-7 won by decision over Brandon Barrager (Coffeyville-Field Kindley) 19-17 (Dec 7-2)
• 1st Place Match – Hunter Huber (Pratt) 25-13 won in the ultimate tie breaker over Ian Groom (Wellington) 35-7 (UTB 3-2)

220

Matt McComb (24-13) placed 3rd and scored 14.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Matt McComb (Wellington) 24-13 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Matt McComb (Wellington) 24-13 won by decision over David Cruz (Hugoton) 13-9 (Dec 6-2)
• Semifinal – Maximus Shannon (Arkansas City) 8-4 won in sudden victory – 1 over Matt McComb (Wellington) 24-13 (SV-1 8-6)
• Cons. Semi – Matt McComb (Wellington) 24-13 won by decision over Jace Burdick (Mulvane) 24-17 (Dec 5-1)
• 3rd Place Match – Matt McComb (Wellington) 24-13 won by fall over Sevren Hance (Pratt) 24-15 (Fall 3:31)

285

Aaron Schoemann (13-8) place is unknown and scored 8.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Aaron Schoemann (Wellington) 13-8 won by fall over Juan Interial (Holcomb) 10-20 (Fall 0:32)
• Quarterfinal – Aaron Schoemann (Wellington) 13-8 won by fall over Kyle Smith (Mulvane) 29-10 (Fall 1:07)
• Semifinal – Kendall Davis (Augusta) 31-6 won by fall over Aaron Schoemann (Wellington) 13-8 (Fall 5:45)
• Cons. Semi – Conner Snell (Clearwater) 32-8 won in tie breaker – 1 over Aaron Schoemann (Wellington) 13-8 (TB-1 4-3)

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