Hughes, Durossette finish fifth at State wrestling

SALINA -- Fort Scott High School junior Victor Hughes and sophomore Jake Durossette earned fifth-place medals Saturday at the Kansas Class 4A State Wrestling Tournament here.

Hughes, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A at 138 pounds by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association,lost his first match Saturday afternoon, a 3-1 decision to Columbus' Taylor Watkins. He then shut out sixth-ranked Asher Huseman of Tonganoxie, 5-0, in the fifth-place match. Hughes finished the season with 42-6 record. Watkins went on to take the third-place match, 5-0, over fourth-ranked Taylor Miller of Andale.

Senior Konnor Kriss of Colby, who defeated Watkins in the first round and Hughes in the championship semifinal Friday, won his fourth State medal and second State championship by beating third-ranked Austin Hughey of El Dorado, 5-0, in the championship match. Kriss won last year's 130-pound title and was third at 119 as a sophomore and at 103 as a freshman.

Durossette, fourth ranked at 132 pounds, had to wrestle more matches Saturday as he lost earlier in the championship bracket. He began the day with a 3-2 win over Parsons senior Thatcher Murdock. In the next round, he beat Larned senior Brandon Lewis, 6-3.

Colby senior Michael Tubbs defeated Durossette, 6-4, in the consolation semifinal. But Durossette went on to beat fifth-ranked El Dorado junior Kyle Macy in the fifth-place match, 6-1, to finish the season at 30-7. Second-ranked Aaron Engles of Andale defeated Tubbs, 3-2, in the third-place match. Third-ranked Baldwin senior Andrew Morgan shut out top-ranked Wamego junior Kyle Wilson in the final, 6-0.

Four other Tigers wrestled at least once Saturday. Sophomore Jerad Heckman won his first match over sixth-ranked Abilene freshman Seth Strauss, 6-0, at 126 pounds but was pinned by fourth-ranked Smoky Valley senior Alex Wolf in his next match to end his stay.

Towanda-Circle senior Yancy Edson pinned third-ranked Concordia senior Taelor Mendenhall in the fifth-place match. Wolf, who lost just three matches this season, went on to beat fifth-ranked Jake Wilson of Rose Hill, 2-0, in the third-place match. Top-ranked Louisburg senior Austin Hood finished a perfect season at 40-0 when he pinned second-ranked Baldwin junior Bryce Shoemaker in the championship match. Hood was the 119-pound champion last season and the 103 champ as a sophomore. He was fourth at 103 as a freshman.

Junior John Metcalf was eliminated from the tournament in his only Saturday match, an 8-6 verdict to Kansas City-Sumner senior Jaysson Tansey at 170 pounds. Andale junior Levi Eck, ranked No. 1 coming into the tournament, won the championship of this bracket when he shut out third-ranked Lenexa St. James sophomore Trent Salsbury, 7-0, in the finals. This was the first State medal for Eck, 40-1.

Senior Christian Tavenaro was also eliminated in one match Saturday at 182. He lost to fourth-ranked Jake Bradley of Prairie View, 7-1. Top-ranked Abilene senior Kane Kelly (40-2) won the championship by pinning second-ranked DeSoto senior Cole Cannon in the finals.

Sixth-ranked senior Dane Cummings also wrestled once at 195. Colby junior Troy Quenzer took a 7-2 decision in consolation. Top-ranked McPherson senior Taylor Krier defeated third-ranked Rose Hill senior Eastin Dockers in the finals, 6-2.

Andale won its second consecutive team title with 99 points. Colby, the 2009 champ, finished second with 96.5 with Bonner Springs following with 92.5 and Southeast Kansas League rival Pittsburg fourth with 80. Fort Scott finished 22nd with 27.5 points.

Southeast Kansas League wrestlers won three titles. Pittsburg's Aaron Seybold defeated Bonner Springs' Johnathan Blackwell, 2-1, in the 145-pound final. He was the Class 5A champ at 135 pounds last season.

Chanute's senior Sam Son also completed an undefeated season (44-0) when he defeated Clay Center sophomore Gavin Grater in the 160-pound final, 5-2. Son was last year's third-place finisher at 152.

Pittsburg senior Broc Bennett claimed the 285-pound title with a 3-1 win over McPherson senior Zach Lanning. Bennett finished fifth in Class 5A last season.