Sand Springs wrestling club earns 9 first-place medals at Owasso tournament

Twenty three members of the Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club competed at the Oklahoma USA Wrestling tournament in Owasso last weekend. Clayton Giddens, Balance Johnson, Abraham Flores, Jackson Martin, Rhett Peak, Michael Ritchey, Kaleb Tabor, and Ethan White all won first place medals in either Freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling. Peak took first place in both styles.

Team Big meets Monday and Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. in the Charles Page High School wrestling room, and is open to wrestlers from the surrounding areas in addition to Sandites. 

Junior

Charles Page High School senior State Qualifier Michael Ritchey (14-2 FS, 3-0 GR) took first place in freestyle for the third time this spring at 126 pounds. He teched Tristan Herrera 13-2, then topped Perry State-Placer Alex Valencia 9-2 before teching Tahlequah State Runner-Up Jakob Lyons 10-0 in the finals.

Kaleb Tabor (7-3 FS, 0-2 GR) won his first tournament of the season in freestyle at 160 pounds. He pinned Jace Nicholas in 2:40 and Jonathan Ashby in 0:51.

Cadet

Sam Harris (3-6 FS, 3-3 GR) took third place in Greco at 132 pounds, pinning Cale Crawford in 2:31 and Blake Salt in 2:17.

Kyle Tucker (3-4 FS, 1-3 GR) took fourth place in freestyle at 120 pounds. He teched Bryen Richardson 12-0.

Schoolboy

Rhett Peak (7-3 FS, 4-0) took first place in both styles at 84 pounds. He teched all five of his opponents, giving up only two points total.

Owen Martin (2-2 FS) took first place in freestyle at 70 pounds with a pair of tech falls.

Ethan White (8-0 FS) continued his undefeated summer with a first-place finish in freestyle. He teched Trinit Zweifel 10-0 then pinned Ashondra Valencia in 1:48.

Justin Zane Vaughn (0-2 FS, 2-1 GR) took second place in both styles at 70 pounds. In freestyle he drew only one opponent and lost a pair of tech falls, but in Greco he teched Zayne Lewis 12-2 and Ethan Freer 16-6 before falling to Peak in the finals.

Clay Gates (7-10 FS, 0-1 GR) took second place in freestyle at 84 pounds. He teched Zayne Lewis 18-6 and Kaiser Simpson 12-1 before falling 8-0 to Peak.

Braden Anderson (8-7 FS, 4-6 GR) took second place in freestyle at 112 pounds. He teched Tyler Thompson 10-0, then topped Noah Smith 13-10 before falling 12-2 to JJ Long.

Intermediate

Promised Johnson (12-4 FS, 6-7 GR) took third place in freestyle at 70 pounds, pinning Bobby Brockman in 1:02 and topping Cash Mayfield in a 16-14 shootout. In Greco he drew only one opponent and was pinned twice by Brody Mills.

Nation Johnson (6-5 FS, 7-5 GR) took third place in freestyle at 80 pounds, pinning Ryder Seago in 2:48. In Greco he was teched twice, but received an injury default for third place.

Novice

Clayton Giddens (11-0 FS) continued his perfect streak this season with his tenth-straight technical fall for first place in freestyle at 70 pounds. He scored three 10-0 tech falls in Owasso and hasn’t given up a single point this season.

Balance Johnson (9-2 FS, 8-1 GR) took first place in Greco and second in freestyle at 100 pounds. In freestyle he was pinned in his opening match but rebounded with a pair of tech falls. In Greco he pinned Zeke Keith in 0:38 and teched Hunter Degraffenreid 10-0.

Abraham Flores (8-3 FS, 7-3 GR) took first place in Greco and third in freestyle at 100 pounds. In freestyle he won his opening match by tech fall, but lost the next by a single point. In Greco he teched both of his opponents 10-0.

Jaxon Trotter (3-2 FS, 1-3 GR) took second place in both styles at 90 pounds. In freestyle he pinned Payton Zweifel in 1:41 and topped teammate Kyler Tabor 9-5 before falling 9-4 to Gavin Salt in the finals. In Greco he pinned Zweifel in 0:49, but was pinned in 2:53 by Salt.

Kyler Tabor (1-2 FS) took third place in freestyle at 90 pounds, pinning Zweifel in 2:15.