Sand Springs wrestling club takes second at East Regional with twelve champions

Balance Johnson won the Regional Championship for both Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling this weekend in Sapulpa. 

Twenty four members of the Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club competed at the Oklahoma USA East Regional Tournament this weekend in Sapulpa. Twelve of them earned first-place medals and helped their team to a second-place finish overall.

Promised Johnson, Clayton Giddens, Abraham Flores, Christian Forbes, Michael Ritchey, Jaylen Hernandez, Rhett Peak, Ethan White, and Bryce Fisher all brought home first-place medals in one style, while Balance Johnson, Justin Vaughn, and Cole Brooks won their brackets in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Team Big placed second in Novice Freestyle, second in Novice Greco, sixth in Intermediate Freestyle, third in Intermediate Greco, first in Schoolboy Freestyle, third in Schoolboy Greco, eighteenth in Cadet Freestyle, sixth in Junior Freestyle, and second overall. They were runners-up to Threestyle Wrestling out of Catoosa, who entered twelve more competitors than the Sand Springs team.

Junior

Charles Page High School senior State Qualifier Michael Ritchey (16-2 FS, 3-0 GR) won his fourth freestyle tournament of the season at 132 pounds. He teched Perry State Runner-Up Alex Valencia 12-2 and Union’s Caron Watson 17-5.

Cadet

Union Sophomore Jaylen Hernandez took first place in freestyle at 152 pounds. He teched Kody Driskill and Zachary Wattenbarger, then pinned Bryce Jackson in 1:25 and Taylor Pafford in 0:49.

Schoolboy

Justin Vaughn (2-2 FS, 4-1 GR) took first place in both styles at 70 pounds, winning all four of his matches by fall. In freestyle he pinned Caydon Miller in 2:32 and Jacob Caviness in 0:23. In Greco he pinned Miller in 2:00 and 1:06.

Christian Forbes (14-0 FS, 1-3 GR) took first place in freestyle for the fourth-straight week at 84 pounds. He defeated Jayce Caviness 10-6, then teched Riley Trickett 10-0, Rhett Peak 12-2, and Clay Gates 12-1.

Rhett Peak (10-4 FS, 6-0 GR) won his third-straight Greco tournament at 84 pounds, defeating Riley Trickett once by 12-2 tech fall and once by pin in 2:37. He came in runner-up in freestyle, defeating Clay Gates 11-6, Trickett 12-2, and Jayce Caviness 12-2, but falling 12-2 to teammate Christian Forbes.

Cole Brooks (8-1 FS, 7-1 GR) took first place in both styles at 91 pounds. In freestyle he teched Kenneth Adams 10-0 and pinned Timothy Eichler in 0:17. In Greco he pinned Adams in 0:34 and Eichler in 0:57.

Braden Anderson (10-8 FS, 5-8 GR) took third place in freestyle at 112 pounds, defeating Noah Smith 12-6 and Parker Lecoq 12-2, but falling 14-5 to JJ Long.

Ethan White (10-0 FS) won his fourth-straight freestyle tournament at 120 pounds, pinning Luke Young in 2:25 and 0:27.

Bryce Fisher (6-1 FS) won his second-straight freestyle tournament at 136 pounds, defeating Jose Flores 14-5 and 12-7.

Kaden Glass (6-0 FS, 3-0 GR) entered in freestyle at 210 pounds but didn’t draw any competitors.

Intermediate

Promised Johnson (14-4 FS, 6-9 GR) took first place in freestyle at 70 pounds, scoring a 10-0 tech fall against Bobby Brockman and a 15-4 tech of Brody Mills.

Novice

Robert Burke (5-1 FS, 4-3 GR) entered in both styles at 65 pounds but was the only competitor in his weight class. He didn’t get to wrestle but will advance to the State Tournament.

Clayton Giddens (14-0 FS) won his fifth-straight freestyle tournament at 70 pounds with 10-0 tech falls against Zane Donley, Dylan Abbott, and Wesley Madden. He has yet to give up a single point this season.

Abraham Flores (9-4 FS, 9-3 GR) won the Greco title at 100 pounds for the second week in a row, defeating Adrian Flores by tech fall and pin in a best-of-three series. In freestyle he took second place, teching Adrian, but getting teched by Garhett Reese.

Balance Johnson (11-2 FS, 10-1 GR) took first place in both styles at 120 pounds. He teched all four of his opponents 10-0.

Andrew Mullin (3-1 FS) took second place in freestyle at 120 pounds, pinning Hunter Degraffenreid in 3:24, but falling 10-0 to Balance Johnson.