Youth Wrestling: Sand Springs places third at State Tournament with 7 Champions

The Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club sent thirty athletes to compete at the Oklahoma USA Youth Wrestling League State Championship in Norman last weekend and seven brought home first-place medals in their divisions.

The Sandites placed third out of 87 teams, trailing Edmond's Oklahoma Wrestling Academy (OWA), and the Cowboy Wrestling Club from Stillwater. Team Big placed second in Open Division One and third in Open Division Four.

The YWL offers five Open age divisions and four Novice divisions, each with several weight classes amounting to 129 total brackets. The Sandites competed in only 27 of these and still amassed 168 points. OWA sent 93 competitors and finished with 355 points. Stillwater also sent thirty and had 203 points. Sand Springs placed higher than eight other teams with equal or larger teams. 

Division 4

Michael Jones (6-2) won the 64-pound bracket and needed only two points to do it. After getting a bye in the quarterfinals, he won 1-0 decisions against Iziah Tusler and teammate Zander Grigsby (10-7). Grigsby defeated Max McDaniel 11-3 and Jason Goodin 2-1 before falling to Jones, then won a 2-0 decision against Tusler. 

Clayon Gidens-Buttram (17-2) took first place at seventy pounds, pinning Damon Ingram in 1:07 and majoring Gage Walker 9-0. 

Grady Mittasch (7-3) won the 73-pound bracket entirely by fall, pinning Madden Smith in 0:39, Cason Rumley in 0:24, and Andrew Havens in 2:53.

Division 3

Jaxon Grigsby (14-5) won the 52-pound bracket with two decisions and two major decisions. He defeated Parker Warren 12-2, Jake Noble 14-1, Cooper Jackson 4-2, and Devin McCarty 5-2.

Jaxon Trotter (22-6) won the hundred-pound bracket by defeating Gunner Tate 9-0, Gavin Salt 3-0, Cale McPeek 8-3, and pinning Braedyn Markel in 27 seconds. 

Nation Johnson (6-4) placed fourth at 85 pounds, defeating Danny Robinson and Skylar Redelk 6-4, but falling 5-2 to Brady Brewer and 14-0 to Ty Thrasher. 

Division 2

Kasen McAffrey (11-1) came in runner-up at seventy pounds, pinning Payson Robinson in 0:13 and Blaze Black (Duncan) in 2:05, but falling in 0:52 to Jaedan Adams.

Promised Johnson (9-2) defeated Colten Stevens 10-3 before falling 2-1 to Berryhill’s Carter Wood. He worked his way through consolation by defeating Maddox Riffe 9-5 and pinning Colton Flynt in 1:20, then pinned Jakiyas Peterson in 2:36 in the second-place challenge match. 

Jayden Bussell (16-10) placed third at 64 pounds. He defeated Maddix Wooten 4-0 and pinned Elijah Davis in 2:05, but lost a 2-2 ultimate tie-breaker to Sonny Hicks. In consolation he majored Cooper Miller 9-0 and pinned Gage Goodwin in 1:00, but lost his second-place challenge match to Levi Dicksion. 

Division 1

Asher Giddens (18-4) won the 46-pound bracket with three decisions and a 41-second fall against Landon Hodge. He defeated Shawn Ware 5-2, Maddox Masters 9-4, and Parker Ingram 3-0 in the finals.

Bentley Cole (5-4) placed second at 43 pounds, defeating Landon Goodgion 4-3 and Rowden Benavidez 8-7 before falling 11-0 to Jaegar RomanNose in the finals.

Novice 4

Jesse Moore (4-7) placed second at 84 pounds, defeating Adyson Lewis 7-0 and Braden Pride 6-2 before falling 2-1 to Tod Brakebill in the finals.

Novice 3

Lane Bailey (12-1) won the 61-pound division, pinning Uriah Hooks in 0:55 and Jake Montetathchi in 2:35, and winning a 9-4 decision over Julian Aguilar.

Henry Hill (7-2) came in runner-up at 64 pounds with two 10-0 major decisions and a 6-1 decision over Marshal Mansfield before falling to Harrah’s John Barker in the finals. Tanner Copeland (6-3) placed third, falling to Barker in the opening round, but rebounded with four-straight wins. He pinned Marshal Mansfield in fifteen seconds, Kolby Robertson in 27, and Garrett Justice in 41, and won a 3-0 decision over Ava Granados. 

Novice 2

Griffin Sensintaffar (6-2) placed fourth at 52 pounds, falling 4-0 to Tommy Parker in the consolation finals. He previously majored Parker 17-8 in the second round after pinning his first opponent, but fell 5-3 to Alanzo Rigal in the semifinals. He majored Tucker Daniels 13-3 in the consolation semis.