Sand Springs Summer Wrestling: Fix punches ticket to World Championship in Slovakia

Three Sandites competed at the USA Wrestling Freestyle National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota this week.

Oklahoma State University freshman and Charles Page High School graduate Daton Fix won a best-of-three series against Arizona State freshman Brandon Courtney, a three-time undefeated high school State Champion.

Fix dealt his foe a pair of technical falls at 11-0 and 10-0 to secure his spot on the Junior World Team. The defending Junior Freestyle World Champion, Fix attempted to dethrone Senior World Silver Medalist Thomas Gilman last month. Gilman won the two matches 6-3 and 2-1.

While Gilman represents the United States in Budapest, Hungary in October, Fix will aim to repeat his Junior Championship in Trnava, Slovakia in September.

CPHS sophomore Carter Young (45-9) got off to a great start at 113 pounds in the Cadet competition, winning his first three matches by technical fall before falling 12-6 to nationally ranked No. 12 Anthony Noto. Christian Forbes (14-2) competed at 94 pounds and went 4-2.

The Cox Business Center in Tulsa recently hosted the Junior National Duals.

The Oklahoma Outlaws placed second in the nation in the Greco-Roman Junior National Duals despite losing two bouts. They placed second in the D Pool, defeating Florida 49-17 and Kansas 40-23 before falling 42-24 to Washington. In the Gold Pool they defeated Ohio 40-27, California 35-30, and Iowa 39-27 before falling 44-21 to Illinois in the finals. Washington fell 44-23 to Illinois in pool play and topped Ohio 35-32 in the 3rd Place Match.

The Outlaws placed fourth in the nation in Junior Freestyle. They started the tournament with five straight wins before falling in the Gold Pool. Oklahoma defeated Georgia 47-16, Pennsylvania 33-31, Nebraska 46-20, Washington 43-22, and North Dakota 44-25. Ohio ended the streak at 38-30 and Illinois won the placement round 50-15. Ohio edged out Minnesota 33-32 for the title. Young went 3-1 in the freestyle competition with two technical falls.

Oklahoma placed sixth at the Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Spokane, Washington, defeating North Carolina Red 78-0, Washington B 64-12, Florida 58-23, and Washington 43-31. They fell 39-35 to Minnesota, 55-20 to Pennsylvania, 44-35 to Illinois, and 40-38 to Kansas. Pennsylvania won the tournament 45-29 over Minnesota.

The Cadet Greco Roman team also placed sixth, defeating Utah 48-33, Colorado 47-28, and Georgia 39-27. They fell 41-38 to Minnesota, 48-27 to Washington, 42-31 to Kansas, and 40-38 to Pennsylvania. Illinois won the tournament 39-36 over Washington.  

Young (35-2 GR) also competed with the Cadet team and finished 4-1 in Freestyle with three tech falls and a pin. His only loss came on criteria. In Greco he went 5-1 with two techs and a pin.

Oklahoma Blue placed fifth at the Schoolboy Freestyle Duals in Indianapolis, Indiana. They defeated South Carolina 82-3, Nebraska 58-22, Minnesota 62-17, Georgia 59-21, and Ohio 42-37. Michigan topped the Okies 41-40, Illinois won 43-33, and Pennsylvania won 45-36. In the placement match the Oklahomans edged out Washington 39-37. Illinois steamrolled Michigan 55-25 for the title.

Team Big wrestler Clayton Giddens-Buttram (17-0) went undefeated with seven technical falls and two pins, outscoring his opponents 83-6. Abraham Flores (17-5) and Ethan White (23-11) won two tech falls apiece.

Oklahoma Red finished sixteenth overall with wins over Tennessee and Maryland. Rhett Peak (19-10) won four of his five matches with two tech falls and a pin. Josey Jernegan (5-6) won three tech falls. Jim Mullin (6-2) won two tech falls.

Oklahoma Red placed ninth in Greco Roman and Oklahoma Blue finished seventeenth. Giddens (9-1) recorded four tech falls and a pin and only lost one decision. Flores (13-8) won one pin and one tech fall, Ethan White (14-4) won three pins, and Peak (13-8) won one tech fall.

The Charles Page High School wrestling facilities are open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. this summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays to all ages. The Sandites have been a top-three team at the OSSAA 6A State Tournament for the past four years, including a State Title in 2017. They will return two State Champions in 2018 under first-year Head Coach Jarrod Patterson.