Seth Jones wins U.S. Junior Open Championship, six Sandites make finals

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Twenty-nine Sand Springs wrestlers competed at the United State Junior Open Championship in Oklahoma City recently. Seth Jones took first place and five other Sandites were runners-up.

Seth Jones (5-0, 13-1) competed in Division Five at 106 pounds and took first place. He pinned Jaxon Schrick (Noble) in 1:23 and Joshua Hernandez (Dumas) in 1:14, then majored Luke Weathers (OWA) 9-0. In the semifinals he edged out Jake Wright (Southmoore) 5-3 in sudden victory overtime, then topped Jacob Adams (Vian) 1-0 in the championship round. 

Jayden Bussell (4-1, 10-3) competed in Division One at 55 pounds and took second place. He pinned Sheldin Kelly (Owasso) in 2:15 in the first round, but was defeated 4-2 by Tristen Jewell in the semifinals. In the consolations he topped Maddox Fields (Wichita) 13-11 and Eli Forwoodson (Digger) 7-4, then challenged Cash Province (OWA) for second and prevailed by pin in 1:44. 

Kaden Glass (4-1, 15-1) competed in Division Five at 200 pounds and took second place. He pinned Thomas Kidd (Westmoore) in 0:47, Logan Cole (Wagoner) in 1:14, and Linkoln Swanson (Piedmont) in 1:25 before falling 4-0 to Ke'Von Curry (OKC) in the finals. He was challenged by consolation finalist Landon Brown (Oologah), but prevailed 7-5. 

Clayton Giddens (3-1, 30-2) competed in Division Four at 64 pounds and took second place. He pinned Collin Taylor (Borger) in 1:29, teched Cameron Orr (Ardmore) 20-5, and scored a 12-2 major decision over Lawson Knox (Marlow) before falling 3-1 to Canon Acklin (Collinsville) in the finals. 

Tabor Reiss (2-1, 11-2) competed in Division One at 37 pounds and took second place. He defeated Wyatt Rooks (Skiatook) 14-8 and Braylyn Lambert (Borger) 6-1 before falling 8-7 to Roman Lopez (Whitted) in the finals. 

Owen Martin (2-1, 17-2) competed in Division Four at 67 pounds and took second place. He teched Mason Hanna (Choctaw) 17-2 and Ayden Blue (Wesley) 18-2 before falling 9-0 to Shawn Ryncarz (Arlington) in the finals. 

Bryce Fisher (5-2, 8-2) competed in Division Four at 120 pounds and took third place. He scored a 14-2 major decision over Brandon Doles (Louisburg), pinned Clayton Vance (Blanchard) in 1:46, and majored Cameron Jackson (Ponca City) 9-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he fell 6-4 to Harley Andrews (Tuttle) in sudden victory overtime and was sent to the consolation bracket. In a rematch with Doles he once more prevailed, this time by fall in 0:58. In the consolation finals he pinned Corey Chilcoat (Catoosa) in 4:06 and challenged Julius Alfaro (Arlington) for second place, but fell in 2:53.

Jaxon Grigsby (4-2, 22-5) competed in Division Two at 46 pounds and took third place. He scored a 17-2 tech fall over Izayiah Chavez (Arlington) and defeated Trusten Lee Douglas (Prodigy) 10-6 before falling 5-0 to Jaxon Randle (Chickasha). In the consolation semifinals he topped Aberic Scott (Threestyle) 8-5 and teammate Will Meredith 6-3 for third place. In the second-place challenge round he fell 7-0 to to Mason Burnham (Catoosa). 

Blake Jones (5-2, 11-5) competed in Division Five at 98 pounds and took fourth place. He defeated Dregen Murray (Tironook) 7-4 and teched  Gunner Jarvinen (StandFast) 16-1 before falling 9-0 to Gabriel Valencia (Perry). In the consolations he defeated Caleb Odell (Blackwell) 5-0, Parker Brown (Tuttle) 6-0, and Braden Drake (Wagoner) 2-1 to earn his way into the finals where he was once more pitted against Valencia. This time he fell 2-0. 

Scott Patton (3-2) competed in Division Five at 126 pounds and took fourth place. He defeated teammate Brett Black 4-2 and pinned Kyler Damron (Division Bell) in 2:30 before falling 4-0 to Zachary Carpenter (Rockstar) in the semifinals. In the consolation semifinals he edged out Wyatt Hartley (Blue T Xtreme) 4-2 in sudden victory overtime, but came out on bottom of a 9-8 decision to Chandler Holman (Choctaw) in the finals. 

Will Meredith (3-2, 18-4) competed in Division Two at 46 pounds and took fourth place. He scored a 7-0 decision over Xane Sweatt (Arlington) and majored Robert Salas (StandFast) 16-2 before being pinned in 4:15 by Mason Burnham. In the consolations he was rematched with Sweatt and prevailed 13-0, but fell 6-3 to teammate Jaxon Grigsby. 

Jackson Martin (2-2, 13-5) competed in Division Three at 52 pounds and took fourth place. He defeated Kaedin Herendeen (Guthrie) 3-0 in the opening round before falling 8-7 to Canaan Brummett (Chickasha). In the consolation bracket he majored Evan Colbert (StandFast) 9-0 before falling 2-0 in a rematch with Herendeen. 

Jaxon Trotter (3-2, 21-17) competed in Division Three at 85 pounds and took fifth place. He defeated Jared Law (El Reno) 9-2 and and Laker Ingram (Blackwell) 4-0 before falling in 1:28 to LaDarion Lockett (Cowboy WC). In the consolations he fell 5-0 to Jacob Martin (RAW) but defeated Kevin McBride (Native) 8-5 for fifth place. 

Brett Black (4-2, 9-3) competed in Division Five at 126 pounds but failed to place. He majored Will Hilton (Tecumseh) 11-0 in the first round before falling 4-2 to teammate Scott Patton. In the consolations he topped Jaxon Flaming (StandFast) 4-0 and Mikey Rice (Wagoner) 3-2 before falling 5-2 to Kyler Damron (Division Bell). 

Hunter Spencer (2-2, 15-8) competed in Division Two at 61 pounds, but failed to place. He pinned Brody Donnelly (Elgin) in 2:43 in the opening round, but was then pinned in 1:00 by Jaedan Adams (Cowboy WC). In the consolations he defeated Bowdy Thomason (Blackwell) 6-5, but was eliminated by Gunner Murray (Claremore) in sudden overtime by 8-6 decision. 

Adrian Flores (2-2, 16-13) competed in Division Three at 100 pounds, but failed to place. He fell 3-1 to Hank Puckett (RAW) in the opening round, but worked his way through the consolation bracket by pinning Landon Bart (Catoosa) in 2:59 and scoring a 5-2 decision over Malachi Lorne (Clinton) before falling 2-0 to Ritson Meyer (Chickasha).

Joshua Spurgeon (2-2, 18-6) competed in Novice Division C at 58 pounds and took third place. He defeated Jack Ensey (Duncan) 7-5 in sudden victory overtime and majored Donavin Mills (Perry) 10-2 before falling 1-0 to Gavin Sims (Lil Rebels). In the consolations he was edged out 3-2 by Aydin Machado (Cushing). 

Matthew Moore (3-2, 19-5) competed in Novice Division C at 61 pounds and took fifth place. He majored Tuff Burney (Chickasha) 14-0 and Carson Owen (Ardmore) 9-0, but 13-2 to Mason Dobbs (Newcastle) and was pinned in 0:18 by Max McDaniel (OWA). 

London McGinnis (3-3, 17-10) competed in Novice Division A at 46 pounds and took sixth place. He defeated Brooklyn Wright (Henryetta) 6-0, teched Konnor Wiens (Bethel) 16-1, and pinned Kyson Kinney (Southmoore) in 2:33 before falling in 0:14 to Kruz Delgado (OWA). In the consolations he was defeated 5-0 by Ty Whitlock (Harrah) and was pinned in 1:21 by Coulter Taylor (Borger). 

Jesse Moore (3-2, 13-9) competed in Novice Division C at 80 pounds, but didn't place. He pinned Dakota High (Guthrie) in 1:21, majored Connor Royal (Weatherford) 12-0, and won a 4-0 decision over Ayden Thelin (Choctaw), but was pinned in 0:53 by Kaden Ford (Maverick) and in 1:24 by Peighton Mullins (Muskogee). 

Jayden Pait (2-2, 8-4) competed in Novice Division D at 70 pounds, but didn't place. He pinned Brian Brown (Hard Knox) in 0:42 and defeated Cole Loudermilk (Bethel) 6-1, but fell 13-1 to Derick Garcia (Bluejay) and was pinned in 1:49 by Jim Watkins (Bristow).