College Wrestling: Jack and Cody Karstetter place 1st and 3rd at OCU Open

2017 State Champion Jack Karstetter won his first college tournament this past weekend. (Photo: Scott Emigh). 

Charles Page High School graduates and All-State wrestling brothers Jack and Cody Karstetter have been reunited at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College after two years apart. 

Jack (5-0) graduated CPHS in 2017 and made his college debut with a 133-pound First Place finish in the Freshman/Sophomore division. The former 6A State Champion swept the competition with two pins, two decisions, and one major decision. He took down Waylon Holman in 2:57 and Gage Gomez in 3:47, then decisioned Marcelino Lopez 8-4. In the semifinals he majored Ryan Chavez 19-7, then topped James Tann Cole 11-4 in the championship round.

Cody (5-1 season, 12-6 career), a 2015 CPHS graduate and State Runner-Up, spent two seasons at the NCAA Division I level. He signed with the University of North Carolina TarHeels and went 6-3. He placed sixth at the Virginia Tech Hokie Open, then took second at the Wolfpack Open. He transferred to the University of Oklahoma last season and went 1-2 after a season-ending injury.

On Sunday he competed at 141 pounds in the Freshman/Sophomore division and took third place. He pinned his first two opponents, Ernest Caldwell in 1:49 and Jacob Blumenthal in 4:18, and won a 6-4 decision over Nate Keim. In the semifinals he was majored 13-2 by Oklahoma State University freshman and four-time undefeated State Champion Kaden Gfeller, who went on to win the bracket with a 14-2 major decision. In the Consolation bracket he pinned Darian Manzanares in 1:14 and Brandon Conrad in 6:23. 

NEO is a two-year junior college in Miami, Oklahoma. The Golden Norsemen finished last season with a 14-1 record and placed third in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) National Championships. They will return to action this Saturday at the Bethany Swede Open in Lindsburg, Kansas and will host Neosho County Community College in their first dual on Tuesday, November 14th. 

Class of 2015 graduate and Oklahoma Wesleyan freshman Kyler Childers (0-3) competed at 285 pounds in the Freshman/Sophomore division. Childers was a three-time State placer for the Sandites and signed with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M his senior year but never competed. This is the first year of the Wesleyan wrestling program, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles will travel to Bristol, Tennessee next weekend for the King University Open.

Caleb Basma and Cody Randall place third at Golden Norsemen Open

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Two members of the Charles Page High School Class of 2015 have continued their impressive athletic careers at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. The Golden Norsemen (14-1) are currently ranked first in the nation in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Cody Randall (13-11) and Caleb Basma (18-13) were lightweight members of the Sandite varsity squad. Both were State Qualifiers their senior years, and Randall placed third at State and made the All-State Dual Team.

NEO entered the season ranked tenth, and made a big statement in the opening week of dual season. First they shut out Neosho 46-0, then they hammered No. 3 Labette 45-3. The Sandites didn't wrestle those first two duals, but they've worked their way into the lineup since then.

The Norsemen took on No. 20 ranked Barton on November 15th and rolled to a commanding 41-6 victory as both Sandites picked up wins. Randall scored a 10-2 major decision over Greg Bentley in the opening match, then Basma had the biggest win of the night in a 5-4 upset decision over No. 4 Caysen Smith. 

From there the Norsemen steamrolled Wentworth 60-0 and picked up the number one ranking in the NJCAA the following week. On January 5th Basma scored a 7-6 decision over James Taylor as the Norsemen defeated No. 17 NW Kansas Tech 38-3 at Dual Nationals. The Norsemen made it to the finals before falling 23-9 to Clackamas Community College.

On January 13th NEO traveled to Kearney, Nebraska for the UNK Midwest Duals and swept the tournament with five wins by a combined 215-30. The Norsemen hammered No. 7 Otero 42-9, aided by Randall with a 2-1 decision over Adrian Cordova. Basma topped Stuart Brandt 9-5 in a 34-12 victory over Jamestown, then beat Jesus Morales 8-4 in a 48-0 shutout of No. 15 NW Kansas Tech. 

Basma currently leads the entire team in reversals this season with 9, and Randall is fifth with 5. 

Basma placed in his first college tournament back in November at the Joe Parisi Open with a split record. He topped Berkeley Todd (Ellsworth CC) 5-2, pinned Clay Vincent (University of Oklahoma) in 1:17, and scored an 8-5 decision over JD Higdon (Hannibal-Lagrange) before suffering three-straight losses and taking sixth place.

Last weekend Basma came in Runner-Up at the Roger Denker Open in Warrensburg, Missouri at the University of Central Missouri. He defeated the home team's John Feeney 7-4, pinned Tyler Brown (Baker University) in 3:20, then beat Weston Cronan (Ouachita Baptist) 8-4 before falling 4-1 to Brandon Matlock of Grand View Iowa. 

Randall placed in his first college tournament this weekend at NEO's Golden Norsemen Open. Both Randall and Basma took third in their team's home tournament. 

Basma lost his opening match 19-4 to Oklahoma State freshman Gary Wayne Harding, but won out from there with four close decisions. He topped Dakota Bromley (Ouachita Baptist) 3-1 and Michael Sanchez (UCO) 8-4. Two matches went into overtime and Basma defeated Aaron Hane (UCO) 3-2 in a tie-breaker and took down Wyatt Alvis (Fort Hayes) 3-1 in sudden-victory to make his way to the consolation finals. In the placement match he prevailed 6-4 over Noah McQuigg of UCO.

Randall pinned his way to success, finishing four matches in only 6:24. He topped Christian Haynes (Bacone) in 0:20 and Tre Ponce (Labette) in 0:42 before falling 8-5 to Tim Null (UCO). In the consolations he pinned Westone Cronan (Ouachita) in 0:27 and Reid Pfiefer (Bacone) in 4:55.

The Golden Norsemen Open was the regular season finale for NEO, and the Norsemen will return to action February 11th at the NJCAA West-Central District Qualifier in Pratt, Kansas. If Basma or Randall qualify there, they will advance to the National Championships at Council Bluffs, Iowa on February 24th. 

CPHS grads Caleb Basma and Cody Randall pick up wins for No. 10 NEO

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Two members of the Charles Page High School Class of 2015 are making names for themselves at No. 10 ranked Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The defending NJCAA National Champions are undefeated at 3-0 for the season and both Sandites have picked up wins in their first year on the dual team.

The Norsemen shut out Neosho Community College 46-0, then dominated Labette Community College 45-3. Caleb Basma (5-5 season, 11-15 career) and Cody Randall (4-4, 10-16) got their start for the season at the Maryville-Kaufman-Brand Open.

Basma competed at 133 pounds in the Amateur division and won his first match of the season by 8-4 decision over Baker University junior Tyler Brown (0-2). In round two he gave up a 3:00 pin to Maryville freshman Taylor Jokerst (8-0), who went on to win the bracket. In the consolations he was eliminated in a close 3-1 sudden victory decision to teammate Calib Freeman (5-1).

Randall competed at 125 pounds in the Amateur division and also went 1-3 in the Kaufman Open. He lost his first match in a close 3-2 decision to McKendree University sophomore Jarrett Reisenbichler (2-3, 8-13), but rebounded with a 10-0 major decision over Drury University freshman Bryant Clay (2-4) before being eliminated 6-4 by Missouri Valley freshman Johnny Arreola (6-4).

The two Sandites made their first dual appearances against Barton Community College (1-2) and helped their team to a 41-6 victory. Randall defeated freshman Greg Bentley (0-1) by 11-2 major decision. Basma defeated sophomore Caysen Smith (1-2) by 6-4 decision. 

Last week, at the Joe Parisi Open, Randall split 2-2 while Basma went 3-3 for sixth place.

Randall won a pair of major decisions to start, winning 10-2 over McKendree University freshman Jet Tryon (2-2) and 13-3 over Limestone College freshman Majid Corbit (4-5). He met his match in University of Oklahoma freshman Zach Atencio (3-3) in a 9-2 decision, then was eliminated after a 6-5 loss to Williams Baptist College freshman Robert Fairchild (7-4).

Basma started off with a 5-2 decision over Ellsworth Community College's Berkely Todd, then pinned University of Oklahoma freshman Clay Vincent (0-4) in 1:17. Next to fall was Hannival-LaGrange freshman JD Higdon after an 8-5 decision. Basma's streak came to a close as he once again fell to Taylor Jokerst, this time in a close 3-1 decision. From there he lost 6-2 to Ellsworth sophomore Blake Walker (5-1, 28-17) and 6-5 to Central Oklahoma freshman Rio Zamora (6-2).

The Golden Norsemen will return to action next Tuesday when they take on Wentworth Military Academy (0-4) at home. 

Sandites Cody Randall and Caleb Basma continue career at No.1 ranked NEO

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Two Sandites are now part of the No.1 ranked team in the National Junior College Athletics Association in their freshman year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. Cody Randall (6-12) and Caleb Basma (6-10) graduated from Charles Page High School in 2015 with 38-7 and 10-8 records respectively. Both were 2015 State Qualifiers and Randall was named to the All-State team after placing third at the State Championship. 

No.1 NEO (12-2) placed third at the NWCA NJCAA Dual Nationals in Fort Wayne, Indiana in January. Neither of the two freshmen got to participate in that event. Randall did get to wrestle two matches at the UNK Midwest Duals at the Buffalo County Expo Center in Kearney Nebraska where NEO went undefeated. 

Both Randall and Basma won matches at the Maryville Kaufman Open and the Joe Parisi Open, though neither has managed to place in a collegiate tournament thus far. 

Basma's younger brother, Zane, is currently 29-10 this season at CPHS and just helped his team to their first ever Dual State Championship finals appearance after going undefeated before falling 41-18 to Choctaw.