Area wrestling roundup for Dec. 16: Kernels score four winners at Sioux Falls Washington Invite

Dec. 17—SIOUX FALLS — Three champions and a second-place finish helped Mitchell's girls wrestling team finish atop the team points standings on Saturday at the Sioux Falls Washington Invitational.

On the girls side of the event, Mitchell's Frankie Kranz won the four-wrestler round-robin bracket at 120 pounds, all with pins in a total time of 7 minutes and 27 seconds. (Kranz was the only wrestler to record three pins on the day.) Danny Borja also won her round-robin bracket at 132 pounds, earning two wins and a forfeit for the title to improve to 12-1 on the season.

Taylor DeJong won the 165-pound bracket, which was only DeJong and Vermillion's Blair Merkwan, with DeJong emerging on top of a best-of-three series by finishing 2-1 with a pair of pins. McKyla Linke finished second at 114 pounds, as well, but finished 0-2 in a head-to-head with Washington's Payton Raastad.

Among the six girls teams on hand, Mitchell scored 53 points, ahead of second-place Yankton with 38 points and Sioux Falls Roosevelt with 21.

For the boys, Mitchell's Rocky Clark continued his strong start to the season on Saturday with an individual championship at the Sioux Falls Washington Invitational wrestling tournament.

Clark, who is now 9-2, won with a pin in the first match, a 2-1 ultimate tiebreaker win over Sioux Falls Jefferson's Noah Duran in the semifinals and then a third-period pin over Yankton's Edly Amaro for the championship.

Mitchell finished fifth as a team in the seven-team boys event, scoring 120.5 points. Watertown won the title easily with 248.5 points, followed by Sioux Falls Jefferson (155), Yankton (154) and Vermillion (129.5).

Seven of the Kernels' nine boys wrestlers performed and finished in the top four of their division. Seth Foote (215) took second place, with a 2-1 day which included pins in his first two matches and then a 4-1 loss to Vermillion's Rollie French in the championship.

Penn Long (132) finished third, while Blaze Sevigny (106), Kale Hofer (113), Dax Gukeisen (126) and Kellan Odell (157).

The Kernels also had success at the Cossack Avalanche tournament in Volga. Noah Bennett wins the 113-pound weight class with a 6-0 decision in the championship, while Cannon Zoss won the 138-pound class with a 2-1 decision in the championship round. Samurai Wright took third place at the event at 150 pounds and Damien Rieger was fourth for the Kernels at 215 pounds.

Also in Volga, Chamberlain's Chisum Blum finished first at 175 pounds. Mario Oliva-Gaytan, of Chamberlain, took second place at 126 pounds.

Mitchell is back in action on Monday, Dec. 18, hosting a quadrangular with Rapid City Central, Sioux Falls Jefferson and West Central.

PLANKINTON, S.D. — Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes had four individual champions on Saturday at the Mount Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney wrestling tournament, claiming the team title. Redfield Area (149), Burke/Gregory (141.5), MVPCS (138) and Stanley County (133.5) rounded out the top-five.

Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes' Kasen Konstanz won the 126-pound title with a 5-2 decision over McCook Central/Montrose's Trystan Traupel. Gavin Braun remained undefeated on the season for the Wildkats, moving to 10-0 with a third-period pin over Redfield's Conner Zens in the 132-pound title round. KWLPG's Iden Myers won the 144-pound title with a 5-3 decision over MVPCS' Paxton Nedved, improving to 10-0 on the season. Lucas Lenz won the 165-pound title for KWLPG over MVPCS' Tate Tolsma with a third-period pin. Johnny Lenz finished second at 138 pounds for KWLPG, with Joseph Skluzak doing the same at 157 pounds.

MVPCS' Landon Boyd won at the Titans' home tournament with a 3-2 decision at 150 pounds over KWLPG's Cartern Konechne. The Titans' Aiden Novak finished second at 285 pounds, as well.

Burke/Gregory's Judd Hansen improved to 16-1 on the season with a technical fall victory in the 106-pound championship match over Redfield Area's Maddon Odland. Teammate Kade Braun was second at 215 pounds for the Storm.

Marion/Freeman's Easton Tschetter improved to 15-0 on the season with a 120-pound title, including a 7-0 decision in the title round over KWLPG's Vincent Lenz. Brody Gossen finished second at 113 pounds for the Rebels.

McCook Central/Montrose's Carter Randall improved to 15-0 on the season with an individual title at 175 pounds, winning 3-2 over Stanley County's Colton Brady.

ELK POINT, S.D. — Three area wrestlers earned individual championships at the Elk Point-Jefferson Invitational on Saturday.

Wagner's Karstyn Lhotak won the 138-pound bracket with a second-period pin in the finals, while Jhett Breen won the 165-pound bracket with a pin at the end of the first period.

Kolter Kramer, of Parkston, won the 190-pound bracket by topping Wagner's Gannon Knebel by a 3-2 decision

Ryvr Larson, of Bon Homme/Avon, was second at 106 pounds, and teammate Randall Powers finished second at 285 pounds. Parkston's Carter Sommer was second at 157 pounds.

Canton finished as the team champion with 215 points, followed by Hinton (Iowa) with 197.5 points, Parker in third at 154 points and Bon Homme/Avon at 149 points for fourth place.

VALENTINE, Neb. — Winner Area went over the border on Saturday and came back with second place at the Valentine Invitational, powered by three weight-class champions.

The Warriors finished with 202.5 points, only behind Cozad (Neb.), which scored 223 points.

Winner Area's Roukyn Robbins won the 113-pound weight class, improving to 13-4 in his seventh-grade season, with teammate Maxton Brozik doing the same at 126 pounds and moving to 14-2 on the season. At 175, Kellen Cihak-Brozik won the bracket title with a win by decision.

The Warriors also had Karson Keiser in the championship round at 138 pounds, finishing in second place.

MADISON, S.D. — Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon's standout wrestlers both remained perfect on Saturday at the Madison Girls Wrestling Invitational.

Britney Rueb improved to 6-0 on the season with a first-period fall in the championship match at 132 pounds to finish as an individual champion. Teammate Peyton Hellmann moved to 13-0 at 138 pounds with a third-period pin to win her division.

McCook Central/Montrose's Alexis Bryant finished second at 120 pounds, having to injury default in her championship match to Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda's Aubrey Jensen.

At 152 pounds, Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes' Elena Brennan finished in second place, as Rapid City Stevens' Marieda Kalahar won the title match with a third-period pin. Canistota's Lily Montgomery finished second at 185 pounds for the Hawks.

Harrisburg won the team title with 114 points, edging Brookings (106), VHIW (101) and Rapid City Stevens (100).