Local wrestlers qualify for State Tourney slated for this weekend

Sedgwick County–Fleming coaches were very pleased with their team's performance this past weekend at the 2A Region 3 Regional Tournament held at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling. The team finished in fourth place and qualified five wrestlers for State with seven placers out of the nine wrestlers that participated in the tournament.

The team finished with 123.5 points behind Wray, Highland and Yuma with all team members scoring points for the team.

The five State qualifiers include 106-pound freshman Jack Bornhoft, 113-pound junior Marco Martinez, 120-pound senior Isaiah Martinez, 126-pound sophomore Hayden Burr and 195-pound junior Fabian Lopez who also won his 100th high school career win on Saturday.

Individual results of wrestlers competing out of Fleming and Haxtun at the Regional Tournament are as follows:

Bornhoft defeated Bradley Robinson of Gilpin County with a fall in 2:21 and Andrew Hannigan of Platte Canyon with a fall in :38. These two wins guaranteed him a trip to the Pepsi Center. Bornhoft's opponent in the finals was Brady Collins of Wray. He was defeated by Collins by fall.

Sophomore Hayden Burr finished in second place at 126 pounds. Burr defeated Nanen Aguilar of Burlington with a 15-0 tech fall. He then defeated Braden Smith of Yuma in a close, 7-6, match which advanced him to the 126-pound Championship match against Dante Chiricingo of Highland. Burr was defeated by Chiricingo, 10-0.

132-pound sophomore Joel Muller lost his first-round match to Lucas Hefner of Highland by fall. He then battled back in a match that he was trailing in and pinned Dillon Schmidt of Wray in 4:36 for the win which kept his hopes alive. Muller then lost his next match against Jesus Hernandez of Burlington, 15-1, putting Joel in for fifth and sixth. Muller defeated Noah Hartman of Platte Canyon with a fall in 2:05 for a fifth place finish.

The coaches are excited to see what these young men can do this next week at the Pepsi Center. They all have been wrestling well and all are capable of being on the awards stand come Saturday Night at the State Tournament. Round one of the State Wrestling Tournament begins on Thursday, Feb. 20.