By Chuck Reherman, Sports Editor – OKLAHOMA CITY – Yukon’s C4 Wrestling Club had 12 placers and finished 31st overall out of 173 teams at the US Junior Open Championships held at the Ron Norick Arena in Oklahoma City.
The team finished with 53 points and were eight points out of a top 20 finish. The Oklahoma Wrestling Academy won the title with 228 points.
Tyler Pecha had the best finish for the C4 team, placing second at 76-pounds in the Novice D class.
Pecha lost in the finals to Zoey Freeman of the Cleveland Takedown Club by a 4-3 decision. After receiving a bye in the quarterfinals, Pecha decisioned Kyle Brooks of Sapulpa Youth 6-0 to reach the finals.
Kayson Smith placed third in the 131-pound class in the Novice C Division. He pinned James Webb of the Southern Oklahoma Wrestling Club in 1:49 to win the consolation title.
Smith pinned Webb in the quarterfinals in 18 seconds, but lost to Reighn Westbrook of the Checotah Matcats by fall in 25 seconds. He came back to pin Briggs Cook of Weatherford Youth Wrestling in 1:30 to reach the consolation finals.
Maxwell Hembree placed third at 67-pounds in the Novice B Division. He scored a 9-0 major decision over Brandon Stafford of the Wrestling Factory
Hembree opened with a major decision over Mason Porter of the Newcastle Youth Wrestling Club, 8-0. He lost to Arieus Finley Jr. of the South Central Punishers by fall in 2:51. He came back to pin Carson Bynum of Shawnee in 2:22 and pinned Briar Campo of Cushing Youth Wrestling in 1:49, then scored a 12-0 major decision over Kolt Stevens of the Fort Gibson Youth Wrestling, 12-0.
Knox Schulte placed third at 285-pounds in the Open 3 Division. He pinned Jack Mendoza of the Choctaw Ironman in 1:45. Schulte then challenged Trae Kibble of the Elgin Grapplers for second, but lost by fall in 46 seconds.
Schulte pinned Mendoza in 56 seconds in his opening round match, but lost to Jace Williams of the Elgin Grapplers by a 4-2 decision. In the consolation semifinals, Schulte pinned Samuel Lindsey of Blue Devils Wrestling Club in 1:43.
Liam Shriver placed third at 43-pounds in the Novice A Division. He pinned Brenton Wynn of the Ponca City Wildcat Wrestling in 2:46.
He opened by pinning Lason West of Weatheford in 41 seconds. He then pinned Giovanni Barteau of the Duncan Marauders in 55 seconds and pinned Ethan Campos of the Young Guns Wresting in 40 seconds.
Shriver lost to Aiven Martinez of Maverick Elite by a 9-6 decision in the semifinals, then came back to pin William Craig of Division Bell Wrestling Club in 57 seconds to reach the third place match.
Remy Whitney placed third at 43-pounds I the Novice B Division. He lost to Ian Simmers of Prodigy Wrestling by technical fall, 15-0, then lost 8-0 to Kayden Kendrick of Westmoore Wrestling in the round robin match.
James Brooks placed fourth at 80-pounds in the Open 3 Division. He lost to Zylan Johnson of StandFast Wrestling by ultimate tiebreaker, 4-3.
Brooks lost by decision to Griffin Bower of Maverick Elite 6-4 in the opening round. He pinned Masyn Matanane of the Norman Grappling Club in 38 seconds and won by forfeit over Caden Maul of Collinsville. He then won a 5-3 sudden victory decision over Christopher Garrett Jr., of the Moore Lions and decisioned Izaiah Herrera of Randall Youth Wrestling 7-0. Brooks then decisioned Kaden Wallace of the Moore Lions in the consolation semifinals, 6-0.
Connor Columbus placed fourth in the 200-pound class in the Open 5 Division. He lost to Jerome Ragin of Team Hard Knox in an ultimate tie breaker, 1-0.
After a first round bye, Columbus lost to Juan Grange of Boneyard Wrestling academy 10-6 in the quarterfinals. He then decisioned Michael McCain of Hinton 7-1, won a 3-1 sudden victory over Aidan Hennig of Tuttle, then decisioned Brody Cannon of Warner Eagles Wrestling Club 5-2 in the consolation semifinals.
Noah Majka placed fifth at 46-pounds in the Open 1 Division. He decisioned Nick Beidelschies of Paola Wrestling Club, 5-1. Majka won his opening round match by fall in 2:46 over Thomas Sanders of Rare Breed Wrestling. He scored a 3-1 decision over Parker Ingram of the Cleveland Takedown Club, but lost to Adin Wessley of Kansas Young Guns, 9-0. In the consolation semifinals, he lost to Cru Foster of Chickasha Wrestling, 7-2.
Isaiah Derksen placed fifth in the 105-pound Novice D Division. Derksen lost to Aundray Waller of Sapulpa Youth by tech fall over, 15-0 in round one. In round two, he lost to Kamon Avance of El Reno Little League 6-2, then lost to Easton Eicher of Owasso Wrestling Club in round four by fall in 1:00, then lost to Braydin Casey of Jay Wrestling Club by fall in 36 seconds in round four.
Luke Stuart placed sixth at 55-pounds in Open 2 Division, losing in the fifth place match to Oliver Pulliam of The Bombers of Frisco, TX, 5-4. After a first round be, Stuart won a 6-02 decision over Kole Hedtrick of Blackwell, then beat Randen Wright of RAW 6-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he lost to Tucker Verbeck of Ark City Takedown 7-01, then lost to Karson Hopkins of RAW 6-3 in the consolation semifinals.
Van Smith placed sixth at 61-pounds in the Open 3 Division, losing to Tanner Putt of Renegade Wrestling Academy 6-0 in the fifth place match. After a first round bye, he won an ultimate tiebreaker over Xander Sweatt of Mission Arlington Wrestling, 13-8, the won a quarterfinal round match over Putt.
In the semifinals, he lost to Adam Bilby of South Central Punishers 6-01, then lost to Brogan O’Neal of Catoosa 4-1 in the consolation semifinals.
Also competing for the C-4 team, but not placing were: Nate Edmondson at 46-pounds in Open 1 going 1-2; Waylan Hill at 46-pounds in Open 2, going 1-2; Jaxon Bates at 55-pounds in Open 2, going 1-2; Eli Stottlemeyer at 58-pounds in Open 2, going 3-2; James Anderson at 64-pounds on Open 2, going 1-2; Blake Thomas at 55-pounds ion Open 3, going 2-2; Jaxon Kennery at 55-pounds in Open 3, going 1-2; Jace Reed at 58-pounds in Open 3, going 2-2; Justice Schultheis at 61-pounds in Open 3, 2-2; Brynton Handshy at 64-pounds in Open 3, 2-2; Wyatt Carico at 76-pounds in Open 3, 1-2; Ryan Sigler at 285-pounds in Open 4, 2-2; London Raska, 40-pounds in Novice A, 2-2; Max Miner, 40-pounds in Novice A, 0-2; Ashtin Ezell, 46-pounds in Novice A, 1-2; Braxton Waller at 46-pounds in Novice A, 2-2; Aiden Hoskins, 49-pounds on Novice A, 2-2; Klein Tippens at 49-pounds in Novice A, 5-2; Kenley Brooks at 285-pounds in Novice A, 1-2; Rhett Hardy at 49-pounds in Novice B, 1-2; Jude Rodriques at 52-pounds in Novice B, 3-2; Kase Tippens at 55-pounds in Novice B, 0-2; Braeden Horn at 61-pounds in Novice B, 0-2; Ayden Brace at 64-pounds in Novice B, 1-2; Ryker Hembree at 80-pounds in Novice C, 3-2; Brett Reed at 110-pounds in Novice D, 2-2.
