Prairie View wrestlers qualify for state 4A tournament

Prairie View wrestler Gunner VanNorman pins an opponent. VanNorman took third place at the regional meet and will complete at state this Friday. (Prairie View Buffalos Facebbook)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

Prairie View will be sending two competitors to the Class 4A State Wrestling Championship tourney on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28. The wrestlers qualified for the state meet after picking up medals in the regional meet at Paola on Feb. 21.

Gunner VanNorman, in the 120-pound class, took third place by a fall a minute into the final match of the consolation bracket. VanNorman pinned his opponent in the opening round, and followed with a pin in his second match.

In the semifinal, however, he lost by a fall to the wrestler who would go on to become regional champion. VanNorman won his semifinal match in the consolation round by a technical fall at 2:39, then went to take third and earn a trip to the state tournament.

Brentlee Diediker works to control his opponent in a match. A fourth-place finish for Diediker at regionals earned him a trip to state. (Prairie View Buffalos Facebook)

In the 126-pound bracket Brentlee Diediker had to settle for fourth after he was pinned in the final for third place at 3:39. After a first-round bye, Diediker won by a fall in the quarterfinal but was sent to the consolation bracket after he was pinned in the semifinal.

The consolation semifinal was a battle, but Diediker won by a fall 4:25 into the match. His performance was good enough for a trip to the state tourney.

Three other Buffalo wrestlers advanced through their brackets at the regionals but did not advance to qualify for state.

Brecklyn Malin, 106 pounds, lost in the quarterfinal after a first-round bye. He won on a decision in the consolation bracket third round, but was stopped in the consolation semifinal by a fall.

Lincoln Shaffer, 132 pounds, took a fall in quarterfinals after a first-round bye. In the consolation bracket he won by a falls in the second and third rounds but was knocked out of contention in the semifinal.

In the 165-pound bracket, Kale Page won by a fall in the opening round but was sent to the consolation bracket by a major decision in his second match. He won by falls in the second and third rounds, but was pinned in the consolation semifinal.

Boden Hughes, 175 pounds; Cooper Oliphant, 215 pounds; and Wilbur Alvarez, 285 pounds, also competed at the regional but did not advance.