After fighting with the internet we are set for updates for the Guthrie Bluejays in the State Wrestling Championships. You will want to refresh this page throughout the event. The latest results will be at the bottom of the article.
We begin with the wrestle-in matches.
Braden Hall
Wrestling at 150 pounds this weekend, Braden Hall controlled his entire match in a 9-2 win over his El Reno opponent.
Braden (35-7) held a 2-1 lead after the first period. Tied at 2-all, Braden got a takedown with just 30 seconds left in the second to go up 4-2. In the third Braden collected another takedown and three back points to secure the win.
Braden elected to go to the fourth spot despite taking third in the west regional. Now, it sets up an epic first-round showdown with Collinsville’s Cooper Zickefoose who is the top seed from the east. He enters with a 31-6 record.
Gabe Sanders
Following a first-period takedown, Gabe managed an escape to trail 2-1 after the first two minutes.
However, his Grove opponent secured a pin with 16 seconds left in the period.
Gabe ends his season with an 8-9 record.
Bryson Hall
At 165 pounds, Bryson Hall joined his brother in the first round with a 6-4 win over Tahlequah’s Jesus Cervantes.
Bryson got down 0-2 early in the match but was able to tie it up at 3-all before the end of the first period.
In the second, Bryson took over with an escape (4-3) and a takedown (6-3). With an escape, Bryson led 6-4 going into the final two minutes.
In those two minutes, Hall was able to ride out his opponent for the win.
He is now 31-23 on the season and advances to take on the top seed from the west in Braden Brown from Lawton MacArthur.
Eli Moroney
Eli needed 3:15 to collect a pin over his Sapulpa’s opponent Caleb Turner.
After a 2-1 first-period lead, Eli started down and got the reversal 38 seconds in going up 4-1. Approximately 37 seconds later, he got the fall. He improves to 10-8 on the season.
Now, he moves on to the first round to take on the top seed from the east in Newcastle’s Randy Nix who is 31-6 on the year.
The wrestle-in matches have concluded and now we get set for the first round which will have some big-time showdowns for the Jays. Guthrie went 3-1 in those wrestle-in matches.
Kaiden Herendeen
Kaiden, the top seed from the west, made it look easy in his opening match with an 11-0 win over Evan Colbert.
The sophomore improves to 29-6 on the season.
Kaiden got a takedown and two back points in the first. In the second, he started down and got a reversal in the first 15 seconds. In the final period, he picked up a takedown and three back points to advance to the semifinals.
He will challenge the two seed from the east in Jacob Caviness.
Cheli Zamora-Hernandez
Cheli’s tournament now moves over to the consolation bracket with a 10-3 setback to her McLoud opponent.
Trailing 5-0 after one period, Cheli was able to escape for her first point.
In the third period, Cheli started down and was able to get a reversal to pull within two, 5-3, but could not draw any closer.
She now holds an 18-5 record.
Eli Kirk
Well … the defending 5A state champion Eli Kirk is off to a good start with a second-period pin in his senior season.
Eli needed 37 seconds first for his first takedown, 1:18 for three back points, and 1:38 for a second takedown to lead 7-1 after the first period.
In the second, he started down and in 14 seconds had a reversal and 23 seconds later he had a pin on his Claremore opponent.
Eli moves into the semifinals with a 31-1 record and will face Del City freshman Dimitri Kizer (36-8) for the right to compete in the finals.
Khaleah Kirk
There was never a doubt about this one. Khleah looking to go back-to-back as a state champion got a second-period pin to begin her run.
The pin came at the 3:18 mark over Putnam City North freshman Angelina Bezner.
Khaleah, the one seed from the west, jumped out to a 6-1 first-period lead and eventually 9-1 before the fall.
She improves to 17-0 on the season and is one of 19 undefeated wrestlers entering the state tournament.
Next up for the right to wrestle in the championship match is Carl Albert’s Janelle Lynch, the third seed from the west, who enters with a 29-4 record.
Braden Hall
What easily could have been the state championship match came in the first round in the 150-pound division, Braden Hall won his second match of the day to advance to the semifinals.
Hall held on for a 5-3 win over the top seed from the east in Claremore’s Cooper Zickefoose.
Hall held a 2-1 lead after 2:00 and went down to begin the second period. His escape (3-1) was the only point of the period.
Zickefoose was able to reverse Hall to tie the match 3-all with 1:18 to go, but Hall pulled off his own reverse with 55 seconds left to go up 5-3. From there, Hall was able to ride him out for the huge win.
Hall (36-7) will now face sophomore Kenneth Carter from McAlester for the right to wrestle in the championship match.
Bryson Hall
Bryson was pushed into the consolation side of the bracket after falling to the one-seed from the west.
Braden Brown, now 35-3, of Lawton MacArthur jumped out 2-0 just 32 seconds in and picked up the fall one minute later.
Bryson, a sophomore, will look to advance in the conso’s. His record is now 32-14 on the season.
Wesley Silvis
Wesley was unable to capture any points in his first-round matchup as he falls to Cooper Thomas of Sapulpa, 5-0.
Wesley was the two seed from the east, while Thomas was the three seed from the east.
Following no score after the first period, Wesley started up and allowed an escape to go down 1-0. That appeared to be the score going into the third period but Wesley was called for an illegal hold to go down 2-0.
Thomas collected three back points with less than 10 seconds to secure the win.
Wesley moves over to the consolation side of the bracket with a 28-14 record.
Eli Moroney
In his second match of the day, Eli went down by fall at 1:42. by Newcastle’s Randy Nix.
Nix jumped up 2-0 with a takedown at 1:22 as Eli was able to escape soon after.
Eli falls to the consolation bracket with an 18-13 record.
Nic Herendeen
Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Nic collected an escape from Coweta’s Deacon Peterson to tie the match 1-1 with 1:31 to go.
However, 24 seconds later Peterson collected a takedown to go up 3-1 with 1:07 left. Moments later, Nic got the escape to pull within a point, 3-2. Needing a takedown Nic got caught himself and dropped the match 5-2.
Nic, the two seed from the west, moves to the consolation bracket with a 20-8 record.
That ends the first round. Guthrie advances nine of the 10 state qualifiers. Guthrie advances four to the semifinals and five to the consolation round.
The consolation round will begin Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the semifinals at 7:45.
We are set for the evening session of Day 1. Wrestlers are warming up on the mats.
Cheli Zamora-Hernandez
It went from looking really bad to really good for Cheli Zamora-Hernandez.
Cheli, a junior, trailed 6-3 after the first period, but that all changed in 35 seconds.
Cheli went down to begin the second and within 10 seconds reversed Union’s Skylar Tram to pull within a point, 6-5. However, points would not matter as Cheli pinned Tram 25 seconds later (2:35).
She improves to 19-6 and moves on to the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Tram, a freshman, ends her season at 39-12.
Bryson Hall
Bryson could not get going in his final match of the season as he falls 4-3 to Santa Fe South’s Alfredo Zapata.
Bryson finishes the season 32-17.
Wesley Silvis
Wesley Silvis won the first five minutes of his conso match with Tulsa Roger’s Eden Silvan, but Silvan won the last 59 seconds.
Silvis built up a 9-2 lead with 1:43 left in the match. Quickly it turned. Silvan reversed Wesley, 9-4, and fought for the next 50 seconds to pin Wesley.
The pin came with :01 left to end Wesley’s season at 28-15.
Eli Moroney
Eli dropped his match 6-4 to Elgin’s Colyn Donnelly.
Eli finishes his junior year at 18-14.
Nic Herendeen
After no score in the first period, Nic started down and escaped six seconds into the period and held on to a 1-0 lead going into the final 2:00.
Tulsa Rogers Kevin Acevedo-Perez got a takedown and eventually the pin at the 5:23 mark.
Nic ends his season at 20-9.
The consolation side of the bracket was not kind for Guthrie as they drop four of five matches. Cheli Zamora-Hernandez was the only Bluejay to advance forward.
Now we move forward to the state semifinals. Guthrie will have four wrestlers going including state champions Eli Kirk and Khaleah Kirk along with Kaiden Herendeen and Braden Hall.
Wrestlers are now warming up. Expected to start around 7:45 p.m.
Kaiden Herendeen
Kaiden will wrestle for a state championship come Saturday night.
The sophomore got a second-period pin (3:26) over Tahlequah’s Jacob Caviness to punch his ticket.
Kaiden led 7-2 at the time of the fall.
He is now 31-6 on the year and will face Mcalester’s Kam Hutchison for the gold.
El Kirk
For the second straight season, Eli Kirk will wrestle for a state championship at 126 pounds.
The defending state champion won convincingly 11-4 over Del City’s freshman Dimitri Kizer. Kizer would earn one of his four points.
Eli scored two takedowns in both the first two periods. In the third, he was able to escape with 37 seconds left before one more takedown.
It will be a showdown in the finals with the one seed going up against the other one seed.
Collinsville’s Clay Gates enters 44-4, while Eli enters the final match at 34-1.
Eli will try to match Guthrie alum Doug Stalnaker as the only two-time state champion in Guthrie history.
Khaleah Kirk
You can’t have only one Kirk wrestle for a state title. Khaleah joined her brother by advancing past Carl Albert’s Janelle Lynch, 6-0.
Khaleah scored takedowns in the first few moments of the first two periods to go up 4-0 into the final 2:00.
She went down and played defense most of the period before reversing Lynch with 43 seconds for her final points.
Khaleah already made history last year by becoming the first girl state champion in Guthrie history. Now, she goes for two.
She will face Blanchard’s Lynn Horn in the finals. Khaleah got the better of Horn at last week’s regional.
Braden Hall
Braden Hall will wrestle for a state championhsip. The senior made his way past McAlester’s Kenneth Carpenter, 5-0.
Hall scored a takedown just before the first period whistle sounded. He went down to begin the second and escaped in 15 seconds to go up 3-0. 11 seconds later, he made it 5-0.
With not much action in the third, Hall secured his match in the finals as he goes for gold.
He is now 37-7 on the season.
The state championship matches begin 6 p.m. Saturday night.
We are set for the championship rounds. First up for Guthrie will be Kaiden Herendeen.
Kaiden Herendeen
Kaiden Herendeen is a state champion.
Kaiden defeated Kam Hutchison of McAlester 6-5. Both were No. 1 seeds.
Kaiden, a sophomore, jumped out to a 4-2 lead with two takedowns. He did allow an escape and was called for locked hands.
In the second period, he scored a takedown 30 seconds in, but later was called for locked hands, again, but led 6-3 going into the final period.
In the third, he started up but got reversed to see his lead go down to a point with 67 seconds. Despite a stall call with 10 seconds left, Kaiden was able from being rolled over for the win.
Eli Kirk
State champion versus state champion. Senior versus senior. Eli Kirk becomes the second Guthrie wrestler to win two state championships with a 3-1 win over Clay Gates of Collinsville.
After no score in the first period, Eli escaped from the bottom 17 seconds in to go up 1-0. 32 seconds later he scored the lone takedwon of the match to go up 3-0.
Gates escaped 40 seconds in for his only point. Eli did not allow any other action to claim the state championship.
Khaleah Kirk
Like brother, like sister. Khaleah Kirk is a two-time state champion.
She pinned Blanchard’s Lynn Horn in the third period (5:37) for the championship.
Khaleah, a senior, lead the entire way, including 7-0 at the time of the pin.
Her first takedown came 1:20 in the first. In the second period, she escaped 34 seconds in to go up 3-0. She made it 5-0 with a take down with 32 seconds left in the period.
Khaleah finishes the season with a 19-0 record.
Braden Hall
Third place .. then second place and now a state champion. The path for Braden Hall.
In a regional rematch, Braden needed every second allowed in high school wrestling to win the title, 2-1.
After no score in the first period, Braden went down and escaped 15 seconds in got up 1-0.
The roles were reversed in the third when Carl Albert’s Grant Gober escaped nine seconds in.
In the fourth, they started neutral with no points.
In the fifth, Braden started up and kept Gober down.
In the sixth and final period, Hall stood up and held on for the win.
What a night for Guthrie Wrestling!
Be the first to comment on "Updates: Wrestling State Championships"