Bartlesville wrestlers continue scrappy climb upward
Bartlesville High School’s Camden Dainty (right) in home action earlier in the season. The Bruins recently participated in the Sapulpa tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Bartlesville High School’s wrestling team is on the upward climb of progress during the first year of head coach Bryan Vashus.
“There’s definitely a good culture in our room and they’re working hard,” Vashus said last week. “They’re being coachable, that’s the best part. Being a new coach, they are listening and buy into what I have to say. We have to build on experience.”
During this past weekend’s Jerry Billings (Sapulpa) tournament, the Bruins provided live bodies in 12 of the 14 weight divisions and recorded several top 12 finishes.
Leading the way was 150-pounder Marquise Johnson who powered to seventh place with a 4-2 record. He pinned Pawhuska’s Wyatt Cosby in the seventh-place match.
James Coleman (113) scrapped to eighth place. He opened up the tourney by winning his first two matches to advance to the championship quarterfinal match. After losing in that competition, Coleman battled into the seventh-place match, which he lost, 13-1.
Avery Hitchings (285) progressed through three-straight rounds and finished 10th, losing in the ninth-place match by a close decision (9-4).
At 215 pounds, Camden Dainty landed in 11th place, including a pin in 2:12 against a Sand Springs foe.
Hank Hough (165) hammered out 12th place while pinning two opponents — one in 2:25, the other in 37 seconds — during his tourney journey.
Meanwhile the program continues to progress — also on the middle school and jayvee levels, led by Cameron Kirk and Sonji Ketiku.
Coach Vashus referred to “mindset training.”
“I always say if the mindset isn’t right, it doesn’t matter how good the technique is,” he said.
The Bruins are on the verge of filling all 14 weight classes, Vashus added and also praised the hard work of the girls wrestling program which is guided by Gary Frank.
Bartlesville High School’s A.J. Kerr (left) during home wrestling action earlier in the season. The Bruins recently participated in the Sapulpa tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
__________
Following are Bartlesville’s varsity results in each weight class at Sapulpa.
— James Coleman (113, 3-3): 8th place — Wins: Champ Round 1 (fall, 2:46), Champ round 2 (dec., 10-4), Cons. Round 4 (fall, 1:37).
— Nick Davis (120, 1-2), didn’t place.
— Joshua Vashus (126, 1-2), didn’t place.
— A.J. Kerr (138, 2-2), didn’t place — Wins: Champ. Round 1 (bye), Cons. Round 2 (fall, 4:39).
— Jeremy Wilson (144, 1-2), didn’t place — Wins: Cons. Round 1 (bye).
— Marquise Johnson (150, 4-2), 7th place — Wins: Champ Round 1 (bye), Champ Round 2 (fall, 1:08), Cons. Round 4 (fall, 0:52), 7th place match (fall, 1:45).
— Mitchell Hurst (157, 1-2), didn’t place — Wins: Champ Round 1 (fall, 3:29).
— Hank Hough (165, 3-4), 12th place — Wins: Champ Round 1 (bye), Cons. Round 2 (fall, 2:25), Cons. Round 3 (fall, 0:37).
— Jon Ramirez (175, 2-2), didn’t place — Wins: Cons. Round 1 (bye), Cons. Round 2 (dec., 8-6).
— Braylon Gandy (190, 1-2), didn’t place — Wins: Cons. Round 1 (bye).
— Camden Dainty (215, 4-3), 11th place — Wins: Champ. Round 1 (bye), Cons. Round 2 (bye), Cons. Round 3 (fall, 2:12); 11th-place match (inj.).
— Avery Hitchings (285, 4-3), 10th place — Wins: Cons. Round 1 (bye), Cons. Round 2 (fall, 0:30), Cons. Round 3 (fall, 1:16); Cons. Round 5 (inj.).