KEARNEY, Neb. — With more than 500 wrestlers competing the Holiday Inn Open in Kearney was one of the biggest of the year for the Barton wrestling team.
Several Cougars went deep into the brackets with one of those taking third place.
Barton was led at the event by Brix Brickey, who took third at the 285 division. Brickey wrestled all the way into the quarterfinals before suffering his first loss. Brickey responded with a pair of pins to move into the consolation semifinals where he defeated Alex Mai of Chadron State, 4-1.
In the third place match, Brickey bean Ian Cheatum of Colorado School of Mines, 5-1.
Caysen Smith just missed a spot in the consolation semifinals at 133. Smith lost in the second round of the championship bracket then worked his way through the consolation bracket.
Smith won three of four matches in the consolation bracket by a pin then lost to Alexander Schmitz of Morningside (Iowa) one match short of the semifinals by a 10-6 score.
Howard Johnson wrestled his way to the championships quarterfinals before losing to Sean Glasgow of Chadron State, 7-2. Johnson then lost in the sixth round of the consolation bracket to end his day.
Both Cody Liles and Forrest Lalaguna wrestled deep into the afternoon for the Cougars. Liles went into the third round of the championship bracket at 133 before losing. In the consolation fourth round, Liles defeated Matt Torring of Hastings (Neb.) by a 5-4 score. His day ended in the next round.
Lalaguna lost in the opening round at 285 then won three matches in the consolation bracket after receiving a bye. His day ended in the fifth round in the consolation bracket as well.
Four more Barton wrestlers made it into the fourth round of the consolation bracket. Greg Bentley (125), Christian Rivas (157), Devon Baker (174), and Trent Miles (174) all lost in that fourth round.

UNK Holiday Inn Open
125 - Skylar Johnson (1-2)
Round 1 – Andrew McFarland (Briar Cliff) won by major decision over Johnson (12-3)
Cons Round 1 – Johnson received a bye
Cons Round 2 – Adrian Cordova (Otero) won by technical fall over Johnson (25-8)

125 - Greg Bentley (3-2)
Round 1 - Bentley received a bye
Cons Round 1 - Bentley received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Bentley won by decision over Ryan Smales (Nebraska Wesleyan) (8-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Bentley won by fall over Jackson Bates (Doane) (3:15)
Cons. Round 4 – Emmanuel Brown (Iowa Western) won by decision over Bentley (14-8)

133 - Caysen Smith – (6-2)
Round 1 - Smith received a bye
Round 2 – Trent Olson (Wyoming) won by technical fall over Smith (17-1)
Cons Round 2 – Smith received a bye
Cons Round 3 – Smith won by fall over Sage Budd (Adams State) (3:04)
Cons Round 4 – Smith won by fall over Tyler Brown (Baker) (5:36)
Cons Round 5 – Smith won by decision over Alexander Pearson (Morningside) (5-0)
Cons Round 6 – Smith won by fall over Wyatt Alvis (Fort Hays) (1:51)
Cons Round 7 – Alexander Schmitz (Morningside) won by decision over Smith (10-6)

133 - Cody Liles – (3-2)
Round 1 - Liles received a bye
Round 2 - Liles won by technical fall over Jesus Morales (NW Tech) (16-1)
Round 3 – Stephen Tujague (Central Missouri) won by decision over Liles (4-1)
Cons Round 4 – Liles won by decision over Matt Torring (Hastings) (5-4)
Cons Round 5 – Alexander Schmitz (Morningside) won by decision over Liles (7-3)

149 - Howard Johnson (3-2)
Round 1 - Johnson received a bye
Round 2 – Johnson won in sudden victory over Jair Flores (Unattached) (SV-1 9-7)
Round 3 – Johnson won by decision over Mario Rodriguez (Newman) (7-4)
Quarterfinals – Sean Glasgow (Chadron State) won by decision over Johnson (7-2)
Cons Round 6 – Christian Lechuga (NM Highlands) won by major decision over Johnson (11-0)

157 - Colin Koger (2-2)
Round 1 - Koger received a bye
Round 2 – Ethan Ruby (Colorado Mines) won by major decision over Koger (13-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Koger received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – Alejandro Gandara (Northeast JC) won by decision over Koger (8-3)

157 - Derek Gentry (2-2)
Round 1 – Jordan Jimenez (Colorado State Pueblo) won by fall over Gentry (1:36)
Cons. Round 1 - Gentry received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Gentry won by decision over Chase Clasen (Iowa Western) (5-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Jon Pratt (Baker) won by major decision over Gentry (13-2)

157 – Christian Rivas (3-2)
Round 1 - Rivas received a bye
Round 2 – Gabriel Crawford (Concordia) won by decision over Rivas (3-1)
Cons Round 2 – Rivas received a bye
Cons Round 3 – Rivas won by decision over Cole Gustavson (Otero) 3-2
Cons Round 4 – Rashawn Benford (Otero) won by technical fall over Rivas (20-3)

165 – Lucas McMichael (1-2)
Round 1 – McMichael won by forfeit over Juan Gomez (Otero)
Cons. Round 2 – John Porter (Chadron State) won by fall over McMichael (1:43)
Cons. Round 3 – Monquez Towsend (Colby) won by medical forfeit over McMichael

174 - Devon Baker – (3-2)
Round 1 - Baker received a bye
Round 2 – Ladd Bunker (Western State) won by decision over Baker (13-6)
Cons Round 2 – Baker won by fall over Ethan Blankenship (Morningside) (2:49)
Cons Round 3 – Baker won by fall over Trevor Wheelock (Morningside) (0:47)
Cons Round 4 – Austin Brandt (Fort Hays) won by decision over Baker (16-11)

174 - Trent Miles – (3-2)
Round 1 - Miles received a bye
Round 2 – Billy Thompson (Hastings) won by technical fall over Miles (16-1)
Cons Round 2 – Miles won by fall over Terrell Wooley (Otero) (0:33)
Cons Round 3 – Miles won by fall over Connor Ventura (Colorado Mines) (1:22)
Cons Round 4 – Garrett Strang (Western State) won by decision over Miles (12-7)

174 - David Kelly – (3-2)
Round 1 - Kelly received a bye
Round 2 – Kelly won by fall over James Ellis (Pratt) (4:20)
Round 3 – Kelly won by fall over Tristain Sichmeller (Concordia) (4:14)
Quarterfinals – Drew Hinkle (Colorado Mines) won by fall over Kelly (6:59)
Cons Round 6 – Garrett Strang (Western State) won by decision over Kelly (8-5)

184 - Victor Monarrez (2-2)
Round 1 - Monarrez received a bye
Round 2 – Noah Ornelas (Newman) won by decision over Monarrez (3-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Monarrez received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – Alex Kerr (Neb Wesleyan) won by decision over Monarrez (5-3)

197 - Ethan Dean (3-2)
Round 1 - Dean won by fall over Kyle McCoy (Briar Cliff) 3:52
Round 2 – D’rell Gist (Northern Iowa) won by fall over Dean (2:34)
Cons Round 2 – Dean won by fall over Foster Houts (Western State) (3:38)
Cons Round 3 – Logan Searle (Nebraska Kearney) won by major decision over Dean (14-6)

285 - Forrest Lalaguna – (4-2)
Round 1 – Justin Hennessy (Neb Wesleyan) won by decision over Lalaguna (1-0)
Cons Round 1 - Lalaguna received a bye
Cons Round 2 – Lalaguna won by fall over Aaron Griffith (Nebraska Kearney) (4:07)
Cons Round 3 – Lalaguna won by fall over Andrew Wilson (Chadron State) (6:48)
Cons Round 4 – Lalaguna won by decision over Bradon Huntley (Pratt) (7-0)
Cons Round 5 – Shane Coombs (Colorado State Pueblo) won by fall over Lalaguna (5:15)

285 - Brix Brickey – 3rd place (7-1)
Round 1 - Brickey received a bye
Round 2 – Brickey won by fall over Tommy Andrews (Concordia) (1:35)
Round 3 – Brickey won by major decision over Gabe Rednose (Otero) (14-2)
Quarterfinals – Stephen Boone (Iowa Western) won by fall over Brickey (0:51)
Cons Round 6 – Brickey won by fall over Gabriel Ledesma (Colby) (2:52)
Cons Round 7 – Brickey won by fall over Shane Coombs (Colorado State Pueblo) (4:38)
Cons Semifinals – Brickey won by decision over Alex Mai (Chadron State) (4-1)
Third Place – Brickey won by decision over Ian Cheatum (Colorado Mines) (5-1)