MIAMI, Okla. – Perhaps is wasn’t quite wrestling to the seed, but it was pretty darn close.
The Barton wrestling team had five wrestlers seeded among the top six in their weight class at the West Central District Championships in Oklahoma. Just the finish needed to earn a spot at the NJCAA Championships in a couple of weeks.
Those five did what was needed to qualify.
Leading the way for Barton were sophomores Andrew DeArmond and Joey Ewalt. The two highest seeded Cougars both finished in third place at the event.
DeArmond, the fourth seed at 165, was beaten in the quarterfinals by Northeastern Oklahoma’s Scott Radke on a pin. DeArmond would not lose the rest of the weekend. He made it all the way through the backside and found himself matched up against Radke again. This time DeArmond came away with an 12-1 major decision win.
Joey Ewalt, the third seed at 184, took a little different route. Ewalt lost in the semifinals to second seed Jacari Deal of Northwest Tech, 10-5. Ewalt bounced back with a technical fall win in the consolations semis then beat Joshua Molinar of Northeastern Oklahoma for third, 7-1.
Drew Burgoon and Gable Howerton both took fifth place during the event. Both came in as No. 5 seeds
Howerton made it to the semifinals at 157 before losing to top seed Ian Corbett of Cowley by a 9-5 score. Howerton also lost in the consolation semis before picking up a 5-3 win over Colby’s Daryl Baldes for fifth.
Burgoon exited the championship side of the bracket in the quarterfinals then worked his way back to the consolation semis at 141 with a pair wins. Burgoon closed out the fifth place match with a win over Cade Wathke of Labette, 9-3.
Kolby Droegemeier made it to the semifinals in the championship bracket at 149, losing to top seed Jake Beeson of Pratt by an 11-2 score. In the backside of the draw, Droegemeier forfeited his two matches due to an injury.
Elsewhere, Barton had a pair of open weights and three wrestlers that were not able to earn a trip to Iowa and the NJCAA Championships.
Those three did not win a match. Zack Gomez lost both his matches at 125 as did Jaiver Duchene at 133 while Jacob Sanchez had to forfeit his two matches at 197.
The NJCAA Championships will be at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs March 6-7.
Barton results
125 – Zack Gomez, 7th seed, DNP
1st round – Gomez received a bye
Quarters – McFarland, Neosho, won by fall over Gomez, 0:49.
Cons 2nd round – Gomez received a bye
Cons 3rd round – Tucker, Colby, won by fall over Gomez, 2:40
133 – Javier Duchene, 8th seed, DNP
1st round – Duchene received a bye
Quarters – Mascarenas, Northeastern Okla, won by tech fall over Duchene, 18-0
Cons 2nd round – Duchene received a bye
Cons 3rd round – Bazan, Pratt, won by tech fall over Duchene, 19-0
141 – Drew Burgoon, 5th seed, 5th place
1st round – Burgoon received a bye
Quarters – Barajas, NW Tech, def Burgoon, 9-6
Cons 2nd round – Burgoon def Normandin, Cloud, 5-3
Cons Quarters – Burgoon won by tech fall over Derricott, Ark Baptist, 19-1
Cons Semis – Banks, Cowley, def Burgoon, 5-2
5th place – Burgoon def Wathke, Labette, 9-3
149 – Kolby Droegemeier, 5th seed, 6th place
1st round – Droegemeier won by fall over Marshall, Ark Baptist, 1:44
Quarters – Droegemeier won by major dec over Price, Labette, 12-1
Semis – Beeson, PCC, won by major dec over Droegemeier, 11-2
Cons semis – Merlo, Neosho, won by injury default
5th place – Price, Labette, won by injury default
157 – Gable Howerton, 5th seed, 5th place
1st round – Howerton received a bye
Quarters – Howerton won by fall over Blades, Colby, 6:41
Semis – Corbett, Cowley, def Howerton, 9-5
Cons semis – Jiner, Cloud, def Howerton, 4-3
5th place – Howerton def Valdes, Colby, 9-3
165 – Andrew DeArmond, 4th seed, 3rd place
1st round – DeArmond received a bye
Quarters – Radke, Northeastern Okla, won by fall over DeArmond, 4:11
Cons 2nd round – DeArmond received a bye
Cons quarters – DeArmond won by tech fall over Hand, Colby, 22-5
Cons semis – DeArmond def Tsermaa, NW Tech, 1-0
3rd place – DeArmond won by major dec over Radke, Northeastern Okla, 12-1
174 – Barton open
184 – Joey Ewalt, 3rd seed, 3rd place
1st round – Ewalt received a bye
Quarters – Ewalt won by fall over Sterling, Cloud, 2:22
Semis – Deal, NW Tech, def Ewalt, 10-5
Cons quarters – Ewalt received a bye
Cons semis – Ewalt won by tech fall over Smith, Colby, 17-0
3rd place – Ewalt def Molinar, Northeastern Okla, 7-1
197 – Jacob Sanchez, 11th seed, DNP
1st round – Sanchez received a bye
Quarters – Murry, Cloud, won by forfeit
Cons and round – Holman, NW Tech, won by forfeit
285 – Barton open
