Zach Vesta’s day on the mat Sunday was an exciting one to say the least. The Barton wrestler had his share of close matches, advancing all the way to the semifinals of the 149-pound weight class at the Bob Smith Open at Fort Hays State.
Vesta won a couple close matches early but fell by a single point in an effort to advance to the championships match at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays.
As a team, Barton won 15 matches at the open, featuring more than 300 wrestlers, most from 4-year schools.
Vesta was the only Cougars to make it to the semifinals. He opened the day with a 9-8 win over AJ Hurtado form Nebraska-Kearney. In the second round he scored another 1-point win, beating Colby’s DaKorey Polley, 6-5.
Vesta had his easiest match in the quarterfinals, where he pinned Brandon Stanley from Central Oklahoma in the second period. In the semifinals, Vesta came up on the short end of a 9-8 score to William Homalon of Fort Hays. Vesta was pinned in the consolation semifinals by Will Steltzlen of Central Oklahoma at the 2:59 mark.
Will Bardezbain nearly matched the feat of Vesta on the afternoon, advancing to the quarterfinals at 125. The sophomore transfer won his opening match with a first period pin over Zach D’Amico of Central Oklahoma. In the second round he rolled by Jay Maxville of Neosho County by a technical fall, 24-6.
But In the quarterfinals he ran into a buzzsaw. Bardezbain lost to Fort Hays’ Lawson Ludwin, 7-1.
Bardezbain lost his first consolation match as well, 16-2 to Adellmo Salazar of Colorado State-Pueblo.
Jaden McRoberts advanced to the third round in the championship draw at 141. After getting a first round bye, McRoberts defeated Stetson Loder of Adams State (Colo) by a 6-0 count. He was pinned just 26 seconds into his third round match with Kearney’s Anthony Abidin. McRoberts lost his consolation match against Briar Stopp of Central Oklahoma by fall.
Caysen Smith won his first round match over Aaron Beltran of Northwest Tech 4-2 before losing in the second round at 133. Smith deafeted Ty Kolterman of Bethany, 6-1, in the consolation draw before losing to Blake Dauphin of Central Oklahoma.
Tim Johnson made it all the way to the fifth round of the consolation bracket at 184. After receiving a first round by he lost to Central Oklahoma’s Brock Warren, 7-4, to send him to the consolation bracket.
In the consolation bracket, Johnson defeated Aaron Hudons of Northwest Tech by a technical fall, 18-3 and won a 4-3 decision over Micquille Robinson of Fort Hays. Johnson won by forfeit before losing a close 3-2 match to Richard Bencomo of Adams State.
Kade Sander lost his opening match at 157 in a 4-1 decision to Jeromy Davenport of Central Oklahoma. Sander then picked up an 8-0 win over Brandon Archuleta of Bethany and a 4-0 win over Jose Chavez of CSU-Pueblo. Sander’s day ended in the third round of consolation action with a 1-0 loss to Western State’s (Colo) Ryan Pellow.
Sean Taborksy (157) and Christian Strother (174) each won a match on the mat for the Cougars as well.
Barton will close out the semester with a couple of dates on the weekend. Barton will travel to Labette Community College for a dual Friday night then stop in Wichita Sunday for the Jet Invite at Newman University.
125 - Khalil Franklin
Round 1 - Drake Foster (Wyoming) won by fall over Franklin (Barton) (4:53)
Cons. Round 1 - Franklin (Barton) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Ronald Wardleigh (Western State) won by fall over Franklin (Barton) (1:13)
125 - Will Bardezbain
Round 1 - Bardezbain (Barton) won by fall over Zach D`Amico (Central Oklahoma) (1:54)
Round 2 - Bardezbain (Barton) won by tech fall over Jay Maxville (Neosho County) (24-6)
Quarterfinal - Lawson Ludwin (Fort Hays) won by decision over Bardezbain (Barton) (7-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Adellmo Salazar (CSU-Pueblo) won by major decision over Bardezbain (Barton) (16-2)
133 - Caysen Smith
Round 1 - Smith (Barton) won by decision over Aaron Beltran (Northwest Tech) (4-2)
Round 2 - Darek Huff (Adams State) won by fall over Smith (Barton) (1:22)
Cons. Round 2 - Smith (Barton) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Smith (Barton) won by decision over Ty Kolterman (Bethany) (6-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Blake Dauphin (Central Oklahoma) won by major decision over Smith (Barton) (12-0)
141 - Jaden McRoberts
Round 1 - McRoberts (Barton) received a bye
Round 2 - McRoberts (Barton) won by decision over Stetson Loader (Adams State) (6-0)
Round 3 - Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) won by fall over McRoberts (Barton) (0:26)
Cons. Round 4 - Briar Stopp (Central Oklahoma) won by fall over McRoberts (Barton) (3:12)
149 - Zach Vesta
Round 1 - Vesta (Barton) won by decision over AJ Hurtado (Nebraska-Kearney) (9-8)
Round 2 - Vesta (Barton) won by decision over DaKorey Polley (Colby) (6-5)
Quarterfinal - Vesta (Barton) won by fall over Brandon Stanley (Central Oklahoma) (3:20)
Semifinal - William Homalon (Fort Hays) won by decision over Vesta (Barton) (9-8)
Cons. Semi - Will Steltzlen (Central Oklahoma) won by fall over Vesta (Barton) (2:59)
157 - Sean Taborsky
Round 1 - Dallin Dunn (Colby) won by decision over Taborsky (Barton) (8-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Taborsky (Barton) won by fall over Matt Ziegler (Fort Hays) (4:59)
Cons. Round 2 - Jason Slaughter (Western State) won by decision over Taborsky (Barton) (6-1)
157 - Kade Sander
Round 1 - Jeromy Davenport (Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Sander (Barton) (4-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Sander (Barton) won by major decision over Brandon Archuleta (Bethany) (8-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Sander (Barton) won by decision over Jose Chavez (CSU-Pueblo) (4-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Ryan Pellow (Western State) won by decision over Sander (Barton) (1-0)
174 - Devon Baker
Round 1 - Trevor Sutton (Baker) won by decision over Baker (Barton) (7-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Cory Berry (Adams State) won by fall over Baker (Barton) (2:40)
174 - Jonathan Bowen
Round 1 - Nathan Shipley (Fort Hays) won by major decision over Bowen (Barton) (18-6)
Cons. Round 1 - Bowen (Barton) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Koery Windham (Adams State) won in double overtime over Bowen (Barton) (2-OT 5-4)
174 - Christian Strother
Round 1 - Strother (Barton) received a bye
Round 2 - Mason Thompson (Central Oklahoma) won by fall over Strother (Barton) (2:46)
Cons. Round 2 - Strother (Barton) won by decision over Sam Dawes (Northeastern Oklahoma) (15-13)
Cons. Round 3 - Koery Windham (Adams State) won by fall over Strother (Barton) (4:17)
184 - Tim Johnson
Round 1 - Johnson (Barton) received a bye
Round 2 - Brock Warren (Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Johnson (Barton) (7-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Johnson (Barton) won by tech fall over Aaron Hudson (Northwest Tech) (18-3)
Cons. Round 3 - Johnson (Barton) won by decision over Micquille Robinson (Fort Hays) (4-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Johnson (Barton) won by forfeit over Joshua Ortiz (Baker)
Cons. Round 5 - Richard Bencomo (Adams State) won by decision over Johnson (Barton) (3-2)
197 - Zac Strother
Round 1 - Strother (Barton) received a bye
Round 2 - Christian Lance (Fort Hays) won by major decision over Strother (Barton) (13-4)
Cons. Round 2 - David Traynor (Western State) won by fall over Strother (Barton) (0:26)
285 - Justin Scarbro
Round 1 - Andy Armstrong (Western State) won by decision over Scarbro (Barton) (7-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Scarbro (Barton) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Nick Kriss (Unattached) won by major decision over Scarbro (Barton) (13-1)
UNATTACHED BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE WRESTLERS
165 - Josh Mullin
Round 1 - Connor Middleton (Baker) won by major decision over Mullin (Barton) (10-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Izaak Simar (Ouachita Baptist) won by fall over Mullin (Barton) (4:44)
285 - Brix Brickey
Round 1 - Torrey Reinhart (Northwest Tech) won by fall over Brickey (Barton) (1:48)
Cons. Round 1 - Tyler Smith (Bethany) won by decision over Brickey (Barton) (Dec 4-2)