By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

VALLEY CENTER — Great Bend’s No. 1 ranked Cody Liles (132), Keaton Sander (138) and Christian Rivas (160) captured Cass 5A regional wrestling titles at Valley Center. The Panthers eight wrestlers for the Class 5A state meet at Park City Friday and Saturday. The Panthers placed fourth with 112.5 points.
“Going into the week I thought we could get four state qualifiers for sure. Coming out with double that is just amazing,” said Great Bend coach Nathan Brockelman. “I’m super proud of how the kids performed this past weekend. But today is a new day and it’s time to go get some hardware at state.”
Liles (40-3) pinned Maize’s Zachary Grantham in 3:25 in the 132-pound title match. Liles broke new more school records for most wins in a season (40) and most team points in a season (211). Liles has five school wrestling records this season.
Sander (32-3) defeated Salina South’s Allen Heberly 2-1 in the finals. Rivas stunned Maize’s Alex Hydock 7-5 in overtime for first place.
Eric Vazquez (24-18, 120) placed third. He beat Valley Center’s Nick Romig 6-4 for third place. Noah Presson (13-13, 285) was a surprising third-place finisher with a 7-6 win over Wichita Heights’ Aaron Lewis.
Braxton Schooler (10-17, 145) placed fourth with an injury loss to Newton;s Kaden McBee for third place. Keegan Bowman (16-21, 170) placed fourth with a 4-1 loss to Valley Center’s Payton Stoffel for third place. Jose Batres (10-12, 182) finished fourth with a 7-0 loss to Salina Central’s Kyle True.
“We peaked at the right time,” said Broeckelman. “Our wrestlers who qualified for state need to take the momentum and confidence gained and continue on into this week. The Valley Center coach said that by far we had improved the most of any team that was at the regional. That goes out to the kids and how much sweat and hard work they put in this year.”
CLASS 5A, PARK CITY
GREAT BEND FIRST ROUND
120—Eric Vazquez 24-18 vs. Montez Robinson, Arkansas City 31-13
132—Cody Liles 40-3 vs. Lane Glover, Goddard 13-7
138—Keaton Sander 32-3 vs. Conor Murphy, Wichita Carroll 29-8
145—Braxton Schooler 10-17 vs. Ryan Anderson, Mill Valley 25-19
160—Christian Rivas 27-7 vs. Juleain Winters, KC Turner 22-16
170—Keegan Bowman 16-21 vs. Daniel Butler, Leavenworth 23-2
182—Jose Batres 10-12 vs. Jacob Smith, KC Turner 39-1
285—Noah Presson 13-13 vs. Nick Glenn, Maize South 9-3
VALLEY CENTER REGIONAL
Team scores—1. Valley Center 180; 2. Maize 131; 3. Salina Central 130; 4. Great Bend 112.5; 5. Newton 103; 6. Emporia 63; Wichita Heights 63; 8. Salina South 38
GREAT BEND RESULTS
106—Natalie Garza 3-26; Devin Delforge, VC, pinned Garza, GB, 1:01; Caleb Flowers, Emporia def. Garza, 10-4
113—Skylar Burkas 6-21; Logan Treaster, Newton pinned Burkas, GB, 1:06; Julion Falco, SC pinned Burkas, GB, 0:37
120—Eric Vazquez, 24-18, 3rd; Vazquez, GB def. Tristan Pittenger, SC, 13-0; Brody Roberson, Newton def. Vazquez, GB, injury, 5:50; Vazquez, GB pinned Drew Hartig, Emporia, 1:47; 3rd Place—Vazquez, GB def. Nick Romig, VC, 6-4
126—Conrad Montoya 3-6; Brenner Vogan, SS def. Montoya, 10-1; Justin Watkins, Maize def. Montoya, GB, 7-5
132—Cody Liles, 40-3, 1st; Liles, GB pinned Malici Castillo, Newton, 1:47; Liles, GB def. Isaac Williams, Emporia, 10-2; 1st Place—Liles, GB pinned Zachary Grantham, Maize, 3:25
138—Keaton Sander 32-3, 1st; Sander, GB def. Eric Schartz, Maize, 15-0; Sander, GB pinned Isaac Korinek, SC, 1:29; 1st Place—Sander, GB def. Allen Heberly, SS, 2-1
145—Braxton Schooler, 10-17, 4th; Ryan Delforge, VC pinned Schooler, GB, 0:30; Schooler, GB def. Avion Love Wichita Heights, 9-7; 3rd Place—Kaden McBee, Newton def. Schooler, GB, injury, 4:48
152—Ben Witte 13-21; Witte, GB def. Austin Gehring Newton, 8-5; Tyler Boone, VC pinned Witte, GB, 0:47; Courtez Orange, Wichita Heights pinned Witte, GB, 0:36
160—Christian Rivas 27-7 1st; Rivas, GB pinned Blake Jeske, SS, 0:45; Rivas, GB def. Taylon Peters, SC, 5-2; 1st Place—Rivas, GB def. Alex Hydock Maize, 7-5, OT
170—Keegan Bowman 16-21, 4th; Bowman, GB pinned Kendal Davis, Wichita Heights, 2:31; Brett Moon, Maize pinned Bowman, GB, 1:15; Bowman, GB, 16-21 pinned John Wells, Newton, 2:03; 3rd Place—Payton Stoffel, VC def. Bowman, GB, 4-1
182—Jose Batres 10-12, 4th; Batres, GB def. Javon Bembry Wichita-Heights, 5-3; Sam Weldon, VC pinned Batres, GB, 1:33; 3rd Place—Kyle True, SC def. Batres, GB, 7-0
195—Sam Witte 14-19; Cameron Hughbanks, Maize pinned Witte, GB, 1:49; Dayton Watkins, VC def. Witte, GB, 6-5
285—Noah Presson 13-13, 3rd; Dakota Riggs, Maize pinned Presson, GB, 1:27; Presson, GB def. Tristan Harder, SC, 1-0; Presson, GB pinned Demaj Smith, SS, 1:34; 3rd Place—Presson, GB def. Aaron Lewis, Wichita Heights, 7-6