GARDEN CITY — Great Bend’s No. 3 state-ranked 5A Gage Fritz earned three wins to qualify for Friday’s semifinals in the 60th Rocky Welton Invitational, the state’s toughest meet.
Stilwell Blue Valley's Matt Stack edged Fritz, 2-1 in Friday's semifinals. Fritz (24-4, 152) placed fourth with a loss by injury against Zach Szostak of Doherty, Colo. Saturday. Fritz pinned Liberal’s Max Lugo 3:03 and Hays High’s Landon Summers 1:49 and edged Jud Kuchera 8-5 of Kearney, Neb.
State-ranked Drew Liles (28-5, 113) placed seventh with a win by injury over Tanner Hunt of Lewis-Palmer, Colo. George Weber (30-6, 132) placed seventh with a 4-3 win over Shane Coffey of Canon City, Colo.
Brantley Baldwin (13-17, 106) finished 14th with a 13-0 loss to Andale’s Caleb Pavlacka. Alex Randolph (18-13, 145) placed 13th with a 19-4 win over Isiah Barber of Lamar. Colo. Jeffrey Spragis (14-13, 160) placed 15th with an 11-1 win over Korbin Brown of Fort Carson Colo.
Also competing were Skylar Burkes (126) and Braxton Schooler (138).
GARDEN CITY
ROCKY WELTON INVITATIONAL
RESULTS
106—Brantley Baldwin, GB, 13-17, 13th; Gonzales, Pueblo, Colo. pinned Baldwin, 1:29; Baldwin def. Gonzales, LaJunta, Colo. 11-3; Baldwin pinned McMullen, Blue Valley, 2:41; Baldwin def. Marquez, Bear Creek, Colo. 9-7; 13TH—Pavlacka, Andale def. Baldwin, 13-0
113—Drew Liles, GB, 28-5, eighth; Liles pinned Bouillion, Doherty, Colo. 1:57; Hunt, Lewis-Palmer, Colo. pinned Liles, 4:58; Liles pinned Gonzales, Pomona, Colo. 4:20; Liles pinned Weil, Dodge City, 4:21; Smith, Kearney, Neb. def. Liles, 3-1; 7TH—Hunt, Palmer-Lewis, Colo. def. Liles, injury
126—Skylar Burkes, GB, 16-14; Newell, Hays High pinned Burkes, 2:27; Ensdorff, Lanexa St. James pinned Burkes, 1:40
132—George Weber, GB, 30-6, seventh; Weber pinned Rankin, Lamar, Colo. 4:34; Valdez, Pueblo, Colo. def. Weber, 18-2; Weber def. Kowalek, Kearney, Neb. 7-0; Perez, Garden City def. Weber, 5-1; 7TH—Weber def. Coffey, Canon City, Colo. 4-3
138—Braxton Schooler, GB 13-15; Schooler pinned Keener, Hays High, 5:31; Salas, Garden City pinned Schooler, 4;57; Garcia, Garden City def. Schooler, 8-0
145—Alex Randolph, GB 18-13, 13th; Hanenberg, Canon City, Colo. pinned Randolph, 2:18; Randolph pinned Casper, Hays High, 3:48; Randolph def. Martinez, Ulysses, 12-4; Hernandez, Pueblo, Colo. def. Randolph, 17-2; Randolph def. Moon, Dodge City, injury; 13TH—Randolph def. Barber, Lamar, Colo. 19-4
152—Gage Fritz, GB, 24-4, fourth; Fritz pinned Lugo, Liberal, 3:03; Fritz pinned Summers, Hays, 1:49; Quarterfinal—Fritz def. Kuchera, Kearney, Neb. 8-5; Semifinal—Stack, Blue Valley def. Fritz, 2-1; Fritz def. McBride, Garden City, 10-3; 3RD—Szostak, Doherty, Colo. def. Fritz, injury
160—Jeffrey Spragis, GB 14-13; Harper, Newton pinned Spragis, 2:48; Spragis def. Taylor, Canon City, Colo. 12-4; Franzen, Kearney, Neb. pinned Spragis, 1:57; Hetzel, Ponderosa, Colo. pinned Spragis, 2:34; 15TH—Spragis def. Brown, Fort Carson, Col 11-1
GARDEN CITY
ROCKY WELTON INVITATIONAL
GREAT BEND RESULTS
106—Brantley Baldwin, GB, (13-17), 13th
Gonzales, Pueblo, Colo. pinned Baldwin, 1:29
Baldwin def. Gonzales, LaJunta, Colo. 11-3
Baldwin pinned McMullen, Blue Valley, 2:41
Baldwin def. Marquez, Bear Creek, Colo. 9-7
13TH—Pavlacka, Andale def. Baldwin, 13-0
113—Drew Liles, GB, (28-5), eighth
Liles pinned Bouillion, Doherty, Colo. 1:57
Hunt, Lewis-Palmer, Colo. pinned Liles, 4:58
Liles pinned Gonzales, Pomona, Colo. 4:20
Liles pinned Weil, Dodge City, 4:21
Smith, Kearney, Neb. def. Liles, 3-1
7TH—Hunt, Palmer-Lewis, Colo. def. Liles, injury
126—Skylar Burkes, GB, (16-14)
Newell, Hays High pinned Burkes, 2:27
Ensdorff, Lanexa St. James pinned Burkes, 1:40
132—George Weber, GB, (30-6), seventh
Weber pinned Rankin, Lamar, Colo. 4:34
Valdez, Pueblo, Colo. def. Weber, 18-2
Weber def. Kowalek, Kearney, Neb. 7-0
Perez def. Weber, 5-1
7TH—Weber def. Coffey, Canon City, Colo. 4-3
138—Braxton Schooler, GB (13-15)
Schooler pinned Keener, Hays High, 5:31
Salas, Garden City pinned Schooler, 4;57
Garcia, Garden City def. Schooler, 8-0
145—Alex Randolph, GB (18-13), 13th
Hanenberg, Canon City, Colo. pinned Randolph, 2:18
Randolph pinned Casper, Hays High, 3:48
Randolph def. Martinez, Ulysses, 12-4
Hernandez, Pueblo, Colo. def. Randolph, 17-2
Randolph def. Moon, Dodge City, injury
13TH—Randolph def. Barber, Lamar, Colo. 19-4
152—Gage Fritz, GB, (24-4)
Fritz pinned Lugo, Liberal, 3:03
Fritz pinned Summers, Hays, 1:49
Quarterfinal—Fritz def. Kuchera, Kearney, Neb. 8-5
Semifinal—Stack, Blue Valley def. Fritz, 2-1
Fritz def. McBride, Garden City, 10-3
3RD—Szostak, Doherty, Colo. def. Fritz, injury
160—Jeffrey Spragis, GB (14-13)
Harper, Newton pinned Spragis, 2:48
Spragis def. Taylor, Canon City, Colo. 12-4
Franzen, Kearney, Neb. Pinned Spragis, 1:57
Hetzel, Ponderosa, Colo. pinned Spragis, 2:34
15TH—Spragis def. Brown, Fort Carson, Col 11-1