The state tournament is on the horizon and 57 area state wrestlers will be gearing up for action on the mat starting Friday in Class 4A and 3-2-1A in Salina and Hays, respectively. We will have coverage of all the action online here at www.mscsports.net and also reports on 103.9 KNZA on Friday and Saturday.

In anticipation for the state tournament the KWCA has released its final rankings of the season and this week area grapplers made some moves in the polls in their weight classes, with some new wrestlers jumping into the rankings and other getting back into the rankings this week headed into state.

This week 21 area wrestlers and three area teams area ranked by the KWCA in Class 4A and 3-2-1A.

In Class 4A the rankings continue to be highlighted by the Holton Wildcats who have the most state qualifiers this year in school history with nine grapplers headed to Salina. Wildcats as a team jumped back into the top ten at number nine after a second place finish at their Regional. Five of those nine state qualifiers for Holton are ranked in their weight classes in 4A, all five being ranked for quite a bit of the season. Regional champs, Lane Lassiter (145lbs) and Lucas Lovvorn (138lbs) both remained in the rankings checking in at number four and five respectively in their weight classes. Holton's, Hunter Price is the highest Wildcat ranked in any weight class as he is third in the 120lbs weight class. Andrew Rieschick (160lbs) and Cooper Zeller (285lbs) both remained ranked also at number four and six, respectively in their weight classes. 

Jeff West Tigers continue to be highlighted with two wrestlers ranked in Justin Scott (220lbs) and Tucker Schreiner (106lbs). Scott remained unbeaten on the season on his way to his second straight Regional championship at Tonganoxie this past weekend, while Schreiner finished second in his weight class. Both Scott and Schreiner stood fast in their rankings at number one for Scott in and sixth for Schreiner.

Royal Valley Panther, Tanner Ogden continued to be dominate on the mat, also as he worked himself to a third straight Regional championship. Ogden grabbed the Regional championship at the weight class of 145lbs and remained ranked this week at number four. Atchison Redman, Tyler Harris rejoined the rankings this week tying for sixth in the 160lbs weight class after earning a second place finish at Regionals.

In Class 3-2-1A this week Marysville and ACCHS continue highlight things in the rankings for area wrestling squads but a few wrestlers jumped back into the rankings this week.

For the Bulldogs of Marysville the leaped up to number five in the teams rankings with four individual wrestlers ranked. Chris Deters (106lbs) , Josh Goepfert (113 lbs) and James Landoll (138lbs) all three continued to remain ranked this week with little movement  in their positions as they rank first, second and fourth, respectively all after capturing Regional titles. Bulldog senior, Mikah Nietfeld joined his teammates ranked this week coming in at number six in the 170lbs weight class after a second place finish at Regionals.

The Tigers of ACCHS are the other are team ranked as they moved up to number seven this week in the 3-2-1A team rankings and continued to have wrestlers ranked with four wrestlers ranked this week. Like Marysville, ACCHS has three grapplers who continue to be ranked as Logan Bowen (120lbs), Willy Dieckmann (126lbs) and Taylor Schuetz (160lbs) all remained ranked this week at first, fourth and fifth respectively in their weight class. Dieckmann captured a Regional title for the Tigers as they finish second as a team in the Regional Standings. One more Tiger joined the rankings this week as Jared Hoffman jumped in the number four spot in the 285lbs weight class.

After a few weeks of falling out the rankings a pair of Sabetha Bluejays have returned to the latest KWCA rankings as we head towards the state tournament this weekend. Sabetha senior, Levi Huneke jumped all the way up to number two in the rankings in the 182lbs weight class after not being ranked last week this after a second place at Regionals. Isaac Wenger (195lbs) also earned a second place finish at Regionals and jumped in the number six spot in the rankings in his weight class.

Pleasant Ridge and Onaga are the only other two area schools that have wrestlers ranked this week headed into the state tournament. For the Rams Jared Johnson as been number one all season in the 170lbs weight class and continues to be at that top spot after winning a Regional championship. Buffaloes grappler, Mychal Kolterman continued to be ranked in the 285lbs weight class at number five this week after finishing third at Regionals.

For a full list of all the area state qualifiers see the Regional wrestling story (click here).