HAYSVILLE — Seven members from the Iola Youth Wrestling Club saw great results on the mat in the state’s largest preseason tournament.
Haysville Wrestling Club hosted the King of the Ring Tournament on Dec. 3 with 553 registrations. Athletes come from all corners of the state for the chance to take home a custom championship ring for their respective age and weight class. Four of those rings came home to Iola.
T.J. Cash wrestled in one of the largest brackets of the tournament in the 8U 61 pound open division. An early loss meant he would have to wrestle his way back to a placement spot. And he did just that by pinning his next three opponents. An 8-5 loss in the 3rd/4th place match would mean he would bring home a bronze custom medal.
Korbin Cloud competed in the 10U 67 pound division. His day was cut short by two narrow defeats early to two previous 2 state finalists.
Cole Mathes competed in the 10U 85 pound division. Cole dominated his opponents, allowing only 2 offensive points to be scored for the day. His performance proved to be what was needed to bring home one of the championship rings.
T.J. Taylor wrestled in the 12U 76 pound and the 14U 75 pound divisions. Of the 7 matches that Taylor had that day, he lost only one to last years state runner up. His only loss of the day came early, which pushed him to the consolation bracket. He won 3 consecutive matches to bring home a 3rd place bronze medal for the 12U division. He had an undefeated performance in the 14U division scoring him his championship ring.
Adam Atwell competed in the 12U 96 pound division. Atwell took control of his matches early not allowing any points scored against him. He secured the championship match with a 43 second pin to bring home his ring.
Trenton Jones competed in the 12U 120 pound division. Jones secured his championship ring by pinning all of his opponents. His aggressive style of wrestling saw pins within the first 30 seconds of 2 of his matches.
Logan Brown competed in the 14U heavyweight division. Browns early losses meant he would have to battle to come back to a placement spot. In his final matches, he was able to pin both opponents in the first round, securing his silver medal.
John Taylor, head coach, had this to say:
This tournament brings out the best of the best in the state. It is one of the largest attended tournaments in the state. I couldn’t be more proud of the way our kids wrestled this weekend.
All of the brackets had kids that were state qualifiers, placers and even champs. A few years ago, we wouldn’t have considered going to a tournament of this caliber. Now, we walk in and bring home 4 champions. That’s what we have been working on for years.
When I started coaching this team 6 years ago, I knew we would get there one day. I knew that through consistent coaching and building a wrestling family, that Iola Wrestling would be something special. We are going to see even more success in the years to come.
Four of our athletes from this weekend just came off of a highly successful middle school season. Coach Jason Bates has really made an impact on the kids. He has elevated their skills and love for the sport to something and has ignited a fire.
We have worked for years to build a program, not just another sport to participate in, but a program where kids learn from and inspire each other. We have worked to promote an atmosphere where everyone can be successful with the right attitude and work ethic. That is something that will translate into all aspects of life.
I am proud to be the coach of this team. I am proud to be part of the change that Iola Wrestling will see over the next few years. I am eager to share my love of the sport and the lessons it teaches with the many kids we are lucky enough to coach.
