FRONTENAC — Iola senior Colton Toney knew what the goal was going into the weekend’s Kansas 4A Wrestling Regional in Frontenac: A state tournament berth.
“I had to push through,” Toney said. “This is my last year and I needed to show up to the dance.”
That goal didn’t change after a loss in the first round to Prairie View’s Dylan Frederick on Friday, it just meant there was no room for error on Saturday.
Toney needed two wins to earn a spot at state — which is given to the top four finishers in a regional. The Mustang did one better and won three in a row to take third.
“It takes a lot of heart to get past that first loss,” Iola coach Jason Bates said. “It is a long road that takes a lot of work and a lot of heart.”
Toney’s Saturday began with a matchup against Chance Meyer of Columbus. The Columbus wrestler came into the match with a 4-15 record and Toney made sure that there were no upsets… yet.
The Iola grappler pinned Meyer in the second period to move on to the consolation semifinals, one win away from his state berth.
Waiting for was third-seeded T.J. Lang from Burlington. Lang had a 2-0 record against Toney this season going into the match, but on Saturday, he was just another obstacle in Toney’s way to his state goal.
“It was our time to win it,” Bates said. “ I told Colton that (Lang) is coming off that semifinal loss and we are coming off a win, and we are just in a better place.”
The two battled in the first period with Toney following Bates’ instruction and being the aggressor, but at the end of one, the score remained tied at 0-0.
In the second period, Toney chose down and picked up an escape point to take the lead.
“That first point is so critical in matches like that,” Bates said. “He was in it to win it.”
That point was all Toney needed, as he rode Lang out in the third period and took a 1-0 win and a spot in the state tournament.
“I really wanted to try and turn him over,” Toney said. “The one point win is fine, but I was really trying to get the fall.”
His day was not done yet though. Toney faced the wrestler who had pinned his on Friday — Prairie View’s Dylan Frederick — in the third-place match with a chance to improve his seeding at state and extract a little bit of revenge.
Toney only needed two minutes and 27 seconds to get both those things with a second period pin of Frederick.
“I was trying to work him the other day, but I slipped and he got me,” Toney said. “Today, I was able to give it back to him.”
Now Toney will be headed to the state tournament in Salina for the second season in a row when it begin on Friday.
“Last year (at state), I was all nerves, but this year I feel more calm and I can work more things,” Toney said.
Fellow Mustang senior Tavon Blazek could not accomplish the same feat.
Needing two wins for a state berth, Blazek lost a heart-breaking 9-8 sudden-victory decision to Anderson County’s Preston Allen.
The loss causes Blazek’s season to end with a 23-12 record, but no repeat appearance at state.
“Tavon has been with me all three years I’ve been here,” Bates said. “He works hard and he is going to be missed.”
Iola freshman Gary Lower also lost in his first match on Saturday. Lower was pinned in 56 seconds by Independence’s Cal Bloomfield.
Despite the setback, Bates is happy with Lower’s development this season and was proud of him for picking up a win in the tournament on Friday.
“I think that win really helped Gary out,” Bates said. “He hasn’t wrestled too many tournaments, so getting that win just sets him up to improve.”
TIME TO ‘DANCE’: Toney wins 3 straight to punch state ticket
