NEOSHO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WRESTLING

By Aaron Sweazy

The Neosho Panther wrestling team made the short trip up to Baldwin City, KS for the inaugural Dan Harris Bobcat Open hosted by Baker University.    The Panthers had  19 individuals compete in the tournament  and had a strong showing in the process with  11 individuals coming out with at least one win on the day.   The biggest highlight for the Panther’s was the fact they had 4 individuals finish in the top 6.   Leading the charge for the Panther’s was Tuttle, Ok freshman Zach Simpson.   Simpson wrestling at 141 pounds, started the tournament by  earning back to back falls to advance to the semifinals before a tough fought 9-5 victory over #1 seed Bryan Williams of York College.  Simpson would later take on Ramon Willis of Pratt in the finals, but would get caught late in the first period off of a scramble and  would  be pinned to finish the tournament as the runner up.  At 125 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma freshman Derek Steeley advanced to the semifinals in the same fashion as Simpson by dispatching of two foes by fall.   It was in the semifinal match though that Steeley would suffer his first defeat of the season to Dana College’s Aaron Wilcox.   Bouncing back Steeley would go on to win his consolation semi final by fall before picking up an 11-4 decision in the bronze medal match.  2  more wrestlers would find themselves in top finishes with Montana Carson taking 6^th place at 141,   and Ralph Manous taking 6^th at 184 pounds.  Freshman  Derrick Ageday of Hollis, NY also wrestling at 165 avenged a loss from the Pratt dual by stunning returning All American Travis Budke by a 3-0 shutout in the opening round of the open.   Ageday along with teammates Josh Isam of Sapulpa, OK  and team co-captain Justin Ringgold of Wichita, KS  would pick up multiple wins yet fail to place.  Ageday would win 3 matches on the day while Isam and Ringgold would each contribute 2 wins in the column to the Neosho team on the day.   Wrestlers also winning matches but failing to place for the Panther Wrestling team included  Adam Cline, Trey Vicknair,  Matt McNabb,   and Kris Powell.   Neosho next will host rival Labette on Thursday at the Chanute campus with a  7pm match time.

Neosho results:

125      Steeley  4-1;  3^rd           Coffman  0-2

133     Cline 1-2                   Bates 0-2                             Osuna 0-2

141      Simpson 3-1;  2^nd                 Carson 1-3; 6^th

149       Ringgold 2-2         Eaton 0-2

157       Isam  2-2

165         Ageday 3-2

174         McNabb 1-2       Kemp 0-2             Butler 0-1

184         Manous 3-3; 6^th  Vicknair 1-2

197         Powell  1-1          Arnold 0-2