VIKING GRAPPLERS FINISH 7TH AT CIRCLE

writingwithwilldur
Feb 4, 2024
2 min read

Barnes Earns 1st

By Staff

TOWANDA – On Friday and Saturday, the Smoky Valley boys wrestling team competed at the 33rd Annual Circle Invitational in Towanda where they finished seventh as a team and scored one first and one second place finishes.

As a team, the Vikings scored 101.0 points which placed them seventh out of 26 teams participating in the Invitational. Council Grove won the meet with 200.5 points while Buhler, Leon/Bluestem, Frontenac, and Coffeyville rounded out the top five teams.

Individually, Smoky Valley was led by Connor Barnes who proved why he is ranked number four in the state for Class 4A wrestling at 132, as he went 4-0 to earn a first-place medal. His four wins came from three falls and one decision.

At 175, the number three ranked wrestler in Class 4A, Parker Gardner went 3-1 and finished second, losing to Gage Lee of Garden Plain. Lee is currently ranked number four in Class 3-2-1A.

The Viking grapplers now prep for the Central Kansas League Meet on Thursday, which all that stands between them and the Class 4A Regionals on Saturday, February 17.

SMOKY VALLEY VIKING WRESTLERS at Circle Invitational

TEAM SCORING > Vikings had 101.0 points – finished 7th.

VIKING INDIVIDUAL RESULTS >

113 > Deonte Crain finished 2-3, placed 6th.

126 > Rhett Gaskill finished 1-2.

132 > Connor Barnes finished 4-0, placed 1st.

138 > Takoda Hauck finished 2-3, placed 6th.

150 > Andrew Young finished 2-2.

157 > Christian Erickson finished 3-3, placed 6th.

175 > Parker Gardner finished 3-1, placed 2nd.

190 > Geovanni Luis finished 2-2.

215 > Conner Smith-Bolin finished 0-2.