MIDWEST CITY — While Norman North had two wrestlers tear through the top of their weight classes to win the 126-pound and 160-pound championship bouts, Norman High School had several young men fighting for a chance to go to the State Tournament.
Midwest City High School hosted the 6A West Regional wrestling tournament this weekend with a number of Norman area wrestlers fighting deep into the brackets.
Hayden Hanson and Levi Berry of Norman North faced Keaton Randall of Westmoore and J.T. Andrews of Muskogee respectively in their championship bouts. Hanson dispatched his opponent with tenacity and excellent technique and Berry won by outmaneuvering a powerful Andrews using blazing speed.
Both wrestlers should be strong contenders for next week’s state championship tournament held at the fairgrounds arena Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City.
Nigel Jolliffie, Derek Ross, Colin Pasque and Cael Stumpff of Norman all qualified for the state tournament with Ross taking fourth and Jolliffie, Pasque and Stumpff all winning the consolation bracket for third.
Jake Stinson battled his way to a fifth-place showing to qualify as an alternate for the state tournament. Stinson’s defeat in the consolation semifinals to John Wynn of Edmond Santa Fe was a disappointment for Norman High coach Bo Maynes.
“Yeah, that was a hard one. I thought he was going to pull it out,” Maynes said. “He went up against a very good wrestler.”
Finally, Blake Bassham of Norman North High School beat Zac Julian from Mustang in the consolation bracket of the 145-pound weight class. His third-place finish rounds out the state qualifiers from the Norman area in this weekend’s regional tournament.
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