Opening weekend in Kansas has all eyes on the 44th Gardner Invitational. The more I go through each weight, the excitement grows. I'll be posting previews of each weight class today, updating this post as the day goes on.
106 Pre-Seeds (Not final....work in progress)
1. Oscar Gauna - Goddard - Although he could be a 2 or 3 seed here, he is looking like the 1 seed. The only returning high school placer and 2023 USAW Folkstyle AA.
2. Eddie Woody Jr. - Southeast Polk, Iowa - Woody completed the triple crown in 2023. Winning Reno Worlds, Pre-season Nationals and Tulsa Nationals in Kids. He was also a 2023 Super 32 MS AA.
3. Rowdy Angst - Liberty, MO - Is that an "all-nails" wrestling name? Rowdy won the Fall Brawl in October, majoring our #2 All-Class Cooper Smith, who pinned Samson Whitted in the Bragging Rights Challenge last month.
4. Jaxsen Vestal - Southeast Polk, Iowa - A non-scoring wrestler who is behind Woody, but has to be seeded, was a 2024 USAW Folk AA.
5. Keyen Taplin - Abilene - Kids State finalist
6. Cayden Engel - Lincoln East, Nebraska - Kids State placer
Abram Perez - Salina Central - Kids State placer
113
1. Nico DeSalvo - Southeast Polk, Iowa - An Iowa State champion and last years Gardner champion, Nico placed 3rd at Fargo Freestyle in 2023 and is a 2024 Pre-season National placer.
2. Jordan Bell - St. Pius X, Missouri - Missouri State champion who took 2nd at the 2023 KC Stampede.
3. Jayden Grijalva - Goddard - 2024 Kansas State champion. 2023 Pre-season national Showcase placer.
4. Cayden Campbell - Allen, Texas - 2024 Texas State Champion
5. Jeredy Nilges - Mill Valley - 2024 Kansas State placer and placed at Gardner last year. Lost in the blood round at USAW Folk nationals.
6. Mathysin Marco - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska State placer.
7. John Cox - Liberty, Missouri - 2024 Kids Folkstyle and Kids Freestyle State champion.
8. Blayke Dickmeyer - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri Kids state placer.
9. Jack Hutchinson - Manhattan - 2024 and multiple Kansas Kids State placer.
120
1. Izayiah Chavez - Allen, TX - 2024 USAW Folkstyle finalist. 2024 USAW Freestyle AA. 2023 USAW Folkstyle AA.
2. Dylan Hall - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State placer.
3. Mat Prine - Southeast Polk, Iowa - Placed at the 2024 Cheesehead. Placed at Gardner last year. Beat our #3 All-Class Giancola at the Fall Brawl.
4. Tyler Chrisp - Tonganoxie - 2024 Kansas State placer.
5. Leland Sindel - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska State placer.
6. Gavin Shelton - Liberty, Missouri - Won 23 matches last year. 2023 Missouri Kids State placer. Lost 16-12 to Grijalva at the 2024 Fall Brawl.
7. Gage Taylor - Abilene - 2X high school SQ with 2 wins at state last year.
8. Jace Reed - Mustang, OK - 2024 Gardner placer and Oklahoma 16U dual team member.
9. Kaston McElwain - Goddard - 2024 Kansas Kids State placer.
126 (WAY DEEP)
1. Kelby Bernard - Allen, Texas - 3X Texas State placer, 2023 State champion. 2X NHSCA placer and 2024 Gardner Champion, beating Riggins 10-6 in the finals.
2. Maximus Riggins - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Fargo Greco AA. 2024 Iowa State placer and Gardner finalist last year, pinning Brock Johnson. 2024 Cheesehead finalist.
3. Van Smith - Mustang, Oklahoma - 2024 Fargo Freestyle AA. 2024 Oklahoma State placer. 3rd last year at Gardner.
4. Andrew Garcia - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State placer. Missouri State finalist in 2023. USAW Folkstyle AA in 2023.
5. Hunter Knox - Broken Arrow, Oklahoma - 2023 Fargo Greco AA. 2023 Oklahoma State placer.
6. Harrison Glover - Goddard - 2024 Kansas State placer. Placed at Gardner last year.
7. Caden Gallet - St. Thomas Aquinas - 2023 Kansas State champion.
8. Jaxson Scott - Olathe North - 2024 Kansas State placer. Gardner placer last year.
9. Cade Dunn - Liberty, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State placer.
10. Cameron Coonrod - Manhattan - 2024 Kansas State placer.
11. Zach Masek - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 24 wins last year. SQ.
132 (Awesome weight but just lost Jackson-Bey and Webb)
1. Carter Pearson - Southeast Polk, Iowa - Ranked #10 by SI. 2024 Iowa State champion. 2024 Gardner champion. 2022 Fargo FS AA. 2022 Super 32 placer.
2. Caeleb Hutchinson - Manhattan - 2X Kansas State champion. 2024 Pre-season National champion.
3. Devon Harrison - Liberty, MO - 3X Missouri State finalist. KC Stampede placer. Went 4-2 at the Ironman.
4. Kolton McElwain - Goddard - 2024 Kansas State champion.
5. Trusten Douglas - Mustang, Oklahoma - 3rd at Gardner last year, beating Gauna at 106. Won 30 matches last year.
6. Noah Wuthnow - Abilene - Multiple X Kansas Kids champ/placer. Won pre-season Nationals. Can't wait to see this freshman compete with the big boys.
7. Leo Cisper - St. Thomas Aquinas - 2024 Kansas State placer.
8. Chase Cole - Lincoln East, Nebraska - Nebraska SQ with winning record.
9. Silas McCloy - Tonganoxie - 2024 Kids State placer.
138
1. Will Oberbroeckling - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 USAW Folkstyle AA. Iowa State placer. 3rd at Gardner last year, beating Dillon Cooper in OT.
2. Murphy Randolph - Abilene - 2024 Kansas State finalist with 35-1 record. Wins over Bilby, Jase Adam and Sanders.
3. Dillan Chisam - St. Pius X, Missouri - 3X Missouri State placer and 2024 finalist.
4. Jair Jackson-Bey - Allen, TX - 2024 and 2023 Texas State placer. 5th in the stacked 132 Gardner bracket last year.
5. Roman Clouse - Gardner - 2024 and 2023 Kansas State placer.
6. Julian Glover - Salina Central - 2024 Kansas State placer.
7. Ross Davis - Liberty, Missouri - 2024 Missouri Kids State champion.
8. Nick Miller - Goddard - 2 wins at Kansas state.
9. Noah Ingwersen - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2 win at Nebraska state.
10. Dax Duffett - Tonganoxie - 20 wins SQ.
144 (Great weight but losing Valasquez hurt)
1. Justis Jesuroga - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Fargo FS National champion. Iowa State placer. 2nd at Gardner last year, losing in the featured final bout to Evan Rodriguez 3-2.
2. Kaden Allen - St. Thomas Aquinas - 2022 Fargo Greco AA. 2024 Kansas State finalist. 2023 Kansas State finalist. Finalist at Gardner last year, losing a close 6-4 match to Jake Miller from Broken Arrow.
3. Cayden Rios - Allen, Texas - 2024 Texas State finalist. 2023 Pre-season nationals champion. Move in from El Paso Eastwood with a 50-1 record last year.
4. Taggert Murphy - Olathe North - 2024 Kansas State placer.
5. Sean Stanton - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska AAU finalist.
6. Dayven Cuba - Abilene - 27 wins as a freshman. SQ
7. James Anderson - Mustang, OK - 2024 Kids State finalist.
8. Luke Whisler - Mill Valley - 23 wins last year.
150
1. Scottie Meier Jr. - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska State champion with 54-2 record.
2. Logan Trenary - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Iowa State finalist - 4th place at 150 last year at Gardner.
3. Jase Adam - Salina Central - A big climb in weight for our 2024 Kansas State finalist with 39 wins, finishing 4th at 126 at Gardner last year.
4. Blake Samuelson - Olathe North - 2024 Kansas State placer, also taking 4th last year in the 132 Gardner bracket.
5. Colton Bendure - Mill Valley - A Kansas debut for an elite move-in from Ohio, being ranked top 5 last year befor an injury kept him out of state. In 2023, Colton won the Virginia State championship. Also moving up a lot in weight, but can't wait to see his impact this year.
6. Austin Letsche - Allen, Texas - 2024 Texas State placer.
7. Parker Farr - Abilene - 33 wins last year for this Kansas SQ.
8. Austin Westfall - St. Pius X, Missouri - 23 win Missouri SQ.
157
1. Jacob Goodwin - Goddard - 2X Kansas State champion. 2023 Gardner champion at 150.
2. Gable Gross - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State champion, placing 3rd at state in 2023. Beat Tjaden at last years Bobcat.
3. Dokken Biladeau - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Fargo Greco finalist.
4. Brady Martin - Tonganoxie - 2X Kansas State placer. NHSCA AA in 2023.
5. Joseph Welsh - Abilene - 2024 Kansas State placer with a 38-3 record.
6. Aidan McKinney - Manhattan - 2024 Kansas SQ with 33 win in 4A.
7. Ryder Kruse - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska SQ w 35 wins.
8. Dominic Stinon - Liberty, Missouri - 3rd at Missouri Kids state.
165
1. Noah Gonzalez - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State finalist. 2022 and 2023 Missouri State champion. Appalachian State commit.
2. Carter Nekvapil - Allen, Texas - 2024 Fargo Greco AA. 2024 Texas State Placer.
3. Vance Provost - Olathe North - 2024 Kansas State placer. 2024 4th at Gardner.
4. Abram Owings - Salina Central - 2024 Kansas State placer.
5. Abraham Bushong - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Iowa State placer.
6. Easton Vieyra - Goddard - 2024 Kansas State placer.
7. Landon Taplin - Abilene - 2024 Kansas SQ with 26 wins.
175
1. Daegen Reyes - Mustang, Oklahoma - 2024 Oklahoma State placer. 2024 Gardner champion, pinning Brady Martin in the finals.
2. Tyler Duelley - Allen, Texas - 2024 Texas State SQ with 27 wins.
3. Max Evans-Pryor - Manhattan - 2024 Kansas SQ with 21 wins
4. Cael Casteel - Abilene - 29-7 as a freshman yesterday.
5. Justice Williams - Liberty, Missouri - 2024 Missouri Kids state champion.
190
1. Aiden Cooley - Allen, Texas - 2024 Fargo Greco AA. 2024 USA U20 Placer. 2023 2X USA U-17 in GR and FS. 2024 Gardner champion. 2024 Texas State finalist.
2. Jackson Rotterman - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri State champion. Missouri State placer in 2023 and 2022. Air Force Academy commit. #12 ranked by MatScouts.
3. Cooper Reves - Salina Central - 2024 Kansas State champion. 3rd at Gardner last year.
4. Ty Hammers - Gardner - 2024 Kansas State placer. 4th at Gardner last year.
5. Kadin Dibbini - Manhattan - 2024 Kansas State placer.
6. Noah Trexel - Southeast Polk - Kansas State SQ
7. Will Manning - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska SQ with winning record.
8. Nathan Pritz - Mustang, Oklahoma - 2024 Oklahoma SQ
215
1. Holden Hanson - Southeast Polk, Iowa - 2024 Iowa State finalist. 2nd at Gardner last year, losing in OT in the finals.
2. Preston Hagel - Goddard - 2024 Kansas State finalist. 4th at Gardner last year.
3. Tyrus Young - Salina Central - 2024 Kansas State placer.
4. Colton Tucker - Lincoln East, Nebraska - 2024 Nebraska SQ with winning record.
5. Carson Barnes - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Missouri Kids champion.
285
1. Cooper Martinson - Southeast Polk - 2024 Missouri State placer. 2023 Double Fargo finalist. 2024 Gardner champion.
2. Kyler Kuhn - St. Pius X, Missouri - 2024 Fargo Freestyle and Greco AA. 2924 Missouri State placer.
3. Lemarcus Barber - Mill Valley - 2024 Kansas State placer
4. Faris Price - Allen, Texas - 2024 Texas SQ
Last edited by Chief Renegade; 12/07/24 12:31 AM.