The No. 6 ranked Barton Community College Wrestling team captured its third straight Region VI Championship with a runner-up finish Saturday in Goodland, Kansas, in the NJCAA West/Central District Championships. The Cougars piled up a program best 173.5 points putting five in the championships, finishing only behind the 209.5 points from top ranked Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.
Qualifying nine of its ten wrestlers, Barton's five championship match entries produced three individual champions as the Cougars added two third places and one fourth and fifth place finishes. The Cougars led the event in multiple categories including fourteen pins and five tech falls to rack up 265 match points.
David Kelly led the champion trio with his second straight 174 division championship knocking off the nation's second ranked Devin Crawl of NEO in a convincing 9-0 major decision. Getting to the finals with 23-8 tech fall and a 2:14 fall, the Wichita sophomore was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament award marking the third straight year a Cougar was voted the honor.
Speaking of upsets, no one had a more difficult road to the championships than 133 pound Gage Gomez. The reigning Kansas Cup champion began his day with a 16-0 tech fall before facing two ranked opponents to reach the title match. Pulling off a 12-8 decision to dethrone No. 3 ranked Munkhbat Bat-erdene of Northwest Tech, the Altus, Oklahoma, native earned a hard fought 8-7 decision over NEO's Jack Karstetter to complete the championship run.
Two hometown products also reached the championship match with older brother Kade Sander protecting his 157 pound No. 1 national ranking in dominating fashion of two pins, a 20-2 tech fall, and an eventual 18-2 tech fall title victory over NEO's Zeke Rubio. Younger brother Keaton, who is ranked No. 6 in the 141 division, nearly pulled off two titles for the Sander family rolling to the finals with two pins but lost a tough 6-4 match to NEO's No. 3 ranked Cody Karstetter.
Barton's fifth athlete into the finals was in the 197 division as Ethan Dean's path consisted of a 5-1 decision and 2:22 pinning before coming up short 4-1 to NEO's Zeke Silva.
Barton's list of national qualifiers are: Andres Duron (125), Gage Gomez (133), Keaton Sander (141), Kade Sander (157), Gage McBride (165), David Kelly (174), Trent Miles (184), Ethan Dean (197), and Brix Brickey (285).
Team Scores
1 Northeast Oklahoma 209.5
2 Barton 173.5
3 Northwest Kansas Technical College 129.0
4 Cowley College 102.5
5 Labette Community College 102.0
6 Cloud County Community College 92.0
7 Colby Community College 69.0
8 Pratt Community College 68.0
9 Neosho County Community College 56.5
10 Arkansas Baptist College 14.5
NJCAA West/Central District Results for Barton
125 - Andres Duron (17-16) placed 5th and scored 13.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Joe Braun (Colby Community College) 2-2 won by fall over Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 (Fall 0:00)
Cons. Round 1 - Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 won by fall over John Kuhn (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 8-21 (Fall 4:38)
Cons. Round 3 - Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 won by medical forfeit over Jorge Vega (Cloud County Community College) 9-12 (M. For.)
Cons. Semi - Dillon Prutch (Labette Community College) 14-3 won by decision over Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 (Dec 15-11)
5th Place Match - Andres Duron (Barton) 17-16 won by major decision over Nickolas Ornelas (Neosho County Community College) 15-12 (MD 12-4)
133 - Gage Gomez (16-12) placed 1st and scored 20.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Gage Gomez (Barton) 16-12 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Gage Gomez (Barton) 16-12 won by tech fall over Cody Hey (Neosho County Community College) 2-12 (TF-1.5 0:00 (16-0))
Semifinal - Gage Gomez (Barton) 16-12 won by decision over Munkhbat Bat-erdene (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 28-6 (Dec 12-8)
1st Place Match - Gage Gomez (Barton) 16-12 won by decision over Jack Karstetter (Northeast Oklahoma) 27-3 (Dec 8-7)
141 - Keaton Sander (22-12) placed 2nd and scored 19.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Keaton Sander (Barton) 22-12 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Keaton Sander (Barton) 22-12 won by fall over Sam Colvin (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 13-21 (Fall 4:06)
Semifinal - Keaton Sander (Barton) 22-12 won by fall over Tre Pone (Labette Community College) 1-6 (Fall 4:34)
1st Place Match - Cody Karstetter (Northeast Oklahoma) 31-5 won by decision over Keaton Sander (Barton) 22-12 (Dec 6-4)
149 - Emmanuel Peralta (12-17) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kendon Lee (Northeast Oklahoma) 29-8 won by fall over Emmanuel Peralta (Barton) 12-17 (Fall 0:00)
Cons. Round 1 - Emmanuel Peralta (Barton) 12-17 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Gabriel McDuffie (Labette Community College) 14-7 won by fall over Emmanuel Peralta (Barton) 12-17 (Fall 0:00)
157 - Kade Sander (30-4) placed 1st and scored 26.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kade Sander (Barton) 30-4 won by fall over Justin Skerce (Pratt Community College) 10-14 (Fall 0:00)
Quarterfinal - Kade Sander (Barton) 30-4 won by fall over Layne Leven (Cowley College) 7-20 (Fall 0:00)
Semifinal - Kade Sander (Barton) 30-4 won by tech fall over Caleb Mendez (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 16-26 (TF-1.5 4:48 (20-2))
1st Place Match - Kade Sander (Barton) 30-4 won by tech fall over Zeke Rubio (Northeast Oklahoma) 24-19 (TF-1.5 6:45 (18-2))
165 - Gage McBride (22-16) placed 4th and scored 15.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Gage McBride (Barton) 22-16 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Gage McBride (Barton) 22-16 won by fall over Zachary Pitts (Labette Community College) 2-2 (Fall 0:00)
Semifinal - Tsogtbayar Tserendagua (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 28-18 won by decision over Gage McBride (Barton) 22-16 (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Semi - Gage McBride (Barton) 22-16 won by tech fall over Blake Johnson (Cowley College) 10-16 (TF-1.5 0:00 (15-0))
3rd Place Match - Nick Lucas (Pratt Community College) 10-5 won by decision over Gage McBride (Barton) 22-16 (Dec 6-3)
174 - David Kelly (23-8) placed 1st and scored 23.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - David Kelly (Barton) 23-8 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - David Kelly (Barton) 23-8 won by tech fall over Bowman Ellis (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 6-20 (TF-1.5 0:00 (21-3))
Semifinal - David Kelly (Barton) 23-8 won by fall over Jordan Wessley (Colby Community College) 2-2 (Fall 2:14)
1st Place Match - David Kelly (Barton) 23-8 won by major decision over Devin Crawl (Northeast Oklahoma) 21-7 (MD 9-0)
184 - Trent Miles (23-14) placed 3rd and scored 18.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Trent Miles (Barton) 23-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Trent Miles (Barton) 23-14 won by forfeit over Hosteen Smith (Cloud County Community College) 3-20 (For.)
Semifinal - Joseph White (Northwest Kansas Technical College) 22-8 won by decision over Trent Miles (Barton) 23-14 (Dec 6-3)
Cons. Semi - Trent Miles (Barton) 23-14 won by fall over Elias Manzanares (Neosho County Community College) 19-13 (Fall 3:00)
3rd Place Match - Trent Miles (Barton) 23-14 won by fall over James Ellis (Pratt Community College) 18-16 (Fall 3:47)
197 - Ethan Dean (20-13) placed 2nd and scored 17.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Ethan Dean (Barton) 20-13 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Ethan Dean (Barton) 20-13 won by decision over Cameron Young (Cloud County Community College) 3-9 (Dec 5-1)
Semifinal - Ethan Dean (Barton) 20-13 won by fall over Derrion Miller (Arkansas Baptist College) 6-13 (Fall 2:22)
1st Place Match - Zeke Sliva (Northeast Oklahoma) 16-8 won by decision over Ethan Dean (Barton) 20-13 (Dec 4-1)
285 - Brix Brickey (30-11) placed 3rd and scored 20.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Brix Brickey (Barton) 30-11 won by fall over Chris Henderson (Pratt Community College) 12-13 (Fall 2:16)
Quarterfinal - Brix Brickey (Barton) 30-11 won by fall over Seth Stroble (Cowley College) 7-14 (Fall 0:53)
Semifinal - Brian Andrews (Northeast Oklahoma) 37-4 won by decision over Brix Brickey (Barton) 30-11 (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Semi - Brix Brickey (Barton) 30-11 won by fall over Gabriel Ledesma (Colby Community College) 2-2 (Fall 1:05)
3rd Place Match - Brix Brickey (Barton) 30-11 won by fall over Benny Hernandez (Cloud County Community College) 8-10 (Fall 5:27)