Four grapplers qualify for state

Four Sedalia wrestlers have qualified for state.

They earned top-four finishes at a regional tournament March 15 in Lee’s Summit.

The three-day Missouri USA Wrestling 2008 State Folkstyle Championships will begin Friday at Hearnes Center in Columbia.

Billy Garrigus, Blake Pomajzl, Dakota Proctor and Trevor Slivkov will represent the Sedalia Youth Wrestling Club, according to the Missouri USA Wrestling Web site.

The Sedalia wrestlers began their quest for the state tournament at a district meet March 8 at Raymore-Peculiar High School.

Seven qualified for the Lee’s Summit regional by placing in the top six in the district.

Garrigus won the 14-and-under, 95-pound weight class. The third seed beat Cooper Adams, of Raymore-Peculiar, with a pin 39 seconds into the championship match.

He beat Gage Nitzchke, of Ray-Pec, with a third-period pin in the first round and Arrington Kemp, of Warrensburg, 1-0 in the semifinals.

Pomajzl won the 8-and-under, 70-pound class.

Pomajzl beat Braden Danner, of Ray-Pec, 7-2 to win the district title. He beat Jacob Vogt, of Versailles, 8-0 in the semifinals following a first-round bye.

Proctor won the 14-and-under, 150-pound class.  He beat Jacob Carver, of Versailles, twice to win the title.

John Simpson placed second in the 14-and-under, 115-pound division. He pinned Tyler Wood, of Harrisonville, in the second period in the first round. Ruben Amador, of Ray-Pec, beat Simpson 14-3 in the title bout.

Slivkov was the runner-up in the 12-and-under, 130-pound class. He beat Austin Taylor, of Clinton, 4-2 in overtime with a two-point takedown in the first-round match. Bubba Blackburn, of Ray-Pec, pinned Slivkov in the first period of the championship match.

Chase Hayworth finished third in the 10-and-under, 90-pound class. He beat Mason Hertzog, of Pleasant Hill, 17-3 in the third-place match.

He beat Hertzog with a third-period pin in the first round before losing to Conner Lamphier, of Higginsville, on a first-period pin in the second round.

On the losers’ bracket, he beat Joel Concannon, of Boonville, on a third-period pin to reach the third-place match.

Tanner Proctor took fourth in the 12-and-under, 75-pound division.

Mason Spackler, of Clinton, beat him on a first-period pin in the first round.

On the losers’ bracket, he beat Sean McCorklen, of Marshall, with a first-period pin before losing on a second-period pin to Gabriel Martinez, of Ray-Pec, in the third-place match.