9 Lexington wrestlers advance to final round of state high school wrestling championships
Nine wrestlers from five Lexington high schools earned their spots at next weekend’s KHSAA State Wrestling Championships Final Round after first-round elimination matches on Saturday at Great Crossing High School.
Lafayette’s Brayden Giannone will continue his quest for a second state championship after going undefeated in Saturday’s 165-pound class. He earned one of his first-round wins with a pin in 22 seconds. Giannone has a 22-0 record this season.
Giannone, a senior who has wrestled at various weights over his four-year career, was a state runner-up as a freshman, a state champion as a sophomore, and missed state last year due to COVID-19 protocols after winning the third of his four straight region titles.
Joining Giannone at the State Final Round competition will be teammates Jasitin Kubwimana and Nic Russell, as well as three Frederick Douglass wrestlers, Steven Smith (106), Anthony Condi (113) and John Bronson (175); Bryan Station’s Jahvon Frazier (215); Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Jaris Bloom-Doyle (150) and Tates Creek’s Logan Julian (175).
Region 8 team champion Harrison County advanced five wrestlers to the State Final Round, while runner-up Great Crossing will send eight.
Eight wrestlers in each class from Regions 5-8 advanced to the State Final Round next weekend at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester. The first round at Great Crossing began with a total of 16 wrestlers in each class who were bracketed in a traditional wrestle-back format. Each region sent four qualifying wrestlers to the first round for each weight class.
Last year, the KHSAA split its wrestling state championships into two weekends due to pandemic restrictions. This year, the KHSAA kept the split format and its first round was held at two sites — Union County High School for Regions 1-4 and Great Crossing High School for Regions 5-8.
This week’s qualifiers will meet up next weekend as 16 wrestlers in each of the sport’s 14 weight classes will battle it out for individual and team state championship honors in Winchester.
State First Round Wrestling Final results
State final round qualifiers from Regions 5-8 at Great Crossing High School:
106 — 1. Sebastian Vega, Conner; 2. Jonah McCloskey, Simon Kenton; 3. Ryan Smith, Johnson Central; 4. Logan Nance, Ryle; 5. Mosas Navarro, McCreary Central; 6. Steven Smith, Frederick Douglass; 7. Trent Cano, Great Crossing; 8. Micah Thompson, Boyle County.
113 — 1. James Morris, Johnson Central; 2. Mason Orth, Campbell County; 3. Ethan Davis, Grant County; 4. Jonny Nance, Ryle; 5. Aydn Funkhouser, Harrison County; 6. Anthony Condi, Frederick Douglass; 7. Brayden Blevins, Simon Kenton; 8. Aiden Marquis, Conner.
120 — 1. TJ Meyer, Walton-Verona; 2. Rider Trumble, Ryle; 3. Patrick Meek, Johnson Central; 4. Leydon Nelson, Harrison County; 5. Carson Herbst, Madison Central; 6. Peyton Harrison, Taylor County; 7. Maalik Washington, Conner; 8. Julian Stafford, Martin County.
126 — 1. Joseph Sander, Ryle; 2. Adam Williams, Johnson Central; 3. Rowdy Benner, Great Crossing; 4. Andrew Lewis, Simon Kenton; 5. Colin Tucker, Wayne County; 6. Jacob McDonald, Taylor County; 7. Jason Holden, Campbell County; 8. Lucas Koher, Madison Central.
132 — 1. Cole Thomas, Ryle; 2. Isaac Thornton, Walton-Verona; 3. Gus Roberts, Great Crossing; 4. Leland Reeves, Taylor County; 5. Jeremiah Thomas, Conner; 6. Brock Messer, Martin County; 7. Caleb Barnes, Johnson Central; 8. Clayton Bradley, Montgomery County.
138 — 1. Jonah Bowers, Campbell County; 2. Jonathan Gilbert, Madison Central; 3. Jameson Smith, Ryle; 4. Jake Cain, Johnson Central; 5. Hunter Sproles, Cooper; 6. Anthony Colmus, Whitley County; 7. Nicholas Armentano, Great Crossing; 8. Coalton Kilburn, Wayne County.
144 — 1. Reece Goss, Johnson Central; 2. Jasitin Kubwimana, Lafayette; 3. Mason Schweitzer, Walton-Verona; 4. Ethan Sentelle, Great Crossing; 5. Rilen Pinkston, Highlands; 6. Chris Begley, Madison Southern; 7. Lucas Hutchison, Madison Central; 8. Hunter Creech, Simon Kenton.
150 — 1. Micah Bowers, Campbell County; 2. Owen Lamer, Taylor County; 3. Seth Davis, Johnson Central; 4. Jaris Bloom-Doyle, Paul Laurence Dunbar; 5. Colin Ross, Ryle; 6. Logan Dingus, Harrison County; 7. Malachi Young, Great Crossing; 8. Aiden Zinser, Scott.
157 — 1. Carter Messerly, Ryle; 2. Carter Akers, Prestonsburg; 3. Aiden Butler, Great Crossing; 4. Bryce Dennemann, Campbell County; 5. Logan Castle, Johnson Central; 6. Jackson Burger, Boyle County; 7. Donovan Taylor, Conner; 8. Jerome Johnson, Danville.
165 — 1. Brayden Giannone, Lafayette; 2. Zack McCourt, Johnson Central; 3. Jeffrey Kinley, Madison Central; 4. Joseph Bikakis, Simon Kenton; 5. Caleb Duke, Ryle; 6. Joshua Strayer, Great Crossing; 7. Kyle Richmond, Campbell County; 8. Tristan Turner, Perry County Central.
175 — 1. Noah Duke, Ryle; 2. John Bronson, Frederick Douglass; 3. Thomas Matney, Johnson Central; 4. Ethan Montgomery, Boyle County; 5. Jacobie White, Harrison County; 6. Logan Julian, Tates Creek; 7. Matthew Wyatt, Montgomery County; 8. Trayton Stargel, Taylor County.
190 — 1. Chase Price, Johnson Central; 2. Trey Fleek, Ryle; 3. Luke Hyden, Walton-Verona; 4. Willie Rodriguez, Covington Catholic; 5. Marcus James, Taylor County; 6. Brenden Anthony, Pikeville; 7. Aiden Gill, Simon Kenton; 8. Jaydon Scott, Knott County Central.
215 — 1. Jesse McCoy, Johnson Central; 2. Rocky Whitehead, Madison Southern; 3. Cooper Elliston, Conner; 4. Jahvon Frazier, Bryan Station; 5. Samuel Rayburn, West Carter; 6. Geoffrey Johnson, Holmes; 7. Zach Watson, Walton-Verona; 8. Diego Pelletier, Madison Central.
285 — 1. Branson Smith, Martin County; 2. Dashaun Stevenson, Holmes; 3. Stephen Whitehead, Madison Southern; 4. Nic Russell, Lafayette; 5. David Riggins, Taylor County; 6. Skyeler Tallent, Boyd County; 7. Kolton Adkins, Johnson Central; 8. Kaleb Kiely, Covington Catholic.
