By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Campbell County wrestlers won four matches in the championship finals of the Region 6 tournament and finished on top in the team standings by just six points on Saturday at Ryle High School.
The Camels entered the championship round with a 10-point lead in the standings and ended up taking the regional team title by a slim 248-242 margin over second-place Ryle.
Casey Rauch
Last year, Ryle finished first with a 196-194 winning margin over Campbell County in an even tighter scoring battle between the two programs.
In Saturday’s final round, Campbell County wrestlers had a 4-4 record in championship matches with two of the victories coming against opponents from Ryle. Those victories were Jonah Bowers over Jameson Smith at 126 pounds and Casey Rauch over Gabe Savage at 220 pounds.
Campbell County’s other regional champions were Thomas Ketchen-Carter (160) and Ron Shackelford (170).
Ryle wrestlers had a 3-3 record in regional championship matches. The winners were Joey Sander (113), Cole Thomas (120) and Noah Duke (182). Thomas, who won the 106-pound state title last year, will take a 49-0 record into next week’s state tournament at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Walton-Verona also has three regional champions advancing to next week’s season finale. They are Spencer Moore (106), Tristen Spalding (145) and Daulton Mayer (192). Moore has a 43-0 record.
The top four finishers in each of the 14 regional weight classes advance to the state wrestling tournament. One of them is Ryle freshman Olivia Messerly, who placed third at 106 pounds to become one of the few female state qualifiers in the history of the tournament.
A complete listing of Region 6 state qualifiers is one the khsaa.org website.
REGION 6 TEAM SCORES
Campbell County 248, Ryle 242, Simon Kenton 220.5, Walton-Verona 181.5, Conner 128, Scott 119, Holmes 85, Cooper 70, Boone County 34, Dixie Heights 22, Covington Catholic 14, Newport 4.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106 – Spencer Moore (Walton-Verona) over Aiden Zinser (Scott), 5:04 tech fall.
113 – Joey Sander (Ryle) over Hunter Sproles (Cooper), 4-2 decision.
120 – Cole Thomas (Ryle) over Jason Holden (Campbell), 2:26 fall
126 – Jonah Bowers (Campbell) over Jameson Smith (Ryle), 11-6 decision.
132 – Seth Lutes (Scott) over Micah Bowers (Campbell), 2-1 decision
138 – Samuel Grandstaff (Conner) over Owen Stacey (Campbell), 10-2 major decision.
145 – Tristen Spalding (Walton-Verona) over Brennan Conrad (Simon Kenton), 6-0 decision.
152 – Bryce Spickler (Simon Kenton) over Kyle Richmond (Campbell), 4:42 fall
160 – Thomas Ketchen-Carter (Campbell) over Rictor Morgan (Simon Kenton), 13-8 decision.
170 – Ron Shackelford (Campbell) over Joseph Bakakis (Simon Kenton), 10-7 decision.
182 – Noah Duke (Ryle) over Brandon Gibson (Walton-Verona), 3:17 fall.
195 – Daulton Mayer (Walton-Verona) over Cooper Elliston (Conner), 0:34 fall.
220 – Casey Rauch (Campbell) over Gabe Savage (Ryle), 4-3 decision.
285 – Ian Hughes (Simon Kenton) over Tayshuan Marshall (Ryle), 2-1 decision.
