King qualifies for 321A state wrestling
Hillsboro’s lone senior wrestler, Travis King, qualified for the 321A state tournament by placing fourth Saturday at regionals in Mound City.
Coach Scott O’Hare said he was very excited for King.
“He has been in our wrestling program for most of his life,” O’Hare said. “It is always a good feeling to see their time, efforts, and hard work pays off.”
This will be King’s third consecutive trip to Hays for the state tournament. O’Hare said coaching staff and teammates would help King prepare for his final high school wrestling tournament.
“Travis no doubt has the tools to compete with the best in the state,” O’Hare said. “The key will be getting him to realize that.”
Going 3-2 at regionals and getting pinned in a consolation semifinals match by a No. 6 ranked 321A 133-pounder, freshman Raymond Johnson fell just shy of a trip to state.
“After a first round pin, Raymond lost to an opponent he had split with during the season,” O’Hare said. “We felt that would be a critical match.”
Sophomore Lane Flaming and junior Jaden Priest made progress this year O’Hare said. However, each was eliminated during the tournament.
O’Hare said Flaming has a great work ethic but lacks some techniques that come with experience and strength that comes with maturity and more time in the weight room
“Lane seems to battle in every match and does some very good things,” O’Hare said. “He just tends to find himself in positions that he doesn’t recover well from and lacks the strength to overcome.”
O’Hare hopes Priest will gain explosiveness and confidence in the offseason and return as a positive leader next year.
King wrestle Friday in the opening rounds at Fort Hays State University in Hays. The tournament concludes Saturday.
Last modified Feb. 22, 2017