Mill Valley gets 3 state champs, Paola’s Knecht defends title at Kansas state wrestling

Mill Valley And St. Thomas Aquinas both cracked the top five at the 2021 Kansas Class 5A boys wrestling state finals on Friday at Park City’s Hart Arena.

Mill Valley, which finished third as a team — one spot ahead of Aquinas — in the final standings was especially dominant in the heavier weight classes, with three state titles:

• Brodie Scott beat his opponent from Goddard 3-1 at 195 pounds
• Caiden Casella decisioned his Maize opponent 10-3 at 220
• Ethan Kremer won his third state championship at 285, pinning Tony Caballero of Bonner Springs in 4 minutes, 41 seconds
• Eddie Hughart was runner-up at 113, and Dillon Cooper placed third at 106.

Aquinas had a state champion, too, in Jared Simma, who finished 37-0 with a 6-4 win over his opponent from Goddard at 182. It was Simma’s second state title. Teammate Jordan Habben placed third at 132.

Blue Valley Southwest’s Hayden Mills was runner-up at 126, and Bonner’s Cruz Lara was runner-up at 138. Blue Valley’s Brett Umentum was runner-up at 145.

Goddard took home the 5A boys title, with Maize second.

Among the other Friday highlights:

• At 170, Jacob McLain of Lansing took third.
• At 152, Dylan Elmore of Aquinas was runner-up and Byron Kirkwood of Turner placed third
• At 195, John Hubbel of BV Southwest was third.
• Dylan Ward of Lansing was third at 220.
• Danny Carroll of Aquinas placed third at 285.

In the girls competition Friday in Salina, Baldwin won the team competition, followed by Pratt in second and Paola in third.

Paola’s Jordyn Knecht roared to a championship at 126 pounds with a pin in 17 seconds. It was her second state title.

Darby Weidl of Ottawa also won a state title at 155 by major decision.

Knecht’s Paola teammate Kailyn Younger finished second at 120, losing by pin in the finale.

Tonganoxie’s Holly Colvert wrestled to a state runner-up showing at 191.

This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 1:40 PM.