‘That’s all heart’: SM East wrestler completes improbable run to Kansas championship
No one was taking Jahir Contreras very serious as a state champion contender and that was perfectly alright with the Shawnee Mission East junior wrestler.
“I’m glad I was the underdog,” Contreras said. “A lot of people underestimated me.”
Contreras spent almost all of this season unranked in the 126-pound rankings in Class 6A. Entering Saturday’s Kansas 6A state tournament at Hartman Arena in Park City, Contreras was ranked sixth of the eight remaining wrestlers.
That meant he had to go out and earn his respect the hard way, which is exactly what he did by going through the most difficult path — beating the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4-ranked wrestlers ahead of him — to a title of any state champion in the tournament.
There was nothing that could wipe the grin off his face standing on top of the podium with a gold medal draped around his neck. This was the feeling of accomplishing something that no one else thought was possible.
“This is definitely a moment that will never be taken away from me,” Contreras said. “I just came out and wrestled my hardest and I won because of God. God gave me this and I will forever cherish it.”
His greatest challenge came in the state championship match against the No. 1-ranked wrestler in his weight class in Olathe North’s Joe Triscornia, who won a 6-1 decision over Contreras just last week at sub-state.
The rematch proved to be a chess match, as neither wrestler could score a takedown and the match headed to overtime tied at 1-1. In the first overtime period, Contreras escaped with seven seconds to spare. That meant if Contreras could ride out Triscornia for 30 seconds, he would achieve his dream of becoming a state champion.
“That’s all heart,” SM East coach Chip Ufford said. “Who’s got the bigger gas tank and who wants it more?”
In that moment, no one wanted it more desperately than Contreras, who successfully wrapped up Triscornia to prevail with the 2-1 victory and the state tournament’s most improbable run to a title — at No. 6, Contreras was the lowest-ranked wrestler in 6A to win a title.
“The whole time, I was just praying to God,” Contreras said. “I said, ‘God, give me the strength to ride him out.’ That was God, I believe that.”
As soon as the final buzzer sounded, Contreras ran straight into the arms of his coaches, Ufford and Kevin Ecker, and pumped his arms in celebration.
Contreras gave credit to his coaches, his teammates and his family for pushing him this season. Ever since his older brother, Javier, won a state wrestling title in 2018, Contreras aspired to stand atop the same podium one day.
On Saturday, his dream came true.
“I put in the work and wrestled my hardest out there and I know coming into this tournament that nothing was going to take away my goal,” Contreras said. “And that goal was to be a state champ.”
Other noteworthy area state finishers
After finishing fifth at 182 last season, Olathe South junior Blake Jouret dropped down to 170 this season and dominated. He completed a 35-0 season with his first state championship, winning a 5-1 decision in the 170 finals over Washburn Rural’s Austin Fager.
Another undefeated state champion came from Gardner-Edgerton, as Gus Davis topped off a perfect 29-0 season with an 11-4 decision in the 195 finals over Wichita Northwest’s Caden Ross. After a composed match, Davis let out a scream after winning his first state title and even playfully tackled his coach in celebration afterwards.
Other area wrestlers who reached the state finals and finished runner-up were Olathe North’s Cael Alderman (113), Lawrence’s Kevin Honas (120), Blue Valley’s Michael Solomon (138), Lawrence’s Trey Medina (145), Olathe North’s Landon Wilkes (160), Olathe South’s Zack Leskovac (182) and BV West’s Brooks Lowe (220).
Third-place finishes from the area included Free State’s Nolan Bradley (106), Free State’s Eric Streeter (113), Olathe North’s Jacob Vasquez (120), Olathe North’s Alec Samuelson (145), Blue Valley’s Luke Hyland (152), Olathe East’s Jaxon Avena (170), BV North’s Ty Farrington (195) and Olathe East’s Turner Lennard (220). Fourth-place finishes from the area included Lawrence’s Jack Elsten (113), Olathe East’s Jacob Bragg (138), Olathe South’s Johnny Cash Thomas (145), Olathe South’s Bobby Thomas (160), Olathe Northwest’s Lucas Conover (195) and Olathe East’s Brett Carroll (285).
At the Class 4A tournament in Salina, there were no area winners but Tonganoxie finished third overall as a team and had medalists in Branden Martin (second at 195), Gabriel Bailey (second at 152), Braeden Moore (third at 113), Grayson Sonntag (third at 126) and Derek Duffett (third at 145). Other area medalists were from Louisburg with Alec Younggren (second at 220) and Cade Holtzen (third at 132).
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