Disney is up!

Scoreless after the 1st. Maresh earns the escape from bottom. Maresh with the takedown. Atticus is on bottom trailing 0-3. Atticus gains the escape. Atticus with the double leg to tie it up! We are going overtime!! Dang it ... Maresh with the takedown.

Atticus will be wrestling for 5th!

Atticus will compete against Johnny Hiles of Ohio.

The story amongst some is that Maresh has signed to play football with Minnesota! I imagine their paths will cross again. Further, that he will be playing linebacker!! I would hate to be a running back against him!!! (of course I would hate to be a running back against anyone)

Actually he is signed to play for Minnesota

Atticus is up ... wrestling for 5th place!

Hiles with the takedown but Disney quickly gains his feet. The period ends, 1-2. In the second, Hiles opts down. Hiles gains his feet. Atticus scrambles for the takedown as the period ends. Disney on bottom but Hiles puts them on their feet. Both wrestlers have previously given up stall warnings. Atticus controls the center of the mat and wins!

Atticus Disney is your 5th Place finisher and an All-American!

Duane Zlatnik is scoreless after the 1st period. Cook opts down. Duane with the hammerlock! Cook picks up the stall warning as the period ends. Zlatnik takes down and earns his feet. Cook scores the takedown at the edge of the mat. Duane ties it up with an escape. 0.39 left! OVERTIME! 0.20 left! Zlatnik picks up the stall warning. Still tied up! Duane is on bottom and gains his feet. Cook is on bottom. Zlatnik with the ride out!! Duane Zlatnik takes 7th.

That's it for now! Jordan Keller is wrestling in tonights session which begins at 6 pm.

I have been reminded … reminded of the tremendous impact the sport of wrestling can have on us all!

As I was leaving the arena after this morning session I happened across three men, sharing similar thoughts. They weren’t sharing in a typical fashion but they were sharing in their individual solitude … sharing the same emotions.

First there was the father walking a few feet from his son. He was biting his lower lip. I could see the pride in his face. He had watched his son grow into a young man. He had prepared his son for the journey.

Next there was the high school coach. He couldn’t speak … as he was choked up with emotions. He had spent hours in the mat room encouraging this young man. He had helped to develop both the physical as well as the mental tools it would take to survive.

Then there was the young man. A few minutes earlier, he was thanking those around him for everything they contributed in his life. Now, he sat in a corner chair, at the edge of a wrestling mat. The same mat where he had probably wrestled the final match of his career. The emotions of the moment had overcome all three men.

I am not positive what any of the three were thinking. But I imagine that their thoughts were of closing a chapter. I wish I would have had some magical words for the three. But I didn’t … and probably, I couldn’t share them if I did because of my own emotions.

Often in life, we don’t recognize when one chapter ends and another begins. However, this time it was clear. I trust the young man will embrace this next chapter. And his father and his coach will find some solace in knowing … they have prepared the young man for the path!

Thanks Randy, what a great wrestling senario.

Ms.Jenni

Great thoughts Randy! Thanks!

Team Kansas is now back in 11th place with 99 points. Missouri is 10th at 103. New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania are leading the way!

The All-Americans are staging, getting ready for the parade. The NHSCA Senior finalists, including Jordan Keller, are warming up!

Jordan's opponent is Nico Cortese of Murrysville, Pennsylvania. He had a Senior record of 46-2 and a career record of 157-16. Cortese is a 4-time State placer, finishing 5th, 2nd, 6th and 3rd.

He is a signee of Duke University where he will wrestle. He graduated from Hampfield Area HS with a stellar 4.0 average! He is a member of the National Honor Society, on the schools golf team, and loves to cook!

Keller is from Bishop Carroll HS in Wichita. He was 38-0 on the year and 138-25 for his career. He placed 3rd as a sophomore, and was the State Champion as a junior and senior!

He has committed to wrestle for Cleveland State University and also takes a 4.0 gpa with him. He is a Kansas State Scholars award recipient and also a State qualifier in Tennis.

Jordan's twin brother John is also a 2-time State Champ!

The preliminaries and introductions are about over! We are close to wrestling!!

At 103-pounds, the champ is Jesse Meis of Colorado with a 19-5 major decision win over Jeremy Gendreau of California!

At 112-pounds, the champ is Joseph Langel of New Jersey with a 6-4 decision over B.J. Futrell of Illinois! Some would consider this an upset!!

Keller v. Cortese! In the first, both wrestlers are battling for position but they are even at 0. The choice at the end of one goes to Cortese. Keller picks up the stall warning. Jordan is riding tough and has Cortese dodging bullets. The period ends and we are still scoreless. Keller is down but works for the escape. Jordan Keller is your National Champion!! Jordan wins 1-0!!!

Jordan Keller becomes the first National Champ in this tournament since Scott Coleman won it about a decade ago!

The play by play that they're doing online was a bit shakey at the end of the match. Can you tell us how the match ended? Sounded like there was a bit of a flury and someone was close to scoring, but missed who it was and how close it was to a score.

Thanks

Cortese was close to gaining the takedown but Jordan hung on for dear life!

At 125 it is Scotti Sentes of Florida with the 8-2 decision over Chris Albright of Pennsylvania.

At 130 the winner is Jordan Oliver of Pennsylvania with the convincing and dominant win over Derek Reber also of Pennsylvania. Oliver by a 19-4 technical superiority!

At 135, representing Ohio, it was Chase Skonieczny with the win over, Michigan product Mark Weber, with a 6-4 decision.

2,638 ... that is the total number of matches wrestled in the Senior division of this tournament!

We move to 140 where Jason Chamberlain of Utah, a 4-times State champ, tallies a 21-5 technical fall over Tee Edwards of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

At 145 we have one of the more anticipated matches of the night. On the mat it was Mario Mason of New Jersey with a solid, 9-2 win, over Vince Ramos of Illinois

At 152 it was Josh Condon of Georgia with the 6-5 decision over Tyler Johnson of North Dakota.

Next at 160 it was Scott Winston, with a 137-0 career record, of New Jersey over Steve Bosak of Pennsylvania. The score, 6-0.

Congrats to Jordan Keller!