Chavez sixth place finish highlights Barton Wrestling at Bob Smith Open #GoBarton

The Barton Community College wrestling team warpped up the pre-Christmas schedule Sunday at the Bob Smith Open held at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kansas.

Four Cougars competed at the event, with Dawson Chavez conducting the lone placing on the day with a sixth place finish.

Barton will have nearly a month layoff before opening up KJCCC play on the road January 11th at Cloud County Community College.

It took Chavez six matches in the 149 division to earn the placing, bouncing back from an opening bout 15-0 tech fall to unattached Willie McDougald in rolling to three consecutive victories before dropping his final two bouts. Chavez began the quest piling up a 17-2 tech fall over Evan Waddington of Nebraska Kearney. The sophomore continued his climb through the backside with a 4:31 pancake over Isaiah Holmes of Pratt Community College. Needing another victory to secure a placing, Chavez delivered a narrow 5-4 decision over John "Beau" Hostler claiming his second victory over a Loper from Nebraska-Kearney. Chavez had his three-match win streak and day eventually end suffering back-to-back falls to Rhett Edmonson of Fort Hays State University in the consolation semifinals and Kayson Kenney of Carl Albert State in the fifth place tilt.

Izaiah Del Valle, Jonah Clarke and Ayston Perez had tough draws matching up with a ranked or four-year opponent in each of their rounds wrestled.