All-World athletes of the year Brady Benham, Kali Hayden win at All-State wrestling (2024)

Mike MoguinFor the Tulsa World

BROKEN ARROW – Last month, Sperry’s Brady Benham and Union’s Kali Hayden were honored as the All-World athletes and wrestlers of the year.

On Wednesday night, Benham and Hayden ended their high school careers with victories. Benham helped the Small East defeat the West 34-18 and Hayden was dominating in the East girls’ 39-33 win in the All-State Games at the Broken Arrow Event Center.

Benham, an Iowa signee, posted an 8-5 sudden victory over Marlow’s Lawson Knox at 175 pounds. Hayden, who will wrestle for NJCAA power Indian Hills, won by technical fall 17-1 over Lexington’s Cilee Turner, at 190.

The West boys avoided a sweep with a 37-30 victory in the Large School dual, taking seven of the last eight matches.

Representing the Large East boys from the metro area and picking up wins were Cavin Peper of Sapulpa (113 pounds), Darius Black (126) of Union, Evan Rodriguez (126) and Kadence Roop (144) of Broken Arrow, along with Mason Harris (285) of Sand Springs, who will continue his wrestling career at Benedictine College in Kansas.

Rodriguez and Harris won by pins.

Harris pinned Putnam West’s Brian Kerdostanchi at 1:23 into the match.

“Just catching them off guard with that ankle pig, that was the key,” Harris said. “And capitalizing when he went out.”

Rodriguez faced Mustang’s Javin Douglas from the West. After a fierce battle in the first period, Rodriguez got the pin nine seconds into the second period.

“I just kept wrestling, kept staying in good position, and didn’t give up,” Rodriguez said.

Catoosa’s Tucker Collingsworth (132 pounds), Treshaun Tecscon of Cascia Hall (144), and Benham (175) picked up wins representing the Small East.

For the Girls’ East squad, Bristow’s Zoey Freeman (125), Sapulpa’s Elizabeth Cope (140), Fort Gibson’s Peighton Mullins (155), and Hayden (190) were victorious in their matches.

Freeman, who won state in February, was dominant in her match over Ardmore’s Adyson Lewis, getting a pair of takedowns for a 6-0 lead and was ahead 8-0 as the first period ended. She eventually won a 14-2 major decision.

“It was really great to wrestle one last time,” Freeman said. “It was like no pressure this time. Everything was relaxing, and fun everyone. Everything was fun.”

Cope dominated Yukon’s Trysten Rittenberger and raced to a 7-0 lead before winning by fall at 2:51.

“I’ve never wrestled this person before,” Cope said. So it was kind of like nerve wracking, but you just got to come out there level-headed and wrestle your match. I like to get the feel of the person before I make any moves, and that’s what I did.

“I first came out kind of strong, but I like to hold them out, to get them a little bit tired, before I make my first move, because I know I can last longer. So that’s what I did. I got her a little bit tired, I made my move on her, things led to another, I got more comfortable and I can use my strengths more, and that’s what happened.”

Both Cope and Freeman will be wrestling at Baker College in Kansas.

Boys

LARGE WEST 37, LARGE EAST 30

113 – Pepper (E) won by tech. fall 17-1 over Ortiz; 120 – Donnell (W) won 9-1 maj dec. over Kiser; 126 – Black (E) won 14-5 maj. dec. over Zweifel; 132 – Rodriguez (E) pinned Douglas at 2:39; 138 – McComas (E) won 6-1 dec. over Miller; 144 – Roop (E) pinned Brooks at 2:41; 150 – Kelly (W) pinned Roberts at 2:22; 157 – Johnson (W) pinned Gesell at :29; 165 – Anglley (W) won 4-3 dec. over Ensten; 175 – Buttram (W) pinned Cole at 4:50; 190 – Daniels (W) pinned Braswell at 3:15; 215 – Pritts (W) pinned Schlessman at 2:51; 285 – Harris (E) pinned Kerdostanchi at 1:23.

SMALL EAST 34, SMALL WEST 18

113 – Double Forfeit; 120 – Brown (E) won 3-2 UTB over Spurlock; 126 – Williams (W) won 11-7 dec. over Donley; 132 – Collingsworth (E) won 11-2 maj. dec. over Browning; 138 – Crawford (W) won 6-3 dec. over Tabor; 144 – Tecson (E) pinned London at 2:40; 150 – Cue (E) pinned Haynes at 2:10; 157 – Dawson (W) pinned Wickham at 4:56; 165 – Sigman (E) won 8-5 dec. over Gilbert; 175 – Benham (E) won 8-5 SV-1 over Knox; 190 – Brooks (E) won 11-5 dec. over Robertson; 215 – Abston (W) pinned Edwards at 2:41; 285 – Williamson (E) pinned Perez at 1:24.

Girls

EAST 39, WEST 33

105 – Johnson (E) won by forfeit; 110 – Landry (W) pinned Bailey at 1:30; 115 – Holladay (W) won 12-8 dec. over Hunter; 120 – Howell (W) pinned at :48; 125 – Freeman (E) won 142 maj. dec. over Lewis; 130 – Smith (E) pinned Ahtone at 2:37; 135 – Kemp (W) pinned Edison at 1:01; 140 — Cope (E) pinned Rittenberger at 2:51; 145 – Davis (W) pinned Ingram at :44; 155 – Mullins (E) pinned Orozco at :21; 170 – Veloz (W) pinned Haywood at 1:17; 190 – Hayden (E) won by tech. fall 17-1 over Turner; 235 – Nash (E) pinned Nava at 3:00.

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