CLASS 6A BOYS WRESTLERS TO WATCH IN 2025-26
 
 

LAMARCUS BARBER, MILL VALLEY
 
Preseason No. 4 in 285 All-Class Rankings

Barber returns as one of Class 6A’s top contenders after coming just one win shy of a state title last season at 285 pounds. Barber delivered a breakout junior year, finishing 22-7 and powering through the state bracket with a pair of pins before a convincing 7-1 semifinal win over Garden City’s Brayden Hill. In the championship match, he pushed undefeated Derby standout Milan Colvin to the wire before dropping a narrow 8-6 decision. It was another step forward for Barber, who medaled sixth at state in 2024. The Mill Valley senior is also a Kansas State commit for football.
 

 
JADYN BAUM, WASHBURN RURAL
 
Preseason No. 1 at 215
 
Baum posted a 35-8 record a year ago, finishing third place at 190 pounds in Class 6A. He reached the state semifinals before dropping a 4-2 decision to Gardner Edgerton’s Ty Hammers. Baum bounced back to pin his next two foes, including a second-period pin of Wichita West’s Mencali En, whom he had beaten just 8-6 in the quarterfinals. Baum captured the Centennial League title. He also qualified for state as a sophomore in 2024, going 2-2 at 175. This season he will likely move up to 215 where he starts the year ranked No. 1
 

STEVEN BROWN, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST
 
Preseason No. 1 at 285

Brown secured his first state medal last winter with a fourth-place finish at 285 pounds, capping a strong 28-9 season. He powered into the Class 6A semifinals with a major decision and a pin before running into undefeated Derby standout Milan Colvin. Brown battled back to reach the third-place match, ultimately falling to Garden City’s Brayden Hill. Now a senior and one of the state’s most experienced big men, Brown teams with Mill Valley star Lamarcus Barber to form the top returning duo in the heavyweight field. 
 

JOVANI CAUDILL, OLATHE SOUTH
 
Preseason No. 1 at 165

Olathe South senior Jovani Caudill enters the winter with one target in mind: keeping his crown. The defending 165-pound state champion is coming off a dominant junior campaign in which he went 51-4 and surged through the bracket before securing a 7-4 title-match win over Free State’s Grayson Hagen. Now a regional and Sunflower League champion with a career mark of 79-11, Caudill returns to lead the Falcons’ program. 
 

ROMAN CLOUSE, GARDNER EDGERTON
 
Preseason No. 2 at 150

Gardner-Edgerton senior Roman Clouse is coming off a state runner-up finish at 138 pounds, capping a 37-14 season that included an impressive 24 pins. At last year’s state tournament, he stormed through the opening rounds with two falls and then secured a tough 4-1 sudden-victory win over Maize’s Talon Verbeck in the semifinals. Though he finished as the state runner-up to Washburn Rural’s Landen Kocher-Munoz, Clouse enters his final season moving up to 150 pounds. A three-time state placer with a career record of 108-41 and 69 pins, Clouse is poised to chase another deep postseason run. 
 

 
CAMERON COONROD, MANHATTAN
 
Preseason No. 3 at 144

Coonrod was one of four Indians to win at least 40 matches last year, posting a 43-8 record at 126 pounds. He posted his best state showing, placing third at the Class 6A state tournament, bouncing back from a tough 4-3 loss to Olathe North’s Jaxson Scott in the semifinals to win two straight, including a pin of Garden City’s Zachary Long in the consolation finals. The medal was the third straight for Coonrod, who went 36-10 and placed fifth at state at 126 as a sophomore and was 32-21 and also placed fifth at state at 113 as a freshman. He won his second regional title last year and recorded 27 pins, pushing his career pin total to 68. Coonrod also won his 100th match last year and is 109-39 in his career.
 

 
BRECKEN CRIST-FUNK, MANHATTAN
 
Preseason No. 3 at 165

After going just 1-2 at state at 132 pounds as a sophomore, Crist-Funk took a big step forward last year. Not only did he improve his win total from barely over .500 at 17-16 to a 29-18 mark, but he caught fire in the postseason. Wrestling at 144 pounds, Crist-Funk pinned his first two opponents at state and then upset Olathe West’s Derek Sanchez with a wild 15-10 victory in the semifinals. Crist-Funk ran into three-time state champion Easton Broxterman of Washburn Rural in the finals and lost by a 16-0 technical fall, but his runner-up finish was a big key to the Indians reclaiming the Class 6A team championship.
 

ALEJANDRO DIEGUEZ, DERBY
 
Preseason No. 2 at 113
 
Wrestling primarily at 106 pounds and some at 113, Dieguez capped his freshman season with a third-place finish in Class 6A at 106. He used a late takedown to defeat Blue Valley West’s Zack Olsen, the East regional champion, 7-4 in his final match for a 34-6 record. Dieguez also finished third in the West regional, with both title bids stopped by Garden City’s Pace Plankenhorn, the eventual state runner-up. Dieguez won his weight class at the Andover tournament with two pins and three technical falls. 
 

LOU ELSTEN, LAWRENCE
 
Preseason No. 2 at 126

Lawrence High senior Lou Elsten enters his final season aiming to finish atop the state podium at 126 pounds. A three-time state qualifier, Elsten is coming off a standout junior year in which he posted a 42-5 record at 120 pounds and earned a third-place medal at the Class 6A state tournament. After he was pinned by Maize’s Antonio Guebara in the semis, Elsten rebounded in dominant fashion with a 16-0 tech fall over Shawnee Mission West’s Nick Williams to secure third. Elsten has climbed the podium each of his three seasons—third at 120 last year, third at 113 as a sophomore, and fourth at 106 as a freshman.
 

 
MAX EVANS-PRYOR, MANHATTAN
 
Preseasons No. 2 at 175

Like teammate Brecken Crist-Funk, Evans-Pryor made a huge leap from his sophomore to junior seasons. After going 21-10 overall and 2-2 at the Class 6A state meet at 175 pounds as a sophomore, Evans-Pryor stayed at that weight last year and emerged as one of the best in the class. He more than doubled his win total on the season, posting a 45-7 mark. After winning a 6A regional title, Evans-Pryor was upset in the state quarterfinals with a 10-9 loss to Olathe North’s Ashton Keith. But he responded in a big way, winning four straight matches to finish third and secured key points to help Manhattan capture the 6A team championship.
 

ANTONIO GUEBARA, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 126
 
After dropping decisions to Garden City’s Matt Long at the Rocky Welton Invitational and West regional, Guebara turned the tables on Long at state, winning 8-5 to end his freshman season as a Class 6A 120-pound champion. Guebara was one of three Eagles atop the medal stand, helping Maize take fourth in the team race. He also had a first-place finish at the Derby Invitational and went unbeaten in six matches at the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail I Duals. Guebara bumps up a class after posting a 26-3 record and will try to help the Eagles win their second team title in three years.
 

 
CAELEB HUTCHINSON, MANHATTAN
 
Preseason No. 1 at 150

Three down, one to go for Hutchinson to become Manhattan’s first-ever four-time state champion. After claiming state titles at 106 as a freshman and 120 as a sophomore, Hutchinson stepped up to 132 pounds last year and added his third state championship to cap his most dominating season yet. He cruised to the title with two pins sandwiching a technical fall win to reach the finals where he took a 4-0 win over Maize’s Vincent Rosas. That finished off a 46-1 season for Hutchinson, who is now 129-9 in his stellar career with 87 pins. He needs 40 wins to become Manhattan’s all-time leader in victories, the current mark 168 by Mason Wallace from 2014-17. Hutchinson was also a preseason nationals champion and is a Folkstyle, NHSCA and Junior Nationals All-American.
 

 
JACK HUTCHINSON, MANHATTAN
 
Preseason No. 4 at 132

The younger brother of three-time state champion Caeleb Hutchinson, Jack got his career off to a strong start last year as a freshman, cracking the Indian lineup at 113 pounds. He finished the season with a 42-10 record, placing third at the state tournament. Hutchinson’s bid to match his brother and win a state title as a freshman came to a heartbreaking end with a 6-5 sudden victory loss to Maize’s Zachary Siatka in the quarterfinals, whom he had also lost to at regionals. But he stormed back to win four straight consolation matches, taking third with a 12-9 sudden victory over Wichita East’s Damarie Martin. Hutchinson will move up three weight classes this season.
 

EVERETT JOYCE, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 190
 
Joyce went from a state runner-up his freshman season to 6A champion in 2025, winning the 190-pound title with a 34-1 record. His 14-2 major decision over Gardner Edgerton’s Ty Hammers punctuated a dominant state tournament run that included two pins and a technical fall. Joyce’s lone loss came prior to the holidays to Nebraska state champion Adonis Bonar of Omaha’s Creighton Prep at the Kansas City Stampede. Joyce, a two-time regional champion, posted a 22-3 record in his debut season with a loss to Mill Valley’s Colin McAlister in the 6A 165-pound final. 
 

ASHTON KEITH, OLATHE NORTH
 
Preseason No. 1 at 175

Keith returns aiming to build on a breakout postseason run. Keith finished 37-26 a year ago but saved his best wrestling for February, storming through the 175-pound Class 6A bracket to reach the state finals. He opened with a narrow 10-9 win over Wichita North’s Noe Alvarado, followed it with another 10-9 upset of Manhattan standout Max Evans-Pryor, and then punched his ticket to the title match by pinning Blue Valley West’s Ange Badji in the semifinals. Though he ultimately fell to undefeated champion Adam Hagemon of Shawnee Mission Northwest, Keith is hoping for another step up on the state podium. 
 

 
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, WASHBURN RURAL
 
Preseason No. 3 at 150

Fresh off helping Washburn Rural’s boys soccer team to the Class 6A state title, Kocher-Munoz will look to grab a title of his own on the mats this winter. He’s finished fourth at state each of the past two seasons, falling in the 144-pound quarterfinals his freshman year and then again in the consolation finals, both one-point losses to end a 40-14 season. Last year, Kocher-Munoz advanced to the semifinals where he lost by a 22-5 technical fall to Mill Valley’s Colton Bendure. He met up with Manhattan’s Logan Lagerman in the third-place match for the second straight year and lost another tight match, this one a 6-3 overtime decision to finish fourth again, posting a 19-9 mark after missing the early part of the season with an injury.
 

 
LANDEN KOCHER-MUNOZ, WASHBURN RURAL
 
Preseason No. 1 at 144

With two state championships already on his resume, Kocher-Munoz can join a recent string of three-time state champions for the Junior Blues with Easton Broxterman adding his name to the list last year. Kocher-Munoz joined Broxterman atop the podium as they went back-to-back with Kocher-Munoz taking the title at 138 and Broxterman following as the 144 champ. Kocher-Munoz was dominant at state with a pin, two major decisions and a 16-9 win over Gardner Edgerton’s Roman Clouse in the finals. His first state title came his freshman year when he won at 120 pounds to cap a 37-5 season. An 11-3 loss in the 138 state finals in 2024 derailed his bid to become a four-timer, but he bounced back last year with his second title and a 34-3 season and enters this season with a 107-13 career record.
 

 
ZACH LONG, GARDEN CITY
 
Preseason No. 3 at 132

Long earned his first state medal last year as a junior. He took fourth at 126 pounds, securing his spot in the semifinals with a 7-5 decision over Maize’s Tucker Verbeck before taking a technical-fall loss against undefeated state champion Henry White from Blue Valley West. Long, who helped the Buffaloes take second as a team, finished with a 25-17 record. He’s set to make the move up to 132 pounds, where he is ranked No. 3 behind White and Olathe North’s Jaxson Scott.
 

 
KAIDEN MARSHALL, WASHBURN RURAL
 
Preseason No. 4 at 285

The younger brother of two-time Rural state champion Kristjan Marshall, who won his second straight state title last year at 157 pounds, Kaiden will look to perhaps one-up his brother and go after three titles. His career got off to a promising start last year where as a freshman at 215 he more than held his own against mostly upperclassmen, finishing the season with a 24-15 mark. He was at his best at state where coming off a fifth-place regional finish, he made his way into the semifinals with a pin and technical fall win before getting pinned by Manhattan’s Landon Dobson. Marshall wound up taking fourth, finishing the season 24-15. 
 

ZACK OLSEN, BLUE VALLEY WEST
 
Preseason No. 3 at 106

Blue Valley West sophomore Zack Olsen had a standout freshman last season, and now he’s aiming even higher. In his first season, Olsen put together a strong 45-5 season with 29 pins and climbed all the way to the Class 6A podium, placing fourth at 106 pounds. His run ended in a hard-fought 7-4 decision to Derby’s Alejandro Dieguez in the third-place match. Now up at 113 pounds, Olsen returns with a year of varsity success under his belt in hopes of climbing further up the podium. 
 

PACE PLANKENHORN, GARDEN CITY
 
Preseason No. 1 at 120

Plankenhorn came up one win short of a state championship last season as a sophomore. He pinned Blue Valley West’s Zack Olsen in the semis to earn a title shot against Maize’s Cooper Smith, who defeated Plankenhorn by 6-4 decision. Plankenhorn finished with a 34-14  record. He’s one of the top returners on a Garden City team that took second in 6A last season. Plankenhorn is set to move up two classes to 120, where he is ranked No. 1.
 

VINCENT ROSAS, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 138
 
Rosas enters his junior season with 85 career victories, but is still looking for his first state title after facing a pair of three-time 6A champions in his 132-pound season finales. First it was Washburn Rural’s Easton Broxterman, who defeated Rosas by technical fall for the second of his three state titles at the end of the 2024 season. Then came Manhattan’s Caeleb Hutchinson, who downed Rosas 4-0 in their 6A final last March. With Hutchinson opening his senior season atop the KWCA’s 6A rankings at 150, Rosas, who committed to the Air Force Academy in September, gets the preseason nod at 138 for the top-ranked Eagles. 
 

BLAKE SAMUELSON, OLATHE NORTH
 
Preseason No. 1 at 157

Samuelson enters his senior season as one of Olathe North’s top returning wrestlers. Last year, he posted a 50-10 record with 28 pins, finishing second at 150 pounds at the Kansas Class 6A State Tournament, falling to Mill Valley’s Colton Bendure in the finals after dominating his first three matches with a pin and a technical fall. A consistent performer, Samuelson has placed at state each of the last three seasons (fourth in 2023 and 2024, second in 2025) and has twice finished second in Sunflower League competition. The Olathe North senior has a career record of 132-41 and 69 career pins. 
 

JAXSON SCOTT, OLATHE NORTH
 
Preseason No. 2 at 132

Scott enters his final season as one of the leaders for the Olathe North program that is one of the best in Class 6A. Fresh off a 51-11 campaign that featured 24 pins and a run to the 6A state finals at 126 pounds, Scott returns with championship aspirations after finishing runner-up to undefeated Henry White of Blue Valley West. With a career record of 132-41 and 59 career falls, his résumé includes a 2025 league title, a fourth-place state medal in 2024, a 2023 state qualification, and consistent top-three Sunflower League finishes throughout his career. 
 

ZACHARY SIATKA, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 106
 
Siatka had a strong first season at Maize after transferring in from Texas, posting a 34-12 record and finishing second at state to Garden City’s Braydon Pacheco at 113 pounds. He also finished second to Pacheco, a three-time state finalist, in the 6A West regional, and was a runner-up at the Hoxie and Derby invitationals. Now a senior, Siatka has over 100 career victories after competing his first two years for McKinney Boyd High School. He’s one of five Eagles who’ll open the season ranked No. 1 in 6A. 
 

COOPER SMITH, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 1 at 113
 
Smith was one of three first-time state champions for Maize last season, benefitting from quality tests throughout the winter to post a 41-8 record and win the 6A 106-pound title. Smith edged Garden City’s Pace Plankenhorn 6-4 in the state final, his fourth victory over the Buffalo wrestler in 2024-25. The junior’s only two in-state losses last season came to 5A 106-pound champion Oscar Gauna of Goddard. One of their meetings came in the Newton Tournament of Champions finals after Smith defeated eventual 4A champion Samson Whitted of Rose Hill in the semis. 
 

 
COOPER STIVERS, WASHBURN RURAL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 138

Stivers enters his senior season as a three-time state placer for the Junior Blues. He finished sixth at state as both a freshman and sophomore, going 29-24 at 132 pounds as a freshman and then 11-5 in an abbreviated season at 126 as a sophomore. Last year, Stivers really hit his stride in returning to 132 pounds. He improved to a 31-9 mark and moved his way up the podium at state as well, coming back from a technical fall loss to Maize’s Vincent Rosas in the quarterfinals to win four straight matches and place third, pinning all four of his backside opponents.
 

TALON VERBECK, MAIZE
 
Preseason No. 2 at 144
 
Verbeck provides a wealth of experience for new Maize coach Tyler Gonzales. The senior posted the second top-three state finish of his career last season, edging Derby’s Liam Coultis 3-2 for third place at 138 pounds. Verbeck notched a 37-13 record and reached the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Roman Clouse of Gardner Edgerton. Verbeck didn’t compete at state as a sophomore, but opened his career with a regional championship and Class 5A runner-up finish to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Cade Gallet at 106. That helped the Eagles win their first state team title. He’ll start his final season ranked No. 2 at 144 behind Washburn Rural’s Landen Kocher-Munoz, the reigning 138 champ. 
 

HENRY WHITE, BLUE VALLEY WEST
 
Preseason No. 1 at 132

Blue Valley West senior Henry White enters the season as one of Kansas’ most dominant returning wrestlers. White is coming off a historic junior campaign in which he became the Jaguars’ first undefeated state champion, going 49-0 with 34 falls to claim the Class 6A title at 126 pounds and become just the second state champion in Blue Valley West history. He surrendered just one takedown the entire season. Now a senior with a 79-4 career record and a fourth-place state finish as a freshman, White will move up to 132 pounds as he looks to add a second title to his resume.