OVERLAND PARK — Washburn Rural senior Landen Kocher-Munoz has spent more than a decade preparing for moments like the one he experienced Saturday night. In the final match of his high school career, he made sure it ended the same way it began — with a state championship. 

Kocher-Munoz captured his third state title at the Kansas Class 6A state wrestling tournament at AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park, closing his career with a 7-1 decision over Maize’s Talon Verbeck in the 144-pound championship match. 

The title marked the third of Kocher-Munoz’s career, adding to championships he won as a freshman at 120 pounds and as a junior at 138. He also finished as the state runner-up as a sophomore, giving him four straight trips to the state finals. 

“It feels awesome to win another title,” Kocher-Munoz said. “Wrestling has been my passion since I was 5 years old and this one, especially being my last year competing, was the most special one of them all.” 

Kocher-Munoz dominated his way to the finals, opening the tournament with three straight technical falls. He dispatched Blue Valley’s Jacob Lerma 18-2 in the opening round, followed it with a 19-4 tech fall over Garden City’s Romeo Garcia in the quarterfinals and then rolled to a 16-1 tech fall against Wichita East’s Anthony Noble in the semifinals. 

Despite the commanding run, nerves still crept in before the final. 

“I feel like I wrestled well but even more importantly I wrestled for the people that got me there — my coaches, teammates and family — although I was extremely nervous for my finals match,” Kocher-Munoz said. 

Washburn Rural coach Joshua Hogan said Kocher-Munoz’s experience and preparation ultimately carried him through. 

 

“I was fully confident in Landen and his ability to close out his career with another title,” Hogan said. “I know it meant a lot to him because even though I knew we win that match 9.5 out of 10 times, he was nervous as ever. Ultimately the training and preparation he’s undergone these last 13 years had him ready to handle the moment, which is such a huge part of why we wrestle.” 

Kocher-Munoz said his time with the Junior Blues has left a lasting impact as he now turns his attention to helping the next generation. 

“My time at Washburn has been the biggest blessing of my life,” he said. “I’m so grateful for the amount of good mentors I’ve had at Washburn, and the memories that we all shared that will last a lifetime. After months of contemplating, I won’t be furthering my wrestling career in terms of competing, but am looking forward to coaching the next generation of Rural wrestlers.” 

Shortly after Kocher-Munoz secured his title, teammate Jadyn Baum added another championship to the Junior Blues’ historic weekend. 

Baum, a three-time state qualifier, captured his first state title at 215 pounds with a commanding 12-4 major decision over Manhattan’s Kadin Dibbini in the finals. 
 

For Baum, the championship represented the culmination of years of work after finishing third at 190 pounds last season with a 35-8 record. 

“It meant everything to me,” Baum said. “I’ve worked for that moment for a long time, so finally getting it done was great. I felt like I wrestled like me all weekend. I didn’t try to do anything special — just be confident and trust what my coaches have been teaching us all year.” 

Baum powered through the bracket with a mix of control and explosiveness. He pinned Olathe South’s Cameron Ebrecht in 49 seconds in the opening round, followed with an 8-1 decision over Shawnee Mission West’s Jerome Williams in the quarterfinals. He then secured another quick fall, pinning Liberal’s Emilio Sandoval in 1:44 in the semifinals. 

While the earlier rounds came with nerves, Baum said he settled in when it mattered most. 

“I was honestly more nervous for the three matches leading up to the championship,” Baum said. “I was still nervous but confident in myself and my coaches and what we’ve been doing all year. I just wrestled my match and executed what I do well.” 

Hogan said Baum’s consistency and work ethic have been a cornerstone for the program. 

“Jadyn’s best attributes were on full display this year as he was dominant from start to finish, all the while maintaining status as one of the hardest working, reliable and character-oriented guys that we have,” Hogan said. “Jadyn fully checks every box and as coaches, we could not be more proud of him.” 

Baum isn’t finished chasing championships either. 

“I’m really excited,” he said. “This one motivates me even more. I’m grateful for it, but I’m not done yet. The goal is to come back next year and get another and keep getting better every day.” 

Behind the performances of Kocher-Munoz, Baum and several other placers, Washburn Rural delivered one of the best team showings in program history. The Junior Blues piled up 180 points — the most the program has ever scored at the state tournament — to finish third in Class 6A. 

GARDEN CITY'S PLANKENHORN, LONG BAND TOGETHER TO CAPTURE FIRST STATE TITLES

Garden City’s wrestling room has long preached persistence, but on Saturday night at the Class 6A state tournament, that patience paid off in the biggest way possible. 

Junior Pace Plankenhorn and senior Zach Long each captured their first career state championships at AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park, delivering a powerful one-two punch for the Buffaloes and cementing their seasons with memorable performances on the sport’s biggest stage. 

For Plankenhorn, the title at 120 pounds represented the culmination of a year-long mission. 

After finishing as a state runner-up a year ago, the Garden City junior returned with renewed focus and powered through the bracket, finishing the season 40-11. Plankenhorn opened the tournament with back-to-back pins, sticking Shawnee Mission North’s Heath Baker in 51 seconds before flattening Wichita Heights’ Chris Rosales in 1:14 in the quarterfinals. 

He then controlled Free State’s Damian Quick with a 13-0 major decision in the semifinals before closing out the championship with a commanding 13-4 major decision over Washburn Rural’s Ryder Harrison. 

“I was ready to win, but God had other plans,” Plankenhorn said of last season’s runner-up finish. “That gave me the opportunity to step back and realize I can say I want to be a state champ all I want, but it’s not going to happen unless I do what it takes.” 

Plankenhorn said that realization led him back to the wrestling room immediately after last year’s tournament. 

“The next day after we got back from state I was in the room getting a practice in,” he said. “After that I was in the room every day, sometimes twice a day, doing the work that needed done.” 

That dedication showed in his dominant state run, though Plankenhorn said he approached the tournament with a simple mindset. 

“The state tournament is always different, but going into this tournament I had the mindset that it’s nothing different than any other,” he said. “Same matches, same moves, same thing — just a different weekend.” 

While Plankenhorn’s journey back to the finals was years in the making, Long’s path to a championship came through perseverance during an up-and-down career. 
 

The Buffaloes’ 126-pounder put together his best wrestling of the season in Overland Park, finishing 34-9 while piling up bonus points on his way to the finals. 

Long opened with a 15-0 technical fall over Shawnee Mission North’s Derek Wymer before pinning Blue Valley Northwest’s JJ Smith in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he stuck Olathe North’s Alex Ramos in just 1:15 to set up a championship showdown with Maize’s Tucker Verbeck. 

In the finals, Long leaned on steady pressure and controlled positioning to secure a 7-4 decision over Verbeck, a wrestler who had beaten him earlier in the season. 

“It meant a lot to me,” Long said. “It just shows the work I had been doing was paying off. I knew I could get it done.” 

Long said his focus entering the finals was simple. 

“My focus was mainly just being dominant,” he said. “I just kept telling myself it would go how I want it to go. I made sure I was focused not on the outcome, but on how I would wrestle.” 

Garden City coach Paul Lappin said both wrestlers had to overcome different hurdles to reach the top of the podium. 

“Pace made it to the finals last year and got beat in a close match,” Lappin said. “I know that drove him for a while, and it was nice to see him get over the hump.” 

Long’s journey, meanwhile, was about believing he could reach the same summit. 

“Zach has had an up-and-down career,” Lappin said. “We’ve tried to keep him focused on wrestling a full six minutes. It’s amazing what he can do when he does that, and it showed the last few weeks.” 

Long also carried family motivation with him. His older brother Matthew finished as a state runner-up twice. 

“I think Zach always doubted himself that if his brother couldn’t win it, he couldn’t,” Lappin said. “It was just a great win for him as a person to be able to get over that mountain.” 

The moment became even more meaningful because the two champions share a close bond as training partners. 

“If you know anything about me and Zach, we do everything together in practice and outside of practice,” Plankenhorn said. “Seeing the guy that pushed me every day for three years straight complete your goal right after you is something amazing.” 

Long echoed that sentiment. 

“It was really special,” he said. “Pace and I are practice partners and not just teammates. We talked about winning it the season before, and we finally accomplished it.” 

BLUE VALLEY WEST’S WHITE RALLIES FOR SECOND STRAIGHT STATE TITLE 

OVERLAND PARK — The wait was long for Blue Valley West senior Henry White. The ending was worth every minute. 

Wrestling in the final match of the night at the Class 6A state tournament Saturday, White capped his high school career with a second straight state championship, rallying for a 9-3 victory over Maize’s Antonio Guebara in the 132-pound finals. 

The matchup featured two defending state champions and lived up to the billing, but White’s composure and conditioning ultimately proved the difference. 

After surrendering an early takedown and falling behind 3-0, White stayed patient and methodically worked his way back into the match. 

“It was very tough, he is a great opponent, and I have no doubt that he will do great things in his career,” White said. “After going down I just kept my cool and started to chip away because I trust in my training knowing that I can win every position if I wrestle smart.” 

White scored a reversal and added two key takedowns late in periods to swing momentum and seal the win. 

The final bout came after hours of waiting — something made easier by a large group of Blue Valley West classmates who packed the stands to support him. 

“It was a very long day of waiting around but having my guys there to sit through it with me helped me in ways that they won’t ever understand,” White said. “They have been there for me as long as I have known them and they made my night truly unforgettable.” 

White’s path to the title was dominant leading up to the finals. He pinned Dodge City’s Carson Akers in 36 seconds in the opening round, followed with a 1:19 fall over Manhattan’s Joseph Panfil in the quarterfinals and a semifinal pin of Wichita East’s Jordan Noble in 2:03. 

Blue Valley West coach Randy Lowe said White’s road to a repeat title was even more challenging than his championship run a year ago. 
 

“We knew he had the potential to win it again, but he had a bullseye on his back all season,” Lowe said. “This was probably a tougher road at the state tournament than he had last year. His semifinal match was against the Wichita East kid that took us to overtime earlier this year, and then you get a returning state champion in the finals.” 

White finished the season 41-2 after going a perfect 49-0 last year while becoming the Jaguars’ first undefeated state champion in program history. Despite moving up a weight class this winter, his dominance continued. 

Lowe said White’s conditioning and tactical adjustments were key in the championship match. 

“Henry’s ability to keep Guebara chasing him without getting turned was big,” Lowe said. “His conditioning helped him a lot. I think we wore Guebara out trying to ride us for the first two periods. Henry is so good on his feet, and once we got that takedown in the third, he made it really difficult on the guy because he was already tired.” 

For White, the victory provided a fitting end to a decorated high school career — one made even more special by sharing it with those closest to him. 

“It means so much to me being able to win back-to-back state championships, and it means even more that my friends and family were there to support me,” White said. “Every hard day along the way finally paid off, and I’m so grateful that I was able to finish strong.” 

White now turns his attention to the next chapter, as he plans to continue his wrestling career at the University of Central Missouri. 

“I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have such a great high school career,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.” 

 

OLATHE NORTH’S SAMUELSON FINISHES ON TOP WITH 157-POUND TITLE 

Olathe North senior Blake Samuelson had spent the better part of his high school career knocking on the door of a state championship. Last Saturday, he finally kicked it open. 

Samuelson captured the Class 6A state title at 157 pounds at the Kansas state wrestling tournament in Overland Park, closing his career in memorable fashion with a narrow 4-3 decision over Wichita East’s Donald Jackson in the championship match. 

The victory capped another remarkable season for Samuelson, who finished 51-4 and recorded his second straight 50-win campaign. 

“To get that state title finally after these four years felt amazing,” Samuelson said. “It felt like all the hard practices and weight cuts had finally paid off.” 

Samuelson wasted little time asserting himself in the finals, scoring an early takedown that ultimately proved to be the difference in a tightly contested match. The two wrestlers were already very familiar with each other, having faced off multiple times during the season. 

“Yeah, in my finals match I had a pretty tough opponent, but I had already beat him two times earlier in the year so I knew I could go out there and do it again,” Samuelson said. “I just had to make sure I stayed calm and stuck to my technique and I would come out on top.” 

The championship bout was the culmination of a dominant tournament run for Samuelson. He opened with a first-round pin of Topeka’s Jordan Stiner in 1:47, then followed with another fall over Gardner-Edgerton’s Ashton Cupp in 1:15 in the quarterfinals. Samuelson advanced to the finals with an 8-7 decision over Maize’s Baron Rosas in the semifinals before edging Jackson for the title. 
 

Olathe North coach Clint Slyter said Samuelson’s championship was the result of his persistence and work ethic after falling just short a year ago. 

“It just shows how hard Blake works,” Slyter said. “Knowing his season didn’t end the way he wanted to last year, he came back and committed more time and effort to this season and it paid off.” 

Samuelson entered the season determined to finish the job after placing second at 150 pounds last year, when he went 50-10 with 28 pins before falling to Mill Valley’s Colton Bendure in the state finals. A model of consistency, Samuelson had already been a three-time state placer, finishing fourth in both 2023 and 2024 before last year’s runner-up finish. 

This time, he left no doubt. 

“The match itself was a little cautious on both sides,” Slyter said. “This was the third time they had wrestled in the past month and they were very familiar with each other. But ultimately Blake pulled the trigger and got a big takedown that made the difference.” 

The moment was made even more memorable by the presence of Samuelson’s brother, Alec — a former state champion for Olathe North — who stood in his corner for the finals. 

“It was also special to have his brother in his corner,” Slyter said. “Those are very special moments, and to share that with family is amazing.” 

For Samuelson, the title represented the culmination of a long journey in the sport he has dedicated most of his life to. 

“This year was my 14th year wrestling,” Samuelson said. “Even though I have gone through some hard times in this sport, I would do it all over again if I had the chance.” 

OLATHE SOUTH’S CAUDILL REPEATS AS 165-POUND STATE CHAMPION 

Olathe South senior Jovani Caudill knew the challenge that comes with being a defending state champion. Staying on top can be even harder than getting there the first time. 

But Caudill embraced the pressure and finished his high school career the same way he ended the previous season — standing at the top of the podium. 

Caudill captured his second straight championship at 165 pounds last Saturday at the Class 6A state tournament in Overland Park, capping a strong senior season with a 37-4 record and cementing his place among the most accomplished wrestlers in Olathe South history. 

“The first state title is great — reaching the top of the podium is a rare feat, and it's so special to get there,” Olathe South coach Conor Fitzgerald said. “Doing it again, however, may be a more daunting task. There's a lot of pressure in staying on top. I know Jo felt that for a good portion of the season.” 

Caudill’s path through the bracket was largely dominant. He opened the tournament with a quick first-round fall over Garden City’s Juan Ortiz in 1:13. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Olathe North’s Ashton Keith late in the third period before adding another fall in the semifinals against Olathe East’s Connor Hart in 2:43. 

That set up a championship matchup against Mill Valley’s Elijah Gulley, where Caudill controlled the action and secured a 7-3 decision to clinch the title. 

Fitzgerald said Caudill’s approach late in the season helped him handle the expectations that come with defending a championship. 
 

“Down the home stretch, we really narrowed our focus to competing with gratitude and joy,” Fitzgerald said. “High school wrestling is special. It's fun. No sense in dampening that experience with focusing on results and applying undue pressure. 

“Wrestling is a game. Go out and play the game as hard as you can, have fun, and be grateful for the opportunity to compete. That's what he did, and the result was a pretty dominant run to a second state title.” 

Caudill admitted the weight of expectations was something he had to work through during the season. 

“It felt really good,” Caudill said of winning back-to-back titles. “Coming into the season I felt I had a lot of pressure on my back, so I was more worried about winning than I was having fun. Around regionals time I felt that there was no pressure, that it was all a mental game, and I started having fun with wrestling.” 

While the second championship was rewarding, Caudill said his first title still carries a special place. 

“The second title felt good, but the first title was another feeling,” he said. “Being the first to win a state championship in my family, it felt really good.” 

Even at the state tournament, Caudill battled through some adversity. He said he was dealing with illness during the week but focused on staying composed on the mat. 

“I felt I wrestled calm,” Caudill said. “I did feel a little sick coming in, especially with the weather changing. I felt real congested and it was harder to breathe, but I got the work done and just focused on my technique.” 

Caudill finished his career with an 116-15 record, leaving Olathe South as one of the most decorated wrestlers in program history and a two-time state champion who successfully defended his crown. 

MANHATTAN’S EVANS-PRYOR FINISHES DOMINANT RUN WITH FIRST STATE TITLE 

Manhattan junior Max Evans-Pryor spent the past year turning a frustrating moment into motivation. Last Saturday in Overland Park, that motivation paid off with the ultimate reward. 

Evans-Pryor captured his first state title at 175 pounds with a dominant run through the bracket, finishing the season 39-4 and helping Manhattan place second as a team with 192.5 points. 

The path to the title was convincing. Evans-Pryor opened the tournament with a fall over Blue Valley West’s Bennett Belzer, then rolled past Washburn Rural’s Brenner Beninga with a 10-0 major decision in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he overwhelmed Shawnee Mission East’s Noah Jewell with a 19-2 technical fall. 

But the championship match against Wichita East’s Prince Marshall provided the tournament’s only tense moment. 

Early in the bout, Evans-Pryor briefly found himself in danger when he got caught in a position that nearly put him on his back. Instead of panicking, he stayed composed, worked out of the position and quickly turned the momentum back in his favor on the way to a 13-6 decision. 

“I wrestled pretty good,” Evans-Pryor said. “I’m not really good at legs and I put myself in a bad position even though my coaches told me to stay out of it. Luckily I was able to come back from it and I knew I wasn’t going to get pinned. I knew that I was going to get myself back in good position and run this title down.” 

Once Evans-Pryor scored the first takedown, the match began to unfold the way he wanted. 

“To get that first takedown felt amazing because then it just puts pressure on your opponent and I can set my pace,” he said. 

The title marked the realization of a goal he has been working toward since he first stepped into the Manhattan wrestling room. 
 

“It means a lot,” Evans-Pryor said. “Ever since my freshman year I have dreamed of placing at state and someday reaching that ultimate goal. I just had to step up the ladder and become a state champ.” 

His climb to the top included a key learning experience last season. Evans-Pryor posted a 45-7 record as a sophomore and won a regional title, but his state tournament run was nearly derailed by a 10-9 quarterfinal loss to Olathe North’s Ashton Keith. Instead of fading, he bounced back to win four straight matches and finish third — a performance that helped Manhattan secure the 6A team championship. 

“That definitely fueled me for this year,” Evans-Pryor said. “I just knew that I needed to trust the process and work my butt off all summer and winter. I knew I could become a state champion and it ultimately paid off.” 

Evans-Pryor’s championship season came as part of another strong year for Manhattan wrestling. The Indians finished state runner-up behind a lineup that included four-time state champion Caeleb Hutchinson. 

Success has followed Evans-Pryor across multiple sports. Just months earlier, he helped Manhattan capture a state championship in football, making his junior year one of the most memorable of his high school career. 

“It’s pretty great to win state in football and then myself getting a title in wrestling,” Evans-Pryor said. “I’m grateful for my teammates and my seniors and hopefully we can run down another one in football with the team we have next year. Ultimately, all that success is because of hard work and it all pays off in the end.” 

FROM OVERLOOKED TO CHAMPION: SM NORTHWEST’S BROWN WINS 6A HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN 

OVERLAND PARK — The path to the top of the podium was anything but traditional for Shawnee Mission Northwest senior Steven Brown. 

Once a wrestler who couldn’t even crack a varsity lineup, Brown ended his high school career Saturday night as a Class 6A state champion. 

Brown captured the 285-pound title at the Class 6A state tournament, winning a dramatic 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker over Olathe West’s Brayden Shin in the championship match. The victory capped a remarkable senior season that saw Brown finish 53-3 while breaking the school record for most wins in a season and tying for the second-most wins in a single season in Kansas history. 

“It meant the world to me,” Brown said. “I was always ‘not good enough’ to even wrestle the varsity spot. It built my mental toughness beyond anything else.” 

Brown’s journey to a championship didn’t follow a straight line. Early in his high school career he struggled to find a place in the lineup before transferring to Shawnee Mission Northwest as a junior, where he eventually worked his way onto the state podium. 

This season, he took the final step. 

Even more impressive, Brown did it while often giving up size at heavyweight. Weighing around 220 pounds for much of the season, he routinely faced opponents much closer to the 285-pound limit. 

“It’s honestly all a mindset thing,” Brown said. “The weight is hard to handle but I know I can do anything with hard work and believing in myself. I get to my bread and butter in my matches and use my speed to execute moves.” 

Brown’s championship bout was a rematch of the regional final against Shin — a match that also went to an ultimate tiebreaker but ended in a 3-2 victory for the Olathe West wrestler. 

The state final followed an eerily similar script. 

“The match was exactly like the regional finals match,” Brown said. “It went into ultimate tiebreaker and I had to escape to win. I ended up getting out in just four seconds.” 

Brown said the biggest difference was his aggressiveness. In the regional loss, he never attempted a shot. In the state final, he kept pushing the action. 

“In the regional finals I didn’t shoot a single time, unlike the state finals where I had around 10 shot attempts,” he said. 

That adjustment helped him finally flip the result when it mattered most. 

Shawnee Mission Northwest coach Zach Davies believed Brown was ready for the moment. 

“We knew it was going to be a tough match but we also knew Steven was good enough to get it done,” Davies said. “He had a great week of practice leading up to the state tournament. I believed he could get it done and prayed a lot for his success.” 
 

Davies also knew the matchup with Shin would be another battle. 

“Brayden is a great opponent and has always given Steven great matches,” Davies said. “I was thankful Steven got the opportunity to get the last win over him.” 

Brown’s title run at state began with a first-round pin of Wichita Northwest’s Jody Merkle in 1:18. He followed with a 4-0 decision over Olathe Northwest’s Riyhad Jones in the quarterfinals before earning a 9-1 major decision against Manhattan’s Garrison Vikander in the semifinals. 

The title victory completed a season Brown had set his sights on from the moment the previous one ended. 

“After the season last year he made it a goal to be on top of the podium this year,” Davies said. “This season we traveled around a bit in order to chase great competition and it all worked out well.” 

Davies said the program encourages wrestlers to challenge themselves against the best. 

“We talk about chasing losses a lot,” Davies said. “If you're not seeking out the best competition, there's no way to know what you need to do in order to be the best. The few losses he had this year were great for him because they allowed him to learn what he needed to do to be on top.” 

Along the way, Brown etched his name into the school record book. 

His 53 wins broke the Shawnee Mission Northwest single-season record — one previously set by former state champ Adam Hageman the year before with 50. 

“It means so much to me,” Brown said.  “Honestly I didn’t think it would be broken for a while, but here we are talking about it. It feels amazing to set my name in stone, not only for my school but for Kansas history.”