Wrestling Roundup: Little Rock Wrestlers Take Titles in Regional Championships

Tyler Mann and Layne Hatcher, both of Little Rock, became the first Arkansas wrestlers to win titles in the prestigious Southern Plains Regional Championships in Dodge City, Kansas last weekend.

Mann, perhaps the most decorated wrestler to come out of the state, won the Senior Division at 160 pounds.  The Little Rock Central graduate recently claimed his fourth consecutive high school state championship and signed a scholarship to wrestle at perennial wrestling power Oklahoma State next season.

Hatcher, who will enter his freshman year at Pulaski Academy, won the Cadets division in just his first year of eligibility at 160 pounds. He is a 5-time youth state champion.

The strong finishes ensure, Mann and Hatcher, will receive a coveted seed in next month’s National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota.

In other recent wrestling news, Williams Baptist College has announced several signings to its wrestling program.

Daniel Rittell, a Louisiana native who attended Zachary High School, has signed with Williams Baptist College’s wrestling team. Rittell projects to wrestle for the Eagles at the 157-pound weight class next year.

Rittell recorded a record of 50-12, finishing 5^th in the Louisiana State Tournament this past spring. Rittell was also the state champion in power lifting.

Daniel Rittell

“Daniel is a great fit for Williams and our team next year. In being a state champion power lifter he is a strong kid. However, he is not just strong physically. Daniel has demonstrated he is a strong student athlete as well as strong in his faith,” said head coach Kerry Regner. 

Rittell plans to major in biology at Williams, with a concentration in pre-physical therapy.

Waynesville wrestling is sending a member of its team to college now that Isaiah Johnson signed to Williams Baptist College on Thursday.

Johnson achieved many things over the season, including placing third in state in the 120-pound division, but Cory Ace, Johnson’s coach, said Thursday was his greatest accomplishment.

“[Signing] is the ultimate goal,” Ace said. “To get those kids to sign, send them off to college so they can do bigger and better things, get an education and represent Waynesville to the best of their ability.”

And if anyone would be a good representative of Waynesville and its wrestling program, it would be Johnson.

“He’s very quiet, very reserved, but he’s come a long way since he’s been here in Waynesville. He’s worked hard, sacrificed a lot of time,” Ace said of Johnson. “At

Isaiah Johnson

our awards banquet we gave him the four-D award [which is] dedication, desire, drive and determination. When you have a senior showing those things and makes a commitment to the program that’s huge because you’ve got other younger guys looking up to that.”

Johnson also has a non-stop motor when he wrestles, no matter the situation he faces. “I don’t stop even if I’m losing,” Johnson said. “I keep moving forward.”

The new Eagle signee said he’s thinking about studying in business or athletics.

Another addition to Williams Baptist College’s wrestling team is Conor Karwath of East Ascension High School in Louisiana. Karwath capped off his state champion senior year with a record of 62-4.

“I am excited to be at Williams this fall. I was attracted to the small town feel and the community sense I got with the people on campus. I also know that in choosing WBC, we are the building blocks of the wrestling team. I am confident it will be a powerhouse in the very near future,” said Karwath.

Along with Karwath’s state championship, he was also a two-time Greater Baton Rouge City Champion and a two year team captain. 

“I am very happy Conor has chosen Williams. He has competed and won at the highest high school level. I am excited to see what he will do for the Eagles in the next four years,” said Regner.

Karwath looks to major in finance at Williams, and he has plans to become an accountant.

Izack Wilson

Williams Baptist College has added Izack Wilson, of Jay High School in Oklahoma, to its 2014 wrestling squad. Wilson, who is a two-time Oklahoma State place winner and a four-time qualifier, racked up 176 wins with 94 pins in high school. He hopes to compete at the 165-pound weight class as an Eagle.

Wilson was also part of the Oklahoma National Team in freestyle competition for three years.

“I will look for Izack to be a leader on next year’s team. His experience and high level credentials are going to give him a big advantage at the next level,” said Regner. 

“I am excited to be a part of WBC and Coach Regner’s inaugural team,” added Wilson. I know that I’m putting myself in a position to become a National Champion and to also be a part of a team that is going to compete for a national title.”

Wilson looks to major in Physical Education at Williams, with the hopes to become a teacher and coach.

David McCright of Mustang High School in Oklahoma has signed with the 2014 wrestling team at Williams Baptist College. McCright will wrestle at the 197-pound weight class for the Eagles.

McCright recorded 26 falls in his senior year at Mustang, and he also qualified for the Oklahoma State Wrestling Tournament.

“When you find a recruit who is a pinner, they find ways to win. I like wrestlers who put it all on the line no matter the circumstance. I think David will give us that

David McCright

every day,” said Regner.

McCright was a complete student athlete during his time at Mustang.  He participated in tennis, student council, theatre and AP art. He looks to major in Studio Art at Williams.

Williams Baptist College’s wrestling squad is proud to announce the signing of Jeffrey Hailey, a senior at Quincy Notre Dame High School in Quincy, Ill. Haley recorded 126 wins, was a three-time state championship qualifier, placing third his junior and senior year.

“We are excited to have Jeffrey join the team next year. He brings a lot of success with him. However, he doesn’t just bring his credentials. He is a solid student athlete and overall a great kid,” said Regner.

Haley looks to compete for the Eagles next year at the 197 pound weight class. “I hope to workout with my brother Timothy, who was a collegiate baseball player, to get a feel for the next level. It’s a step up, and I need to come in to next year in good shape and with more muscle,” said Haley.

Haley, a multisport athlete at Quincy, played football, baseball and cross country during his high school career. He plans to major in Physical Education while at Williams, with hopes of being a teacher and a coach in the future.

The Williams Baptist College wrestling team has signed Dalton Reed of Mountain Home High School for the 2014-2015 squad.

Dalton Reed

Reed capped of his senior year with a record of 35-8 at MHHS. He was a two time all-conference selection, finished fifth in the state of Arkansas and was a three-year letterman.

The 6’1’’ Reed projects as either a 197 or a heavyweight for the WBC wrestling team. He intends to major in Physical Education.

“We are excited to have Dalton next year, it is a great fit for both of us. Dalton has a good frame and a lot of athletic ability. I am excited to watch Dalton grow in wrestling over the next few years,” said Head Wrestling Coach Kerry Regner.

He is the son of Rose Elam of Mountain Home, Ark.

Williams is a four-year, liberal arts college located at Walnut Ridge, Ark. WBC is a member of the NAIA and the American Midwest Conference.