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Oklahoma high school wrestling: Takeaways from 2024 Jay Hancock Memorial Invitational

YUKON — Jude Randall had mixed feelings following his championship match at the Jay Hancock Memorial Invitational.

The Edmond North 175-pounder and OU wrestling signee was thankful to escape with a 3-2 victory over Westmoore’s Cole Olguin on Saturday inside Yukon’s gymnasium. At the same time, Randall was a little bit frustrated with himself.

“It was a tough tournament,” Randall said. “Lots of teams come out here. Just had to go out there, perform the best I could every match. My finals match wasn’t my best performance. That’s all right. Just got to work on some things, keep wrestling.”

Randall was one of 11 Edmond North wrestlers who claimed championships Saturday as the Huskies ran away in the team standings.

He placed second at the Class 6A state tournament last year in the 165-pound division and is seeking his first championship.

“I’m just staying positive,” Randall said. “Good attitude. Just working every day as hard as I can in the room. It’s my last year. Just got to put it all on the mat and just let my wrestling do the talking, perform the best I can. Hopefully with my performance, that will give me the title.”

It was a busy Saturday in Yukon. Here are some other takeaways from the tournament, which began Friday.

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Edmond North's Jude Randall, top, wrestles Stillwater's Landyn Sommer in the Class 6A 165-pound championship match at the state tournament at State Fair Arena on Feb. 25, 2023.
Edmond North's Jude Randall, top, wrestles Stillwater's Landyn Sommer in the Class 6A 165-pound championship match at the state tournament at State Fair Arena on Feb. 25, 2023.

Edmond North wins team title; Layton Schneider named Outstanding Wrestler

One Edmond North wrestler after another waited for his name to get called before approaching the podium.

All but two weight classes — 106 and 190 pounds — had at least one Husky placing in the top six.

And in four divisions — 113, 120, 132 and 138 pounds — the Huskies had two wrestlers breaking into the top six.

Edmond North took care of business and finished well ahead of the competition Saturday, winning with 371½ points. Allen (Texas) placed second with 267½, and Westmoore was third with 228½.

Edmond North has dominated throughout the season, and this tournament was no different as the Huskies had 11 champions out of 14 divisions.

Among those who earned titles were Tommy Baker (113 pounds), Devon Miller (120), Hudson Hackbarth (132), Hunter Hollingsworth (138), Layton Schneider (144), Joseph Jeter (150), Kody Routledge (157), Brayden Lucas (165), Jude Randall (175), Oscar Williams (215) and Ricky Thomas (285).

Schneider, a senior who will continue his career at Air Force, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Edmond North is the top-ranked team in Class 6A and one of the best in the nation.

The Huskies have won just one state tournament title and one dual state championship, and those victories came in 2013.

But Edmond North has steadily risen in recent years, placing second in the last two state tournaments, and the Huskies will try to get over the hump next month.

“When you become good and have a well-coached team, a lot of people want to be a part of that,” said Schneider, the son of head coach Andy Schneider.

“So that’s helped a lot. People are coming and wanting to be a part of this team. And then obviously, these aren’t just like my practice partners and all that. These are my best friends, my brothers, and I hang out with them on the weekends. We’re each other’s closest friends and so that’s helped a lot, team wise.”

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Edmond North senior Layton Schneider is the defending Class 6A state champion at 144 pounds.
Edmond North senior Layton Schneider is the defending Class 6A state champion at 144 pounds.

Westmoore has strong showing

Westmoore coach Will Evans is confident his team is getting hot at the right time.

The Class 6A seventh-ranked Jaguars had a solid tournament, placing third against a talented field.

Leading the team were 150-pounder Trae Rios, 175-pounder Cole Olguin and 285-pounder Gavin Gagnon, who each earned runner-up finishes.

“We have some guys that are really coming on,” Evans said. “We have a few guys that are out. I thought we kind of started to put it together this weekend. Allen, Texas is really good. Edmond North is really good. A third-place finish here kind of gives those guys a bit more confidence.”

Several Westmoore wrestlers have faced some of the best grapplers in the nation this season.

Those experiences have paid off.

“Our guys are improving,” Evans said. “They’re listening to our coaches. And another kid that’s really coming on for us is our 165-pounder Mason Armstrong. He struggled a bit earlier in the year, but he finished third at Jenks, he finished third at (the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Tournament last week) and he finished fourth here. He’s starting to come around.”

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Other standout performances

  • Putnam North had two wrestlers who placed third in their respective weight class, Ryan Gooch (175) and Markus Stewart (190).

  • Choctaw placed fourth with 184½ points. Bryson Hand placed second at 106, Cash Holman was third at 138, and Kaden Stitt was third at 285.

  • Tournament host Yukon had 176½ points as it placed fifth. Destry Lujan led the Millers with a second-place finish at 215. Caleb Schneider (106) and Hayden Wright (120) each placed third.

  • Guthrie's Bryson Hall was the runner-up at 165, and Kaedin Herendeen placed third at 113.

  • Moore's Logan Ashford placed third at 157.

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Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS wrestling: 2024 Jay Hancock Memorial Invitational results