Eagles Show Depth and Determination Across Regional Lineup taking home the championship
February 26, 2026
The Colby High School boys wrestling team delivered in dramatic fashion on February 21 in Beloit, edging Abilene by just half a point to claim the KSHSAA 4A Regional A team championship. Colby finished with 156.5 points to Abilene’s 156.0 in one of the tightest team races of the season.
Three individual regional champions powered the Eagles to the title, each navigating a challenging bracket that featured some of the top wrestlers in the region.
At 113 pounds, Julian Salcido (35-5) stood atop the podium after a strong four-match run. After receiving a first-round bye, Salcido earned a technical fall over Tyler Binder of Beloit High School, then secured a 5-2 semifinal decision over Konner Mills of Larned High School. In the championship match, Salcido defeated Blaize Charbonneau of Clay Center Community High School by a 7-2 decision to capture the regional crown and add 21.5 team points to Colby’s total.
Ryder Dempewolf (29-1) was dominant at 120 pounds, scoring a team-high 27 points during his title run. Dempewolf opened with a first-round fall over Quinn Kymer of Concordia High School, followed by a technical fall against Eian Herschlag of Marysville High School. In the semifinals, he posted another tech fall, this time over Kelby McMahan of Clay Center Community High School. In the championship bout, Dempewolf sealed the title with a first-period fall over Madison Burkes of McPherson High School.
At 132 pounds, Talon Wark (38-7) added another regional championship for the Eagles. After a bye to begin the tournament, Wark earned a technical fall over Jacob Magnall of McPherson High School in the quarterfinals, then pinned Miller Coffman of Clay Center Community High School in the semifinals. In the finals, Wark secured a major decision victory, 13-3, over Jeremiah Gonzalez of Scott Community High School to claim the gold medal and contribute 24.5 team points.
Colby also advanced multiple wrestlers to the State Tournament with top-four finishes.
At 126 pounds, Ethan Reinert (23-18) reached the championship match with a technical fall over Brecken Bauman of Goodland High School, a fall over Henry Tice of Beloit High School, and a semifinal decision over Jeremiah Frey of Chapman High School before finishing as regional runner-up.
This article is sponsored by
Eric Schroeder (31-11) made a strong run at 150 pounds, earning falls over Baylor Boesker of McPherson High School and Noah Wolak of Goodland High School, then winning in sudden victory against Matthew Wheeler of Scott Community High School to reach the finals. He finished second, locking in his state berth.
Laken Sharpe (23-20) battled back at 106 pounds to place third and qualify for state. After a semifinal loss, he pinned Kasey Green of Beloit High School in the consolation semifinals and then defeated Romeo Beougher of Clay Center Community High School, 9-6, in the third-place match.
Colby received valuable contributions across the lineup, with Nathan Schroeder at 138, Pierce Bartlett at 144, Vance Dempewolf at 157, Dalton Jacob at 165, Boston Woofter at 175, Laken Lindberg at 190, and McCager Wright at 215 each battling through tough championship and consolation rounds to add important team points.
In the end, it was the combination of championship performances, finals appearances, and hard-fought consolation wins that pushed Colby to the top of the standings. With three regional champions and multiple additional state qualifiers, the Eagles now head into the State Tournament with momentum and confidence after a narrow but decisive regional title victory.