By OLIVER GOOD

Staff writer

Marion High School wrestlers Bryce Shults and Tyler Palic battled nearly to the top of their brackets over the weekend at the 321A state wrestling tournament in Hays.

Shults, a junior, placed fourth in the 138-pound bracket after going 4-2. Palic went 2-3 to place sixth at 195-pounds.

“It was good to see both of them place where they did,” coach Chad Adkins said. “Bryce wrestled the best tournament of his career. He lost a hard first match, and then battled hard to get back to fourth place. He puts a lot of time into this sport and I am so happy for him.

“Tyler wrestled very well and lost a couple close matches, but he’s only a sophomore. He’ll clean up some mistakes and is going to be very special his junior and senior years.”

Marion placed 25th as a team. Adkins said all his wrestlers left everything they had on the mat.

At 132 pounds, Ezra Darnall went 2-2 and wrestled a “gutsy” tournament, Adkins said.

“He was one match away from placing,” Adkins said. “He did everything he could have done.”

Jarrett Johnson scratched out of the 126-pound bracket because he had the flu, Adkins said.

Noah Albin, Remington Putter, and Charlie Nordquist all went 0-2 in their respective brackets.

Adkins said he was proud of the entire team, including the managers, for all the effort and hard work they put in during his last season coaching wrestling.

He wrote a special message online to all his wrestlers and managers from past and present.

“I am a much better man today because of each of you,” Adkins said. “I can’t thank you enough. I love all you guys and gals.”