Sallisaw wrestler makes national quarterfinals at Fargo
Black Diamonds duo, Stilwell Lady Indian eliminated from tournament
FARGO, N.D. — Sallisaw Black Diamonds wrestler Cason Craft is still in line to be a national champion.
At the 2024 National Junior Wrestling Tournament, Craft won his third and fourth matches at 106 pounds in the Junior Freestyle Division of the event to make it to the quarterfinals. Craft, who won the Class 4A State Tournament at 106 pounds last February, defeated Virginia’s Jonathan French 10-0 in the round of 32 and beat California’s Elias Briones 10-0 in the round of 16 to put him in a quarterfinals match against New Jersey’s Charles Esposito.
Unfortunately, for the other three local wrestlers participating in the tournament, they were eliminated.
In the Junior Freestyle Division, Sallisaw’s Cole Mayfield, wrestling at 157 pounds, lost his final two matches. Mayfield, who won the state title for the second straight year last February and his first as a Black Diamond, lost to Iowa’s Caleb Olson 10-0, then fell Nevada’s Zyon Trujillo 9-1 to be eliminated. Also in the Junior Freestyle Division, Bodie Adams, wrestling at 175 pounds, lost his second elimination match 6-2 to Efren Arizmendez of Texas to be eliminated. Adams was the Class 4A State Tournament runner-up at 165 pounds last February. In the Junior Women’s Freestyle Division, Sallisaw Takedown Club member and soon-tobe Stilwell Lady Indians senior wrestler Adrianna Chronister, wrestling at 140 pounds, lost her second elimination match 18-17 to Oregon’s Megan Peterson to be eliminated.