Atchison wrestlers take third at Meadowlark, win four titles

Atchison’s wrestling programs left Washington High School with a clear sign of staying power: the Phoenix boys finished third in the Meadowlark Conference Tournament with 125.5 points, only behind Washington’s 136.5 and Sumner’s 131.5. In a field that tight, the margin between first and third came down to small scoring swings, and Atchison stayed close enough to the leaders to matter all night.

The most important number for the Phoenix was four. Atchison crowned four conference champions, a haul that showed the roster was producing wins across multiple weight classes instead of leaning on a single standout. Jaden Wedlow won at 106 pounds, Nate Wiggins took 120, and Cole Genail joined them as a conference champion, giving Atchison top-end results at both lighter weights and the middle of the lineup.

That balance is what makes a team dangerous in March. Conference tournaments reward not just individual talent but depth, bonus points and the ability to keep multiple wrestlers alive deep into brackets. Atchison’s third-place finish suggested the program has enough quality to remain competitive in a strong Meadowlark field, but the narrow gap to Washington and Sumner also showed where the Phoenix still need more: additional scoring from the rest of the lineup if they want to turn a solid finish into a championship push.

The result also fits a larger pattern for Atchison wrestling. In the 2024 Meadowlark Conference Wrestling Tournament, the boys placed fourth and the girls placed third, with Morgan Molt, Molly Cook, Addison Aversman and Oktavija Burnett among the girls champions. That kind of repeated success across both programs points to a deeper pipeline, not a one-year spike.

Burnett’s later run only strengthens that picture. The Atchison junior went 4-0 at the 2026 state tournament to win the 145-pound title, and she did it with four falls. For Atchison County, that is the clearest proof yet that Meadowlark success can become state-level success when the program keeps developing wrestlers across the full lineup.