Newton ? Lawrence High freshman Reese Wright-Conklin advanced to today’s finals of the Newton Invitational on Friday.

Conklin, who entered as the No. 7 seed in the 152-pound weight class, defeated Mays’ Blake Fullbright, who had placed at the state tournament twice in the past. Wright-Conklin pinned Wichita Northwest’s Sean Gaither in the semifinals to advance to the 6 p.m. finals today.

“You usually don’t see a freshman in the finals of this tournament — ever,” said Lawrence High coach Patrick Naughton, who added that of the 24 teams in the tournament, 15 were ranked in the top 10 of their respective classes. “This is a chance to know our competition for when we head to state.”

Jake Pfannenstiel (140) and Dustin Walthall (171) also will compete today in the back side of the tournament. Walthall must win one more match today in order to place.