By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker has been around long enough to know that his Junior Blues can't afford to take anything for granted until the final scores are announced.
Washburn Rural junior 105-pounder Molly Spader reacts after advancing to the Class 6A-5A state championship match with a semifinal pin. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker congratulates 105-pound junior star Molly Spader after Friday's semifinal win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Parker, whose team has never finished lower than second at state with three state championships, does know that Rural has done what it needed to do over the first two days of the Class 6A-5A state tournament to give itself a chance to challenge for yet another championship.
State 105-pound finalist Molly Spader led the way as the defending state-champion Junior Blues advanced six wrestlers to the final day of the tournament, with all six already assuring themselves of state medals, as Rural built a 93-74 lead over Dodge City in the team race.
"We're very happy with the way that we wrestled the last couple of days,'' Parker said. "But we tell the girls, we don't celebrate until the trophy is in our hands. We have a lot of work left to do, but at the same time, we spent most of this season outside the top 10 (in the state rankings) and with the firepower that we lost from last year's squad, for us to have a decent lead going into Day 3 there's nothing to complain about there.
"Those kids are animals. They've been so much fun to watch.''
After posting two straight wins on Thursday, Spader improved to 35-2 on the season with a win by pin over Great Bend freshman Camdyn Post in the semifinals.
Spader was in control of the match before punctuating her victory with a pin with just three seconds remaining in the match.
Spader earned her first shot at a championship after finishing fifth in her first state appearance in 2023.
"I was really relaxed today,'' Spader said. "I just had to rely on what I've learned over the season and do what I know best.''
"It is nerve-wracking in some parts but then I'm just like, 'I've just got to go do what I know I can do and just try my best. I just wanted to place higher than I did last year, go try my best and what happens is what happens.''
Parker said he isn't surprised by anything Spader accomplishes on the mat.
"We call her the hurricane for a reason,'' Parker said. "She just never stops moving. She Crockpots people, she slow cooks them.
"She'll wrestle, wrestle and you'll feel like she has decent control of the match and then all of a sudden you'll look up in the third period and it's 12-2. She just slowly adds to that lead.''
Rural senior 145-pounder Fatima Escobar and senior 170-pounder TaAni Rhoten also advanced to the semifinals before losing on pins.
Both Escobar and Rhoten can still finish as high as third as can sophomore Lacey Middleton (120), sophomore Madison Blanco (130) and senior Laiken Clark (135), who all advanced to Saturday morning's consolation semifinals.
Shawnee Heights finished Friday's competition locked in a four-way tie for seventh in the 6A-5A team standings, with three T-Birds assuring themselves of state medals.
Junior Reece Taylor took her 125-pound semifinal to overtime before dropping a 3-1 decision while 145-pound senior McKenna Haltom and 155-pound sophomore Cianna Graves posted wins in their consolation quarterfinal matches to advance to Saturday.
Seaman junior Taylie Heston reached the 120-pound semifinals before losing on a pin and can still finish as high as third place, as can 100-pound senior Ellie Ayres, who is 3-1 in the tournament after a consolation quarterfinal win.
Saturday's competition will begin at 9 a.m.
