By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
This past weekend is one that Shawnee Heights senior girls wrestling star Cianna Graves will never forget.
It started Friday night when Graves was selected as Heights' Queen of Courts, not exactly a common occurence for someone in her sport.
Shawnee Heights star senior wrestler Cianna Graves was named Queen of Courts Friday night. [Submitted photo]
And then on Saturday Graves went back to what she knows best, going 4-0 with four pins to win the 155-pound championship in the Shawnee Heights Invitatational while helping lead the T-Birds to the team title.
Graves, also a softball standout for the T-Birds, was nominated by the Shawnee Heights wrestling team as the program's Queen of Courts candidate and then was tapped as one of five finalists in an all-school vote before being named the queen between the Heights' girls and boys basketball games against Leavenworth.
"I was (surprised),'' Graves said. "There were a lot of good girls up this year, so it was an honor and a blessing to be able to be the queen.
"I wasn't even thinking about (winning). I was just happy that I was nominated and excited to do all the Winter Royalty things.''
Used to being in the limelight in both wrestling and softball, Graves said she wasn't rattled by Friday's festitivies.
"I really wasn't nervous, I was just there to have fun,'' Graves said.
But Graves admitted that putting on an evening dress was something new.
"It definitely was, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much, getting to dress up and be in something a little bit more fun than maybe a singlet,'' she said.
Still dressed in her evening gown after being named Queen of Courts earlier in the night, Ciarra Graves helped set up the wrestling mats for Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational. [Submitted photo]
As soon as the boys basketball game was over Graves had to quickly go back into wrestling mode, joining her teammates to help set up the mats for Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational while still in her formal attire.
Shawnee Heights senior Cianna Graves went 4-0 with four pins to win the 155-pound title in the Shawnee Heights Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And when Saturday rolled around, Graves, third in Class 5A as a junior, put on another performance fit for a queen, going 4-0 with four pins to claim the 155-pound title and improve to 18-0 on the season.
"I love it so much,'' said Graves, a three-time state placer. "The people, the adrenalin that you get, it's all amazing.''
And now Graves will turn her attention on trying to cap what has already been a memorable senior season with a state title.
"It's the goal,'' she said. "I'm hoping that my hard work that I put in over the summer and continue to put in through this season really pays off in the end.''
Graves was one of seven individual champions in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational as the T-Birds captured the team title by a 262-164 margin over Wichita South.
In addition to Graves, Shawnee Heights got individual titles from freshman 110-pound sophomore Bianca Juarez (15-6 on the season), 115-pound freshman Brinnley Morris (12-2), 125-pound junior Audrey Hinkly (15-6), 135-pound sophomore Olive Jones (21-2), 145-pound senior Olivia Stevens (16-3) and 190-pound junior Brooklyn Binkley (12-6).
Morris went 5-0 with five pins between 16 seconds and 1 minute, 51 seconds while Jones went 3-0 with 27, 49 and 46-second pins.
Lacey Middleton, Washburn Rural
Madi Blanco, Washburn Rural
Rural dominates Seaman tournament
Perennial state power Washburn Rural rolled to the team championship in Saturday's Lady Vikes Invitational by a 344-253 margin over Hays.
The Junior Blues had seven wrestlers crowned team champions -- 110-pound freshman Ashlyn Johnson (11-11 on the season), 125-pound senior Lacey Middleton (23-3), 140-pound senior Madi Blanco (21-2), 145-pound senior Emme Blanco (22-2), 170-pound senior Elia Smith (17-2), 190-pound junior Lily Davis (23-5) and 235-pound sophomore Emma Mehl (15-7).
All seven Rural wrestlers won their championship matches by pin.
Host Seaman finished fifth as a team, with the Vikings getting second-place individual finishes from sophomore 120-pounder Avery Villines (11-6), 170-pound junior Isabel McClintock (12-6), 115-pound sophomore Hope Olson-Thomas (5-1) and 135-pound sophomore Hollister Olson-Thomas (9-7).
Bulldawgs' Wonnell wins title at home meet
Rossville junior Madelyn Wonnell won the 145-pound championship in Saturday's Rossville Invitational.
Wonnell, now 15-4 on the season, won the title by 17-1 technical fall over Larned senior Mia Munden in the championship match.
Wamego won the team championship with 173.5 points while Rossville placed sixth with 92 points.
