By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Four-time state individual champion Kendra Hurla of Rossville headines the TopSports.news 2024 All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team while state team champs Washburn Rural and Rossville combined for 10 spots on the first team.

KendraHurlaState 1Rossville senior Kendra Hurla celebrates her fourth straight 120-pound Class 4A-1A state wrestling championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]

MollySpaderStatefinaltrophy 2Washburn Rural state finalist Molly Spader (with trophy) celebrates with her teammates after the Junior Blues won their second straight Class 6A-5A state championship. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]

The TopSports.news all-county team is based in part on selections made by the seven Topeka head coaches as well as at large selections for county schools Rossville and Silver Lake.

Hurla was named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year after winning her fourth straight Class 4A-1A 120-pound championship while capping a perfect 38-0 senior season.

HaileyHortonState 1Rossville senior Hailey Horton gains the upper hand on the way to a 4-3 win in the Class 4A-1A 155-pound championship match. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]

Hurla and her senior Bulldawg teammate, 155-pound state champ Hailey Horton (37-4), led Rossville to the school's first-ever team title by a half point over Oakley (82.5-82.0) as senior 115-pound fourth-place finisher Keera Lacock (37-3) also earned a first-team All-Shawnee County spot for the Bulldawgs. Hurla, Horton and Lacock are all first-team All-Shawnee County repeat picks.

MollySpaderStatefinal 2Washburn Rural junior Molly Spader gains the upper hand on Derby senior Amara Ehsa during the 105-pound state final. Spader dropped a tough 6-4 decision but Rural won its fourth state team title. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]

Washburn Rural, meanwhile, continued to rack up state crowns, winning its second straight title and fourth in five years by a 118-96 margin over Garden City as state 105-pound finalist Molly Spader (35-3) was one of seven Junior Blues to earn all-county honors.  

In addition to Spader, Washburn Rural is represented by junior 115-pounder Maddy Blow (22-12), sophomore 130-pounder Madison Blanco (28-9), senior 135-pounder Laiken Clark (31-5), senior 145-pounder Fatima Escobar (35-7), senior 170-pounder TaAni Rhoten (36-2) and sophomore 190-pounder Elia Smith (25-14).

Clark and Rhoten placed third at state while Escobar posted a fourth-place finish and Blanco finished sixth.

Spader, Blow and Rhoten are all first-team all-county repeat selections.

MollySpaderState 1Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker congratulates 105-pound junior star Molly Spader after her state semifinal win. Parker coached Rural to its fourth state team title in five seasons. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

BryceGfeller 1Bryce Gfeller, a two-time individual state champ for Rossville as a high school wrestler, coached the Bulldawg girls to the school's first state team title to cap the 2023-2024 season. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered] 

Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker, who has led the Junior Blues to four state titles and a runnerup finish in the five years since girls wrestling became an official Kansas State High School Activities Association sport, was selected as the Co-Shawnee County coach of the year with Rossville state-champion coach Bryce Gfeller.

Parker and Gfeller both won a pair of state individual titles as high school wrestlers before embarking on their coaching careers.

Rural sophomore Lacey Middleton, who placed sixth in 6A-5A at 120 pounds and went 32-10 on the season, was named the county newcomer of the year.

Shawnee Heights put five wrestlers on the all-county first team, led by junior Reece Taylor and sophomore Cianna Graves.

Taylor (25-10) finished fourth at 125 pounds while Graves (32-8) placed fifth at 155.

Also earning first-team berths for the T-Birds were senior 110-pounder Odessa Schmidt (25-9), sophomore 140-pounder Olivia Stevens (29-9) and sophomore 235-pounder Theo Ofusia (16-12).  

Seaman put senior 100-pounder Ellie Ayres and junior 120-pounder Taylie Huston (30-10) on the All-Shawnee County first team, with both wrestlers earning 6A-5A state medals.

Heston, a repeat all-county pick, finished fourth at state while Ayres was sixth.

ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING

First team

Name, school                                         Class  Wt.

Ellie Ayres, Seaman                                   Sr.      100

Madison Blanco, Washburn Rural             So.     130

Maddy Blow, Washburn Rural                  Jr.       115

Laiken Clark, Washburn Rural                   Sr.      135

Fatima Escobar, Washburn Rural              Sr.      145

Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights             So.     155

Taylie Heston, Seaman                              Jr.      120

Hailey Horton, Rossville                            Sr.      155

Kendra Hurla, Rossville                             Sr.      120

Keera Lacock, Rossville                             Sr.      115

Theo Ofusia, Shawnee Heights                So.      235

TaAni Rhoten, Washburn Rural                Sr.       170

Odessa Schmidt, Shawnee Heights          Sr.      110

Elia Smith, Washburn Rural                      So.      190

Molly Spader, Washburn Rural                 Jr.       105

Oliva Stevens, Shawnee Heights              So.      140

Reece Taylor, Shawnee Heights                Jr.       125

Second team

Name, school                                         Class  Wt.

Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural                 So.      140

Connie Burns, Shawnee Heights               So.      105

Kamiryn Clark, Washburn Rural                 Fr.       100

Kyley Ehmpke, Topeka High                      Fr.       110

Madison Freeland, Shawnee Heights       Sr.        135

Emily Funk, Washburn Rural                     Sr.        155

Annie Gallegos, Washburn Rural               Jr.        125

McKenna Haltom, Shawnee Heights         Sr.        145

Kylisha James, Highland Park                    Jr.         170

Lacey Middleton, Washburn Rural            So.       120

Isabel Reyes, Shawnee Heights                 Jr.         130

Vanessa Scott, Seaman                              Fr.        115

Abagail Soppe, Seaman                            Jr.         190

Nacola Williams, Topeka West                  Jr.          235

Honorable mention

Hayden: Natalie Hooper, sr.; Katie Mead, so.; Elaina Wolff, sr. Highland Park: Makayla Cadet, so.; Mercedes Garcia, sr.; Kim Rodriguez, jr.; Zi'Aonna Williams, fr. Rossville: Madelyn Wonnell, fr. Seaman: Jenna Best, sr.; Koti Best, jr.; Natalie Smith, jr. Shawnee Heights: Addison Cooper, so.; McKenzie Cooper, fr.; Audrey Hinkly, fr. Silver Lake: Karley Holmes, jr. Topeka High: Ingrid Cabrera, jr.; Zoe Dawkins, so.; Addison Pinto, so. Topeka West: Dadriona Anderson, sr.; Ziona Jackson, sr.; Nephtail Lenth, sr. Washburn Rural: Gabby Collins, jr.; Raya Eilert, sr.; Gabby Littrell, sr.; Ella Miller, jr.; Maddie O'Brien, sr.; Jayden Reynolds, sr.; Kristen Rezac, sr.; Autumn Sanchez, sr.; Jolie Workman, fr.

Wrestler of the year -- Kendra Hurla, Rossville.

Newcomer of the year -- Lacey Middleton, Washburn Rural.

Co-coaches of the year -- Bryce Gfeller, Rossville, and Damon Parker, Washburn Rural.

 

   

Gold Partners

Community Partners

Gold Partners