By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls wrestling team, the defending Class 6A-5A state champion, tuned up for its title defense with the team championship in Saturday's regional tournament at Junction City.
Washburn Rural's girls wrestling team poses for a picture after winning the championship in Saturday's Class 6A-5A regional tournament at Junction City. [Washburn Rural women's wrestling]
The No. 8-ranked Junior Blues had four individual regional champs and qualified 10 wrestlers for state en route to a 227-159 margin over Kapaun Mt. Carmel, with Manhattan third with 144 points and Emporia fourth with 121.
Washburn Rural, which has posted three state titles and a runnerup finish in the four official girls state tournaments, got individual regional titles from junior 105-pounder Molly Spader, senior 135-pounder Laiken Clark, senior 145-pounder Fatima Escobar and senior 170-pounder TaAni Rhoten.
Spader, who improved to 32-2, took a hard-earned 9-8 decision over Newton's Brookelyn Treaster in the final while Clark (26-4) took a 6-0 decision over Wichita Southeast's Aileya Sath.
Escobar (32-5) pinned Manhattan's Sophia Hoeme in 1:08 while Rhoten (32-2) pinned Chinyereugo Okafor of Kapaun Mt. Carmel in just 28 seconds.
Also advancing to the regional finals were junior 115-pounder Maddy Blow (22-10), junior 125-pounder Annie Gallegos (17-3) and sophomore 130-pounder Madison Blanco (25-6)
Rural sophomore 120-pounder Lacey Middleton (29-7) and sophomore 190-pounder Ella Smith (24-12) both posted third-place finishes while freshman 100-pounder Kamiryn Clark (21-17) qualified for state with a fourth-place finish.
Shawnee Heights' girls wrestling team poses for a picture after winning a Class 6A-5A regional championship at Bonner Springs. [Shawnee Heights wrestling]
T-Birds roll to 6A-5A regional crown at Bonner Springs
Shawnee Heights, ranked No. 6 in the 6A-5A state rankings, qualified 10 wrestlers for state with six champs on the way to the team championship in the Bonner Springs regional by a 210-182 margin over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood. A third UKC member, Seaman, finished third with 137 points.
The T-Birds got wins from sophomore 105-pounder Connie Burns, senior 110-pounder Odessa Schmidt, junior 130-pounder Isabel Reyes, senior 135-pounder Madison Freeland, sophomore 140-pounder Olivia Stevens and sophomore 235-pounder Theo Ofuasia.
Burns (22-4) captured her regional crown with a 2-1 decision over Basehor-Linwood's Miley Locke while Schmidt (24-7) pinned Basehor-Linwood's Delaney Locke in 35 seconds while Reyes (27-3) earned her title by way of medical forfeit over Seaman's Koti Best.
Freeland (26-2) pinned De Soto's Ava Taylor in 4:15, Stevens (27-7) pinned Basehor-Linwood's Lexi Dickerson in 3:06 and Ofuasia (15-10) pinned Leavenworth's Saryja Nelson in 1:15.
Junior 125-pounder Reece Taylor (22-8) and sophomore 155-pounder Cianna Graves (28-6) posted runnerup regional finishes for the T-Birds while senior 145-pounder McKenna Haltom (27-6) finished third and sophomore 120-pounder Addison Cooper (18-17) was fourth.
Seaman junior Taylie Heston captured the 120-pound title with a 3:36 pin over Mill Valley's Piper Wendler, with Heston improving to 27-8 on the season while junior Abagail Soppe (21-11) won the 190-pound title with a 4:29 pin over Basehor-Linwood's Izzy Renfro.
In addition to the second-place finish from Best (20-3), a state runnerup a year ago, Seaman got runnerup finishes from senior 100-pounder Ellie Ayres (24-9) and freshman 115-pounder Vanessa Scott (16-14) and Viking junior 110-pounder Natalie Smith (21-10) finished third
Highland Park finished 10th as a team with 25 points, led by senior 145-pounder Mercedes Garcia (7-11), who qualified for state with a fourth-place finish.
Rossville senior Kendra Hurla will wrestle for a fourth state championship after winning a regional title Saturday in Sabetha. [File photo/TSN]
Bulldawg duo earns 4A-1A regional titles
Rossville senior 120-pounder Kendra Hurla and senior 155-pounder Hailey Horton earned Class 4A-1A regional championships in Saturday's regional meet at Sabetha.
Hurla (34-0) earned her shot at a fourth straight state championship with a 52-second pin over West Franklin's Kate Shepherd while Horton, a returning state placer, improved to 33-4 with an 8-0 major decision over Marysville's Rose Latta.
Rossville also got third-place finishes from senior Keera Lacock (33-1), a state runnerup in 2023, and freshman 145-pounder Madelyn Wonnell (32-13).
Hayden senior Elaina Wolff (25-7), a multiple state qualifier, punched her ticket to state with a runnerup finish to Wamego's Peyton Brazzle in the 100-pound class.
Silver Lake junior Karley Holmes (30-14) earned a trip to state with a fourth-place finish at 110 pounds.
Rossville finished sixth as a team (96 points) while Silver Lake finished 13th (51) and Hayden 21st (25).
