By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three Shawnee County girls standouts will wrestle for high school state championships on Thursday.
Rossville sophomore Kendra Hurla will be shooting for her second straight state championship when she faces Pratt's Jadyn Thompson in the Class 4A-1A 120-pound final at Salina's Tony Pizza Events Center.
Broxterman advanced to the state finals for the second straight season and will be looking for her first state title when she faces off against Hannah Glynn of Blue Valley Southwest in the Class 6A-5A 120-pound final at Park City's Hartman Arena.
Shawnee Heights senior 191-pounder Maranda Bell advanced to the state championship match for the first time after finishing third in last year's state tournament.
Bell will face Meya Howell of Derby in the title match.
Rossville sophomore Kendra Hurla will wrestle for a second straight state title Thursday in Salina. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior 120-pound Addison Broxterman advanced to the state wrestling finals for the second straight season. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior 191-pounder Maranda Bell advanced to her first state final after finishing third a year ago. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Two-time state team champion Washburn Rural will begin Thursday's competition (9 a.m. start) one half point behind Dodge City (67.5-67.0) in the 6A-5A team standings while Wichita North is third with 59.5 points and Emporia fourth with 54.5.
Shawnee Heights is currently seventh in the team standings with 49 points.
Ten Washburn Rural wrestlers are still alive for state places entering Day 2, with Broxterman, 126-pound freshman Annie Gallegos and 155-pound senior Jaliah Johnson already having clinched state medals.
Gallegos and Johnson both won their first two matches Wednesday before losing in the semifinals and are assured of at least a sixth-place finish.
Kristen Rezac (101), Kaitlyn Morris (109), Alexis Fredrickson (132), Madison Davison (138), Laiken Clark (143), Ta'Ani Rhoten (170) and Sophia Ross (235) all went 1-1 Wedneday.
Shawnee Heights junior 115-pounder Molly Busenitz advanced to the semifinals and is assured of a top-six state finish, as are Seaman 126-pound senior Rylee Murray and Topeka West 235-pound sophomore Tristyn Johnson.
Shawnee Heights' Odessa Schmidt (109), Alexandria Buce (120), Reece Taylor (126), Haley Haltom (132) and McKenna Haltom (143) all went 1-1 on Wednesday and will compete on Thursday.
In addition to Rylee Murray, Seaman wrestlers Taylie Heston (109), Madison Murray (115), Jenna Best (120), Koti Best (132) and Alex Conway (191) all moved on to Thursday with 1-1 records as did Highland Park's Kimberly Rodriguez (101) and Celeste Gonzales (191) and Topeka High's Marilena Zuniga (138).
In the 4A-1A state tourney at Salina Silver Lake's Karley Holmes (101), Hailey Horton (155) and Ellen Doty (115) and Rossville's Keera Lacock (126) and Reagan Wonnell (138) all went 1-1 Wednesday and will wrestle on Thursday.
State boys tournament will be contested on Friday and Saturday, with the 6A and 5A meets at Hartman Arena, 4A at Salina and 3A-1A at Hays.
