By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Since advancing to the Class 5A state championship match as a sophomore, the last two seasons have been a star-crossed journey for Seaman 125-pound wrestling star Koti Best, filled with a lot of time with medical personnel.
Seaman senior Koti Best (top) is back in the Class 5A state championship match for the second time in her career after a semifinal pin. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after fighting through concussion issues as a junior and a dislocated shoulder this season, on Saturday Best will be back where she was two years ago, wrestling for a state title in the Park City Arena.
Wearing a brace to protect her right shoulder, Best earned her return trip to the final with a win by pin in 5 minutes, 57 seconds over Blue Valley Southwest senior Brynn Lowe.
"It feels very good,'' Best said about earning another title shot. ''I felt really good today. I've felt very encouraged since I got my brace and everything's been going good. I haen't had too many issues.
"I was stressed about this because it had been a long time since I've been in this position, but I think I handled it pretty well. It was a rough match for sure, but we got there. I knew this was my last shot.''
Now 20-2 on the season, Best's pin in the semifinals came after a 41-second pin in the first round and 17-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals.
"With her injuries and being knocked out last year (with a first-round concusion), for her to come back as a senior and make it to the finals again, it's amazing,'' said Jordan Best, Seaman's coach and Koti's father. "She kind of set her goal, 'This is what I'm going to do,' and I said, 'There's really only one person that's going to stop you,' and she went out there and did it.''
Best will face Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Courtney Nye (36-10) in the 125-pound title match.
After finishing fourth as a junior, Seaman's Taylie Heston will wrestle for the 120-pound state title Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Reluctant wrestling star Heston advances to 120-pound final
Seaman 120-pound senior Taylie Heston has never denied the fact that she's not a big wrestling fan.
"That's true, I don't like it at all,'' Heston said.
But that hasn't kept Heston, a state runnerup in track last spring, from becoming one of the state's best.
"My parents kind of wanted me to do it because my sister wrestled and my brother wrestled, so it's in the family,'' Heston said.
And after finishing fourth as a junior, Heston (32-7) punched her ticket to her first state final in her fourth state appearance on Friday with a 4:53 pin over Piper sophomore Rylee Burke in the 120 semifinal.
Heston beat Burke 9-0 in the United Kansas Conference meet and said that win gave her confidence in the semifinal.
"It was nice to know that I had already beat her,'' Heston said. "I felt good.''
The semifinal pin was Heston's third of the day, following pins in 2:56 and 3:42 in her first two matches.
Heston will now face familiar foe Kensley Medrano, an Emporia junior, in Saturday's state final.
Heston and Medrano have faced off three times in the past, with Medrano (30-13) winning two of those matches, including a four-overtime decision in the regional meet two weeks ago.
"It will be a good match,'' Heston said.
Highland Park 190-pounder Makayla Cadet is congratulated by Scot boys coach Freddy Maisberger and girls coach Ellen Heavner after advancing to the Class 5A championship match. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cadet makes Highland Park history with run to 190 final
In her first state tournament appearance, Highland Park junior 190-pounder Makayla Cadet has etched her name into the Highland Park girls wrestling record book.
Now 22-4 on the season, Cadet became the first Scot girls wrestler to advance to the state semifinals and then topped that performance a couple hours later when she recorded a pin over Newton freshman Clair Harder in 4:39 to reach Saturday's state championship match.
"I had a feeling I was going to do my best, but I honestly wasn't expecting this at all,'' Cadet said. "I kept telling myself in my head that I had worked all three years for this moment and I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way.''
Cadet will now face Basehor-Linwood junior Izzy Renfro (39-6) in the state final. Cadet and Renfro also squared off in a regional final two weeks ago, with Renfro winning by pin in 1:37.
"I feel confident,'' Cadet said. "I'm going to go out and do my best.''
Shawnee Heights senior Isabel Reyes advanced to the 130-pound state final with an OT win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Reyes provides semifinal highlight for T-Birds
The semifinal round was a tough one for the Shawnee Heights girls, with the T-Birds dropping four of their five matches in the round.
But 130-pound senior Isabel Reyes provided a big highlight, advancing to Saturday's state championship match with a 13-11 overtime win over Newton's Joeann Jones.
"This means a lot to me,'' said Reyes while fighting through happy tears. "I showed my heart out there and that's exactly what I needed to do.
"I was like, 'I've got to get it for my team, my family and for God and for every person that's supported me throughout my life.' ''
Now 37-2 on the season, Reyes will meet Blue Valley Southwest senior Karoline Kendall (40-2) in the championship match.
"I'm going to throw all my heart out there,'' said Reyes, a first-time state medalist.
T-Bird sophomore 120-pounder Audrey Hinkly lost on a pin in her semifinal while senior 125-pounder Reece Taylor lost on a disputed overtime decision, senior 140-pounder Madison Freeland dropped a 12-3 major decision and junior 155-pounder Cianna Graves was pinned after opening up an early 8-0 lead.
Rural sends four to 6A state finals
Washburn Rural star senior 144-pounder Easton Broxterman earned his fourth trip to the state finals on Friday in Overland Park and will be shooting for his third straight state title on Saturday.
Broxterman improved to 40-2 on Friday while recording three straight wins by technical fall, including an 18-0 TF in the semifinals.
Broxterman was one of four Junior Blues (three boys, one girl) to advance to state championship matches.
On the boys side Broxterman will be joined in the finals by 138-pound junior Landen Kocher-Munoz (33-3) and 157-pound senior Kristjan Marshall (36-5).
Kocher-Munoz is making his third straight trip to the championship match, winning state as a freshman and finishing second a year ago, while Marshall is looking for his second straight state crown.
Washburn Rural girls star Molly Spader, a 105-pound senior, is in the state final for a second straight season, finishing second as a junior. Spader is 37-5 on the season.
