By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural has been one of the state's most dominant progams since girls wrestling became an official Kansas State High School Activities Association sport in 2020, with the Junior Blues winning back-to-back state championships in 2020 and '21 before finishing a close second in the Class 6A-5A state tournament a year ago.
And as the '22-'23 season nears the midway point, Washburn Rural is on the short list of state title contenders again this season.
Washburn Rural 140-pounder Laiken Clark looks to the official as she tries to finish off her pin in Wednesday's 64-12 dual win over Spring Hill at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural 115-pounder Maddy Blow posts a 16-3 major decision over Spring Hill's Dezaray Madsen in the Junior Blues' 64-12 dual win Wednesday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Damon Parker's Junior Blues remained undefeated in dual competition on Wednesday night with a decisive 64-12 home win over Spring Hill and the only blemish on Rural's schedule was a second-place team finish in the Basehor-Linwood tournament last month.
"They're doing the little things that we ask them to do,'' Damon Parker said of this year's Junior Blues. "In this sport, especially at the beginning of the year, you really don't know what you've got in hand until you actually have a good sample size. For example, our 155-pounder, Ashley Schwarz, wrestled her first varsity match tonight. She's definitely an up and comer and she's one that we expect to make some noise at the state tournament down the road, but we actually had no idea what the expectation was until we actually saw her in live action against other people.''
Schwarz made her debut with a win by fall, one of seven pins by Washburn Rural, which won 11 of 14 matches against the Broncos.
"We're definitely pleased with where we are right now,'' said Parker, whose team is ranked No. 2 behind Dodge City in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 6A-5A and All-Class rankings.
On Wednesday night, in addition to Schwarz's pin, Washburn Rural got pins from Annie Gallegos (120 pounds), Addison Broxterman (125), Laiken Clark (130), Alexis Fredrickson (135), Autumn Sanchez (170) and Molly Spader (100).
Maddy Blow (115) took a 16-3 major decision in her match while Delaney Hill (110), Sophia Ross (235) and Kristen Rezac (105) won by forfeit.
Broxterman is ranked No. 2 at 125 pounds in 6A-5A by the KWCA while Rezac is No. 2 at 105, Fredrickson No. 3 at 130, Gallegos No. 4 at 120, Clark No. 5 at 140 and Ross No. 6 at 235 pounds.
WASHBURN RURAL 64, SPRING HILL 12
(Match started with 110-pound match by draw)
110 -- Hill, Washburn Rural, winner by forfeit; 115 -- Blow, Washburn Rural, maj. dec. Madsen, Spring Hill, 16-3; 120 -- Gallegos, Washburn Rural, pinned Ottenschnieder, Spring Hill; 125 -- Broxterman, Washbun Rural, pinned Yoder, Spring Hill; 130 -- Clark, Washburn Rural, pinned Oppeau, Spring Hill; 135 -- Fredrickson, Washburn Rural, pinned Farris, Spring Hill; 140 -- Charles, Spring Hill, dec. Iarossi, Washburn Rural, 5-3; 145 -- Mermis, Spring Hill, pinned Davison, Washburn Rural; 155 -- Schwarz, Washburn Rural, pinned Guthrie, Spring Hill; 170 -- Sanchez, Washburn Rural, pinned Claar, Spring Hill; 190 -- Feeback, Spring Hill, dec. Escobar, Washburn Rural, 4-1; 235 -- Ross, Washburn Rural, winner by forfeit; 100 -- Spader, Washburn Rural, pinned Cochran, Spring Hill; 105 -- Rezac, Washburn Rural, winner by forfeit.
