Washburn Rural senior Dajia Anderson has been named TopSports.news' Shawnee County girls wrestler of the year after winning a second straight state title. [Submitted]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State champions Dajia Anderson, Kendra Hurla and Rebekah Smith headine TopSports.news' inaugural All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team.
Anderson, a Washburn Rural senior 191-pounder, was named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year after winning her second straight individual state title, while Rural senior Rebekah Smith won the 155-pound Division I state championship after a third-place state finish as a junior.
Rossville freshman Kendra Hurla was named the All-Shawnee County newcomer of the year after winning the Division II state title at 120 pounds.
Washburn Rural senior Rebekah Smith (right) captured the 155-pound Division I state title, helping lead the Junior Blues to their second straight state team championship. [Submitted]
Rossville freshman Kendra Hurla has been named the Shawnee County girls wrestling newcomer of the year after winning a Division II state title. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography]
Washburn Rural, which won its second straight state team championship, put 10 wrestlers on the first team while Junior Blues coach Damon Parker was named the Shawnee County coach of the year after leading Rural to a girls/boys state title sweep.
In addition to state champs Anderson, 30-4 on the season, and 20-1 Smith, Washburn Rural is represented by sophomore state finalist Addison Broxterman (120) and state placers Shayne Miles (115 junior), Alexis Fredrickson (126 sophomore) and Jaliah Johnson (170 junior) along with sophomore Natalie Tibbets (132), sophomore Carmen Alston (138), freshman Laiken Clark (143) and senior Kelly Mercer (235).
Broxterman went 22-7 on the season en route to her state runner-up finish while Johnson (32-6) placed third, Frederickson (25-14) fifth and Miles (30-12) sixth in the state meet.
Shawnee Heights put three wresters on the first team -- juniors Alexandria Buce (101) and Maranda Bell (191) and freshman Odessa Schmidt (109) -- with Bell placing third in the Division I state tournament to finish 31-5 on the season.
Joining Hurla, who posted a 23-2 record, on the all-county team for Rossville is fellow freshman Keera Lacock (20-7), who placed fourth in Division II at 115 pounds.
Silver Lake put a pair of Division II medalists on the first team -- senior Ellington Fogle and freshman Hailey Horton.
Fogle (36-6) finished fourth at 132 pounds while Horton (36-13) was fourth at 155 pounds.
Seaman, in its first season fielding a girls program, is represented by junior 126-pounder Madison Murray.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING
First team
Carmen Alston, so., Washburn Rural; Dajia Anderson, sr., Washburn Rural; Maranda Bell, jr., Shawnee Heights; Addison Broxterman, so., Washburn Rural; Alexandria Buce, jr., Shawnee Heights; Laiken Clark, fr., Washburn Rural; Alexis Fredrickson, so., Washburn Rural; Ellington Hogle, sr., Silver Lake; Hailey Horton, fr., Silver Lake; Kendra Hurla, fr., Rossville; Jaliah Johnson, jr., Washburn Rural; Keera Lacock, fr., Rossville; Kelly Mercer, sr., Washburn Rural; Shayne Miles, jr., Washburn Rural; Madison Murray, jr., Seaman; Odessa Schmidt, fr., Shawnee Heights; Rebekah Smith, sr., Washburn Rural; Natalie Tibbetts, so., Washburn Rural.
Second team
Molly Busenitz, so., Shawnee Heights; Emma Conway, so., Shawnee Heights; Grace Fitzgerald, sr., Silver Lake; Haley Haltom, jr., Shawnee Heights; Kaidence Heston, so., Seaman; Rylee Murray, jr., Seaman; Kaitlyn Morris, so., Washburn Rural; Kristin Rezac, fr., Washburn Rural; Karsyn Russell, sr., Seaman; Olivet Shove, jr., Seaman; Katelyn Thomas, sr., Shawnee Heights; Riley Thompson, so., Shawnee Heights; Lauren Wilson, so., Seaman.
Honorable mention
Seaman: Jenna Best, fr.; Alex Cannon, jr.; Grace Cheney, jr.; Allegra Dees, so. Silver Lake: Aubrey Bahner, sr.; Avery Henderson, so. Shawnee Heights: Gloria Lillch, jr.; Isabelle Sanchez, so. Emily Ward, fr. Washburn Rural: Ashlyn Fewell, sr.; Holden Oswalt, jr.; Elise Romine, sr.; Sophia Ross, fr.
Wrestler of the year -- Dajia Anderson, Washburn Rural.
Newcomer of the year -- Kendra Hurla, Rossville.
Coach of the year -- Damon Parker, Washburn Rural.
