2024-25 GIRLS WRESTLING PREVIEW 
 

CLASS 6A 

2023-24 Class 6-5A State champion: Washburn Rural 

2023-24 Class 6-5A State runner-up: Garden City 

2023-24 Season review: Washburn Rural remained the state’s gold-standard program, capturing its fourth championship in five seasons of KSHSAA girls’ wrestling. The Junior Blues repeated as 6-5A champs with 118 points, finishing with a 22-point advantage over runner-up Garden City. The Junior Blues had one only state finalist and no individual championships but continued their tradition of racking up victories on the backside of the bracket. Molly Spader led the Junior Blues’ with a runner-up finish at 105 while Laiken Clark (135) and TaAni Rhoten (170) each secured third-place medals. Rural had six top-six placers in all. Maya Tarbet highlighted runner-up Garden City’s showing by defending her 125-pound title. Dodge City took third with 87 points followed by Olathe Northwest with 77. 

2024-25 Contenders: One of the largest girls’ wrestling programs in the country, Washburn Rural will look to extend its reign and win its fifth state title in six seasons of KSHSAA girls’ wrestling. Rural, ranked No. 3, will again look to rely on its depth. The Junior Blues have eight wrestlers in the preseason rankings, led by returning state finalist Molly Spader, who is No. 1 at 105. Other returning state placers from last year include sixth-place finishers Madison Blanco and Lacey Middleton. Middleton (120) and Blanco (135) will start the season ranked third, as will Rural teammates Annie Gallegos at 125 and Ashley Schwartz at 135. Dodge City has only been the only team to wrangle the state championship trophy away from Rural so far, accomplishing that feat in 2022. The Red Demons always have huge numbers of their own and will start the season ranked No. 1 in 6A. Ashley Alonso broke through to give Dodge City an individual state champion at 110 pounds last season. The Red Demons have eight wrestlers represented in the 6A rankings, with Alonso and Hailey Ramos ranked No. 1 at 110 and 135, respectively. Ramos was a state runner-up last season. Other ranked wrestlers for Dodge City include Liliana Arroyo (No. 2 at 145), Yareli Garcia (No. 2 at 155), Maribel Castro (No. 2 at 235), Naomi Orozco (No. 3 at 190),  Elizabeth Ramirez (No. 4 at 100) and Miranda Alvarez (No. 5 at 105). Garden City will start the season ranked No. 2 following last year’s runner-up showing. Maya Tarbet is going for her third straight title at 125. Along with the top-ranked Tarbet, the Buffaloes have seven others included in the 6A rankings – Crystal Loera (No. 2 at 115), Julissa Rodriguez (No. 2 at 120), Alyxia Serrano (No. 2 at 130),  Kaira Acosta (No. 3 at 100),  Emjay Marez (No. 3 at 105), Marina Loera (No. 3 at 110) and Margarita Guzman (No. 5 at 135). Acosta and Crystal Loera took third last year while Marina Loera was fourth. Rodriguez was a state finalist two seasons ago before missing last season while recovering from injuries she sustained in an ATV accident.  Shawnee Mission South is fourth in the team rankings. Stella Segura is ranked No. 1 at 120 after winning the 115 championship last season. The Raiders have two other top-ranked wrestlers in Rachael Wilson (130) and Sevyn Donovan (145). Donovan took third last year. Fifth-ranked Liberal brings back a returning champion in Hayleen Martinez at 190 pounds. Other key returners for Liberal include Keirsie Carlile, who was fourth at 100 last year, and Aileen Figurora, who is ranked No. 1 at 235. Junction City has two No. 1-ranked wrestlers in 115-pounder Juliana Villaneuva, a state champion in 2023 and runner-up last year, and Jaidyn Alvarado at 100 pounds. Olathe North’s Kaylan Hitchcock is aiming for her third straight championship, taking the 135-pound crown last year after winning at 120 as a sophomore. She is ranked No. 1 at 140. The preseason top 10 is rounded out by Wichita North, Olathe North, Junction City, Derby and Gardner Edgerton, which has the returning 100-pound champion in sophomore Madalyn Riedinger. Wichita North and Derby each has a top-ranked wrestler in Aariyah Jackson (170) for North and Veronica Madrid (155) for Derby. Madrid was runner-up last year as a freshman to Manhattan’s three-time state champion Sage Rosario, who will be bypassing her senior high school season with plans to graduate early.
CLASS 5A

2023-24 Class 6-5A State champion: Washburn Rural 

2023-24 Class 6-5A State runner-up: Garden City 

2023-24 Season Review: Of all the teams competing in the 5A classification this season, Basehor-Linwood had the top showing in the 6-5A tournament last season, taking fifth as a team with 73 points. The Bobcats left with five state-placers. Miley Locke earned fourth at 105 while Lainie Galvan (100), Delaney Locke (110), Makayla Faulkner (145) and Izzy Renfro (190) all took fifth. Great Bend took eighth last year, led by a 130-pound championship from Daizy Gomez. Camdyn Post (105) and Kaylea McMullen (125) added sixth-place finishes for the Panthers. Shawnee Heights was ninth as a team and had three medalists – Reece Taylor (fourth at 125), Cianna Graves (fifth at 155) and McKenna Haltom (sixth at 145). Hays, led by state runner-up Lexi Burton at 140 and third-place finisher Tionna Napue at 120, finished 10th. 

2024-25 Contenders: Basehor-Linwood enters as one of the favorites for the team title as 5A moves into its own classification. The Bobcats return all five of their top-five 6-5A placers from last season and will start the season with seven ranked wrestlers, including two that are tabbed No. 1 in Lainie Galvan at 100 and Izzy Renfro at 190. Makayla Faulkner is ranked No. 2 at 145 while Delaney Locke is No. 3 at 110 and Miley Locke No. 4 at 105. Other ranked Bobcats include Karla Barrios (fourth at 115) and Haylee Morris (sixth at 125). Shawnee Heights sits second in the preseason rankings, led by top-ranked Reece Taylor at 125 and Cianna Graves at 155. Taylor was a fourth-place medalist last season while Graves took fifth. Madison Freeland and Olivia Stevens are both No. 2 at 135 and 140, respectively, while Isabelle Reyes is third at 130. Third-ranked Great Bend graduated a state champion in Daizy Gomez but still brings back some firepower led by returning state-placers Camdyn Post and Kaylea McMullen. Post and McMullen are ranked No. 2 at their respective 105 and 125 weight classes while five other Panthers are also included in the rankings. Newton is tabbed fourth in the preseason team rankings. The Railroaders are led by Avery Hinojos and Brookelyn Treaster. Hinojos is ranked No. 2 at 110 after a runner-up showing last season while Treaster is No. 1 at 105 after placing third a year ago. Tionna Napue is back to lead fifth-ranked Hays. Napue placed third at 120 last season after a runner-up showing at 115 as a sophomore. She’s No. 1 at 120, one of six ranked wrestlers for Hays. While all of the returning 6-5A champs from last season will be in 6A this season, Pittsburg’s Harper Holmes is a reigning champion after winning the 105-pound title in 4-1A while wrestling for Frontenac. She’ll represent the Purple Dragons this season while being homeschooled. Holmes is ranked No. 1 at 110. Piper has a pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Maia Dolinar (135) and Malia Martin (170). Dolinar took second at 125 last year. Other wrestlers entering the season ranked No. 1 are Seaman’s Koti Best (115), Blue Valley Southwest’s Karoline Kendall (130), Bishop Caroll’s Alexis Means (140), Spring Hill’s Campbell Mermis (145) and Bonner Springs’ Aaryn Krebs (285). Mermis is a two-time state-runner up, going 79-7 over the last two seasons with all of the losses coming to now-graduated Avari Johnson from Leavenworth. Bonner Springs is ranked sixth followed by Pittsburg, Seaman, Piper and Emporia.  CLASS 4A

2023-24 Class 4-1A State champion: Rossville

2023-24 Class 4-1A State runner-up: Oakley 

2023-24 Season Review: Chanute followed up a 4-1A state championship in 2023 with a third-place showing last season, finishing behind Rossville and Oakley, teams that will be in 3-1A this season. Kiley Dillow capped her undefeated season with a 170-pound title and was joined as a state champion by Blue Comet teammate Reese Clements, who captured the 135 crown. Kadynce Axelson added a third-place showing at 120 for Chanute, which finished just 2.5 points behind Rossville for the team title and two points behind Oakley for second. Fort Scott took fourth place behind a 110-pound state championship from Kenna Miles. Jerri Smith added a fifth-place finish at 115. Paola was fifth place as a team, followed by Pratt in sixth and Colby in seventh.

2024-25 Contenders: Class 4A could be wide open this season after separating from 3-1A this season. Tonganoxie is tabbed as the No. 1 team in the preseason rankings. The Chieftains have four wrestlers in the preseason rankings – Stella Bradley (No. 2 at 115), Autumn Wilson (No. 2 at 120), Grace Stean (No. 2 at 170) and Finley Keller (fourth at 135). Wilson, Bradley and Stean were state placers on last season’s team that finished ninth. Fort Scott, ranked second, also has the depth to make a strong run, led by Kenna Miles who is looking to defend her 110-pound championship. Jerri Smith is ranked No. 1 at 115 after placing fifth last year. Miles and Smith are joined by five other Tiger teammates in the rankings, including third-ranked Caellen Wescoat at 106. Pratt, the 2022 4-1A champion, will look to get back in the title mix. The Greenbacks are led by Wendy Candia, a third-place finisher at 130. Candia, No. 3 at 130, is one of five ranked Pratt wrestlers. Colby graduated two-time champion Amanda Jaeger but the fourth-ranked Eagles have a contender in Morgan Hills, who took fourth at 135 last season and is ranked No. 1 at that weight. Aspen Sharpe is tabbed No. 2 for the Eagles at 105. Chanute, a state champion in 2023 and third-place finisher last season, returns Kiley Dillow after she notched a 170-pound title and 44-0 record last year as a sophomore. Clay Center 125-pounder Gabi Koppes will be chasing a fourth consecutive state championship and has yet to lose a match in her high school career. Other returning 4-1A champions who will remain in 4A this season include Circle’s Alexis Wall (106) and Goodland’s Destiny Gonzalez (140). Others ranked No. 1 include Baldwin’s Canyon Burtis (105), Mulvane’s Leiannah Landreth (120), Halstead’s Callyn Divine (130), Buhler’s Macey Parks (140), Prairie View’s Shawna Case (155), Winfield’s Abby Brenn (190) and McPherson’s Ciara Rawson (235). Smoky Valley is ranked sixth, followed by Chapman, Baldwin, Independence and Clay Center. 
 

CLASS 3A-1A 

2023-24 Class 4-1A State champion: Rossville

2023-24 Class 4-1A State runner-up: Oakley 

2023-24 Season Review: With no margin for error, everything fell perfectly on the final day of the Class 4-1A tournament for Rossville to edge Oakley for the state championship by the narrowest of margins. Rossville trailed Oakley by 16.5 points entering the last day and the Balldawgs were still behind 9.5 points heading into the finals. Rossville got titles from Kendra Hurla at 120 pounds and Hailey Horton at 155 and saw Oakley go 0-for-3 in the championship round. Scoring 10 points in the round, thanks to a Hurla pin in her title match as time expired, Rossville finished with 82.5 points, just .5 points ahead of Oakley for the championship. Hurla joined Olathe South’s Nicole Redmond and Bonner Springs’ Olivia Stean in becoming the first girls in state history to win four KSHSAA-sanctioned individual championships and was joined as a state champion by Hailey Horton at 155 with Horton beating Oakley's Cali Wagoner to clinch the title for the Bulldawgs. Oakley had three second-place finishers – Wagoner, Kylee Hodges (115) and Atavia Cain (170).

2024-25 Contenders: Following last year’s heartbreaking finish in the 4-1A team battle, Oakley is primed for another run at a championship. All three individual runner-ups from last year  – Kylee Hodges, Cali Wagoner and Atavia Cain – are back for the Plainsmen. Wagoner (155) and Cain (170) are both ranked No. 1, as is 140-pounder Abbygayl Jackson. Hodges is ranked second at 120 and Brooke Smith is ranked third at 145. Cain will be a title favorite after coming up one win short of an  undefeated season, losing in the final to Chanute’s Kiley Dillow, now in a separate class in 4A. Plainville could be poised to contend, tabbed at No. 2 in the preseason rankings. The Cardinals have six wrestlers in the rankings, led by Zoe Brown (No. 2 at 145), Ella Normandin (No. 2 at 140) and Caydence Carter (No. 2 at 190). Jaden Ney is back to lead third-ranked Russell after an undefeated season and a 145-pound championship. The Broncos have four other ranked wrestlers, including Mya Trevino, ranked No. 2 at 115. St. Francis is ranked No. 4. The Indians have four ranked wrestlers including Cheyenne Labarge at 125 pounds. Larned is tabbed fifth, led by Taegan Walker (No. 2 at 100) and Liliana McKenna (No. 2 at 110). Oskaloosa’s Holly Thacher will look to join the four-time champion club after winning at 115 as a junior, 105 as a sophomore and 101 as a freshman. Thacher is headed up to 120 this season. Stockton has a pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Carolina Northup (100) and Ashlyn Hahn (130). Other No. 1-ranked wrestlers include Wichita County’s Jentri Porter (105), Lyons’ Kennedy Grizzle (110), Trego’s Kallan Rotchild (115), Ellis’ Maleah Vine (135), Lakin’s Lily Robles (190) and Hoisington’s Haylee Holinde (235). Trego is ranked sixth, followed by Stockton, Norton, Hoisington and Ellinwood.