Day 1 action at the Class 4-1A girls tournament was highlighted by two upsets of returning champions on Thursday at Tony's Pizza Center in Salina.
After a surprise run to a state championship last year, Smoky Valley senior Keira Mullen was knocked off in the 135 quarterfinals by Paola senior Jailynn Taylor, who pulled out a 4-2 decision.
Taylor moved to 28-7 on the season and will meet Ellis’ Maleah Vine (22-6) in the semis. The top-ranked Mullen dropped to 39-2.
Another repeat bid ended in the opening round when Chapman sophomore Alyssa Calovich, who entered 30-0, suffered a 12-2 major-decision loss at 110 to Colby’s Cora DeGood, who was pinned by Holton’s Piper Robinson in the quarters.
Burlingame’s Maliyah Lopez (18-2) won a 105 quarterfinal bout with Buhler’s Kimber Crabbs (27-2) by a 10-5 decision. Crabbs was a state runner-up a year ago.
Lopez will meet Frontenac’s Harper Holmes in the semis. Holmes pinned Wichita County’s Jentri Porter in the quarterfinals.
Other quarterfinals featuring marquee matchups:
– At 100 pounds, reigning champ Sheena Gocela from Winfield pinned Stockton’s Carolina Northup in the first period to move to 28-3.
– In a 1 vs. 3-ranked matchup, Fredonia’s Layla Tindle beat Rossville’s Keera Lacock in the 115 quarterfinals by a 5-2 decision.
– At 125, No. 2-ranked Jill High from Augusta picked up a 10-1 major decision over No. 4-ranked Ashlyn Hahn from Stockton.
– At 135, No. 3-ranked Reese Clements of Chanute beat fifth-ranked Keimarla Thompson of Pratt by pin.
– Goodland’s Destiny Gonzalez, a state runner-up last year who is ranked No. 3 at 140, pinned No. 2-ranked Sabetha’s Nakita Lawrence.
– At 190, No. 2-ranked Aubrey Hunt from Wellington won a thriller over No. 3-ranked Elee Pittman from Baldwin, taking a 4-2 win in sudden victory.
Team champion hopeful Oakley put together a promising first day, putting four of its five wrestlers in the semis – Kylee Hodges at 115, Cali Wagoner at 155, Atavia Cain at 170 and Brooke Smith at 190.
Oakley leads the team standings with 44 points, followed by Chanute with 34 and Rossville with 30.
Rossville’s Kendra Hurla moved another step closer to her fourth straight championship with a pair of pins.
Clay Center’s Gabi Koppes won her two matches at 125 by fall as she aims for a third straight title, while Oskalossa's Holly Thacher made the 115 semifinals to also keep her bid for a 3-peat alive.
Wrestlers still in the mix for their second straight titles include Gocela, Colby’s Amanda Jaeger (130) and Ellis’ Kaydawn Haag (140).
FAMILIAR FACES ROLL THROUGH CLASS 6-5A’S OPENING DAY
The more things change, the more they stay the same in Class 6-5A girls wrestling.
The top three teams at last year’s state tournament occupy the same spots in the team standings after the opening day of the 2024 tournament at Park City’s Hartman Arena. And all eight returning individual champions, three of whom are among four unbeaten wrestlers in the field, advanced through the first two rounds.
Reigning champion Washburn Rural, looking for its fourth state title in five years, matched Western Athletic Conference rivals Garden City and Dodge City with three semifinalists and held a slim lead heading into Friday’s semifinals. The Junior Blues, who advanced Molly Spader in the winners bracket at 105 pounds, Fatima Escobar at 145 and TaAni Rhoten at 170, led the team race with 52 points. Garden City scored 46 points and Dodge City had 45.
Escobar and Rhoten will face stern semifinal tests. Leavenworth’s Avari Johnson, the reigning 145-pound champion, awaits Escobar after she improved to 34-0 with a pair of victories. Rhoten will face Bonner Springs’ Olivia Stean, who is trying to complete a four-year reign atop the 170-pound weight class after improving to 18-3.
Like Johnson, Junction City’s Bree Villanueva (115), Manhattan’s Sage Rosario (155) and Derby’s Trinity Williams (235) kept unbeaten seasons alive with a pair of victories. Villanueva is the reigning champion in her weight class, while Rosario, who has a career record of 70-0, is looking for her third consecutive title.
Olathe South’s Nicole Redmond’s quest for a fourth state title began with a pair of first-period pins. Redmond is back at 120 pounds, where she won her first title, after winning the 126-pound crown as a sophomore and 130 a year ago.
Two-time state champion Amara Ehsa of Derby pinned Olathe East’s AuBrei Storme and defeated Basehor-Linwood’s Miley Locke 6-0 to reach the semifinals. Next up for Ehsa is Newton freshman Brookelyn Treaster, who split a pair of regular-season matches with Ehsa, defeating her at the Newton Tournament of Champions.
Garden City’s Maya Tarbet and Olathe North’s Kaylan Hitchcock are on track for back-to-back titles after solid starts. Tarbet, the Buffaloes’ first girls state champion a year ago, is trying to defend her 125-pound title while Hitchcock, who went 51-1 last season at 120, moved to 43-3 at 135 on Thursday.