Oakley’s girls wrestling team came agonizingly close to a team state championship a year ago. 

The Plainsmen were in strong position to secure the Class 4-1A title before Rossville rode a perfect storm in the finals to edge Oakley by the slimmest of margins – 0.5 points – for the team title. 

Oakley entered the 2024-25 season set up perfectly for a shot at redemption, returning its entire runner-up lineup from last year. 

“We put posters up in our room to remind us that we were half a point away,” Oakley coach Bryce Lewis said. “When somebody starts slacking or whatever, the girls will say, ‘Hey, we were half a point away. We’ve got to keep grinding and keep going.’ ”

The Plainsmen returned three state runner-ups from last year in Atavia Cain, Kylee Hodges and Cali Wagoner as well as sixth-place finisher Brooke Smith and another state qualifier in Abbygayl Jackson. 

Oakley was ranked No. 1  in 3-2-1A for the early part of the season but Norton has assumed the top spot in the last three editions of the rankings. Norton won the MCL tournament championship on Jan. 31 but the Plainsmen edged the Bluejays for the team title at the Phillipsburg Panther Classic this past Friday. 

Oakley saw five wrestlers win their weight classes at Phillipsburg to help the Plainsmen produce 163.5 points. Norton was second with 157.5. 
 

The Plainsmen are led by a pair of undefeated wrestlers in Hodges at 120 and Cain at 170. Both are 32-0 on the season. 

Hodges defeated St. Francis’ Madison Siegfried by a 12-2 major decision in the 120 finals at Phillipsburg. 

“She works hard in the room and does all the right things,” Lewis said. “Her weight cut is right, her attitude is right and her effort in everything is great. She’s just doing all the right things.”

Cain was pushed in the title match at Phillipsburg by Norton freshman Sophia Kane but Cain pulled out an 8-5 victory in sudden-victory overtime, sealing the match with a takedown. It was Cain’s fifth match of the season against Kane. 

“Just staying in there and grinding it out was big,” Lewis said. “That’s what we do in the practice room every day and she showed it today.”
 

Wagoner suffered an early-season setback when she broke her nose while wrestling against Cain in practice. On Friday, she improved to 15-2 on the season, taking a 7-4 win in sudden-victory overtime against Plainville’s Zoe Brown in the 155 final at Phillipsburg. 

“Today was the first day she wasn’t wearing the mask,” Lewis said. “Little rusty coming out of the gate but we’re starting to find our groove moving on our feet. We’re getting there. 

“That’s the third time we’ve wrestled (Brown). It’s always a close match.”

Senior Cadence Koch earned the 110-pound title at the Panther Classic for Oakley, pinning Oberlin-Decatur’s Kyra Sowers. Jackson won the 135-pound title with a 2-1 overtime victory over Russell’s Kinsey Zorn.

“Once you get the momentum going, everybody seems to kind of jump on that train and keep it rolling,” Lewis said. 

Sophomore Brooke Smith added a second-place showing at 145 while Laura Smith placed fourth at 130. 

The 3-2-1A title race could very well come down to a battle between Mid-Continent League rivals Oakley and Norton. 

The Phillipsburg tournament marked the first time Oakley had bested Norton for first place in a tournament this season. In addition to the MCL title, Norton captured tournament team titles at Trego, Goodland, Hays and the Norton J.R. Durham Invitational. 

The Bluejays have a pair of standout freshmen in Kaison Miller (115) and Halle Pfannenstiel (140). Both are 30-2 on the season. In Friday’s finals at Phillipsburg, Miller pinned Minneapolis’ Lennah Monts and Pfannenstiel pinned Plainville’s Ella Normandin in the finals. 

Norton had two other champions at the Panther Classic in Cadence Greeson (27-2) at 190 and Adriana Winters (20-9) at 235.

Norton and Oakley will be the favorites for a team title at the 3-2-1A regional tournament at Russell this weekend. 

“They’ve got a lot of good kids,” Lewis said of Norton. “They’re really solid. We’re going to have to get bonus points when we can and just ultimately win our matches and whatever happens, happens.”

OTHER GIRLS WESTERN KANSAS WRESTLING STANDOUTS 

– Stockton’s Ashlyn Hahn moved to 33-0 with a pin against Russell’s Averie County in the 130 final at Phillipsburg. A week earlier, Hahn defeated two-time reigning 6-5A state champion Maya Tarbet from Garden City by a 3-0 decision at the Rocky Welton Invitational in Garden City. 

– Reigning state champ Jaden Ney from Russell improved to 32-1 with an 11-0 major decision over Oakley’s Brooke Smith in the 145 final at Phillipsburg. 

– Atwood-Rawlins County’s Maggie Holle earned the 125-pound title at Phillipsburg with an 11-5 decision over Hoxie’s Josie Bell. 

– Garden City captured the team title at the Buffaloes’ Rocky Welton Invitational on Feb. 1. Marina Loera (115) and Crystal Loera (125) each won their weight classes at the tournament. The Buffaloes also edged Dodge City in a dual last week in a matchup of the top two teams in the 6A rankings. 

– Colby won the Great West Activities Conference tournament this past Friday, edging Scott City by half a point. The Eagles had three GWAC champs – Adrian Salcido (100), Aspen Sharpe (105), Joslyn Bartlett (120). 

Other GWAC champions were Scott City’s Haylie McDaniel at 110, Goodland’s Lola Burk at 115, Ulysses’ Jeymi Rosalez at 125, Goodland’s Danica Dautel at 130, Holcomb’s McKenzie Simon at 135, Goodland’s Destiny Gonzalez at 140, Ulysses’ Alex Garza at 145, Scott City’s Ashlyn Rose at 155, Hugoton’s Lauren Nix at 170, Cimarron’s Brisa Molinar at 170 and Holcomb’s Abigail Redden at 235. 

– Dodge City had four champions at the Rocky Welton Invitational – Hailey Ramos (135), Liliana Arroyo (145), Yareli Garcia (155) and Naomi Orozco (170).

– Reigning state champion Hayleen Martinez from Liberal remained undefeated and dominated the 190-pound division at the Rocky Welton Invitational. 

– Hays’ Ava Ruiz was the 140-pound champion at the Rocky Welton Invitational.