MCPHERSON – Great Bend’s third-place finisher Savannah Kennon (8-4, 126) led four place-winners in the Kansas State Girls Wrestling Championship. Kennon won three five matches and pushed champion Olivia McNeil in an amazing 27-20 match.
Even when Kennon lost that match, she smiled when she saw coach Nathan Broeckelman, knowing she gave it everything she had. Kennon earned pins in her first three matches. McNeil wore down Kennon with constant takedowns late in match before she allowed an escape, only to score another takedown.
“That was quite a match, back and forth,” Broeckelman said. “Savannah really wrestled well in that match.”
Great Bend’s Natalie Garza (9-5, 106) and Ali Pierce (2-10, 106B) each placed fourth. Mady Bittner (8-4, 113) finished sixth.
Great Bend finished sixth in the team point standings with 50 points. McPherson (133) placed first and Fort Scott (74) finished runner-up in the team standings.
Broeckelman said the girls battled hard despite the lack match experience during the season, which cost them during the day.
“It was great to see the girls see success after practicing so much without much meet competition,” Broeckelman said. “We saw a girl like Ali Pierce earn her first victory on a match that was completed. Marissa Hanrahan saw good success today with a pin. It’s hard to keep the girls focused when they see so much practice, but not a lot of meet experience. They spent a lot of time practicing this year. It’s a learning experience.”
Garza finished the day with a 2-3 record, losing to Garden City’s Chloe Sullivan in 2:34 in the third-place match. Garza rallied from behind with a pin in 3:52 over McPherson’s Hannah Moore.
Pierce earned her second victory the season by pining Osage City’s Faith Long Osage City (2:39).
Mady Bittner (8-4, 113), Linzie Miller (6-4, 120), Marissa Hanrahan (4-8, 126) and Maleny Carrasco (2-7, 120B) also competed for the Panthers.
TEAM TOTALS—1—McPherson 133; 2—Fort Scott 74; 3—KC Turner 58; 4—Burlingame 55; Spring Hill 55; 6—Great Bend 50
GREAT BEND RESULTS
106—Natalie Garza, GB (9-5), fourth; Maurin Coltrane, Independence def. Garza, 24-10; Garza pinned Hannah Moore, McPherson, 3:52; Alessia Cokeley, Douglass def. Garza, 17-0; Garza def. Madyson Hai-dusek Riley Co. 6-4; 3rd Place–Chloe Sullivan, Garden City pinned Garza, 2:34
113—Mady Bittner, GB (8-4), sixth; Alexis Allen, Independence pinned Bittner, 1:03; Bittner pinned Anna Finch, Spring Hill, 1:33; Anayka Besco, Rose Hill pinned Bittner, 3:00; 5th Place—Payton Warkentin Buhler pinned Bittner, 0:20
120—Linzie Miller, GB (6-4); Gracie Mann, Spring Hill def. Miller, 8-7; Miller pinned Sunny O`Leary Riley Co. 2:00; Anja Tschohl, Andover Central pinned Miller, 3:17
126—Marissa Hanrahan, GB (4-8); Justine Kennington, Ottawa pinned Hanrahan; Breya Brown, Fort Scott pinned Hanrahan, 1:17 Marissa Hanrahan pinned Zahirah Tanaka Junction City, 0:45
126—Savannah Kennon, GB (6-4), third; Kennon pinned Lauren Lemon, Goddard-Eisenhower, 0:41 Kennon pinned Kate Landis, Spring Hill, 1:39; Kennon pinned Caitlyn Allington, McPherson, 2:31; Jus-tine Kennington, Ottawa pinned Kennon, 1:38; Olivia McNeil, Campus def. Kennon, 27-20
106 B—Ali Pierce, GB (2-10) fourth; M. Pantoah, Topeka West pinned Pierce, 4:51; Pierce pinned Faith Long Osage City, 2:39; Daisy Raburn, Nickerson def. Pierce, 18-3; Ezrah Garcia, SM West pinned Pierce, 4:10; Aubree Martins, McPherson pinned Pierce, 5:27
120 A—Maleny Carrasco, GB (2-7); Katelyn Noel, Wichita-North pinned Carrasco, 5:19; Giselle Gutierrez, Garden City pinned Carrasco, 3:27; Lauren Meier, Topeka def. Carrasco, 17-0
STATE MEDALISTS
106—1--Amanda Newcomb, Osawatomie 2--Alessia Cokeley, Douglass; 3--Chloe Sullivan, Garden City; 4--Natalie Garza, Great Bend
106A—1-- Kassivy Leiszler, Concordia; 2—Jenna Graham, Fort Scott; 3--Trinaty Eastman, Burlingame’ 4--Skyleigh Pflaster, Abilene
106B1--Mashyla Pantoja, Topeka West; 2--Ezrah Garcia-Perez, SM West 3--Daisy Raburn, Nickerson; 4--Ali Pierce, Great Bend
113—1--Mya Kretzer, McPherson; 2--Anayka Besco, Rose Hill; 3--Elise Rose, Marysville; 4--Alexis Allen, Independence
113A1--Cyra Chronister, KC Turner; 2--Ana Lopez, Mulvane; 3--Gracy Tafoya Wichita-South; 4--Olivia Morgan, McPherson
120--1--Anaia Johnson, KC Turner; 2--Anja Tschohl, Andover Central;3--Montana Grahem, Jef-ferson West; 4--Shelby Kesler, Mission Valley
120A1--Lauren Meier Topeka2--Caitlin Bolton Emporia; 3--Neomi Contreras Wichita-Southeast; 4--Giselle Gutierrez Garden City
126--1--Olivia McNeil, Campus; 2--Justine Kennington, Ottawa; 3--Savannah Kennon, Great Bend; 4--Breya Brown, Fort Scott
132—1--Gianna Culbert, Burlingame; 2--Mikeah Rodriguez, Wellington; 3--Devon Cokeley, Douglass; 4--Chyler Backstrom, KC Turner
138--1--Morgan Mayginnes, Onaga; 2--Haley Schafer, McPherson 3--Abbie Jones, Labette Co.; 4--Sydney Boyle, WaKeeney
138A-1--Katie Shaffer, Burlingame; 2--Katelee Jennings, Ell-Saline; 3--Rachel Taggart Fredonia; 4--Bianca Ayala, KC Turner
145--1--Lyric Gonsalves, Clearwater; 2--Emma Curry, Hutchinson; 3--Taryn Norstrom, Canton-Galva; 4--Morgan Jones, McPherson
152—1--Mason Claibourn, Fredonia; 2--Ciara Roth, Spring Hill; 3--Whitney Dugan, SM North-west; 4--Kellie Edwards Nickerson
160--1--Holli Miller, Garnett; 2--Jessie Bernal, Campus; 3--Paige Bellar Leavenworth 4--Taylor Engel, McPherson
170--1--Elisa Robinson, Junction City; 2--Mersades Ro, Fort Scott; 3--Audrianna Bender, Hutchinson; 4--Heaven Firman, Eureka
182—1--Brianna Bradford, Wichita-Southeast; 2--Haylie Lazenby, Spring Hill; 3--Madison Skyt-te, McPherson 4--Martha Vizcarra, KC Sumner
220—1--Grace Pinkerton, Caney Valley; 2--Maria Alatorre, Topeka 3--Emily Tafoya, Wichita-South
