By CONOR NICHOLL
In the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, Prairie View has three ranked wrestlers in Division II, which is Classes 4-1A. Senior Alyssa Page is fifth at 155. Senior Kylee Eastwood is fifth at 170. Sophomore Whitley Cox-Halliburton stands fourth at 235.
PV girls’ wrestling has performed well in two big girls’ tournaments. On Dec. 3, PV competed in the Steve Leslie Invitational in Pleasant Hill, Mo. PV took fourth with 158 points in the 23-team field. Page finished 4-1 and earned runner-up at 159. Makenzie Brown went 3-2 and earned second at 135. Eastwood was 4-1 for second at 174. Freshman Zoey Stogsdill (4-1) was second at 194.
On Friday, PV competed in the fourth annual Ladycat Classic at Basehor-Linwood, which is one of the top Kansas girls’ wrestling competitions and features teams from all classes.
Class 6A Washburn Rural, the two-time defending Kansas champion, handily won with 295 points. PV had 59.5 points, a respectable 18th in the 29-team field. The bulk of schools that finished ahead of PV were 5/6A programs, including the top-four.
Page (7-3) went 3-2 and finished fourth in the 155 championship bracket. All her wins came by falls. That included a win by fall in 4:42 against Dodge City’s Ashley Arroyo, who is ranked fourth in 5/6A at 155 pounds. Eastwood (8-3) went 3-2 in the 170 championship bracket and earned fourth.
Last winter, Page qualified for state wrestling and finished 15-5 at 143 pounds in Division II as a junior. Page’s dad, Luke, has been a coach for many years. Page has drawn collegiate wrestling interest. Cox-Halliburton was 7-10, though did take sixth at state at 235.
The quality girls’ wrestling showing has continued an historic year for Prairie View athletics, especially for the girls.
A strong case can be made this is the greatest group of girl athletes in school history.
On Dec. 8, Prairie View posted several photos of signings for Buffs’ girls’ sports. PV has six players signed to play in college. Eastwood inked with William Penn wrestling.
Rylee Boone signed with Division I Western Illinois softball. Jessica Petric and Braxton Stainbrook committed to Neosho County CC softball. Kinley Baker and Payton Core signed for cheerleading with Mid-America Nazarene and Fort Scott.
The softball players helped set a school record in victories with a 19-5 mark last year, though lost in the state quarterfinals. PV softball has finished as high as fourth at state in 2017. Boone is ranked No. 285 nationally by Extra Innings, an industry leader.
Jane Hough has announced an Emporia State track offer for pole vault. She is also a Division II-caliber volleyball player. Hough qualified for state track last season and finished eleventh in the pole vault.
Baker, Petric and Maddison Baker each qualified for state track. Maddison Baker, Petric, Hough and Kelsie Konitzer qualified for the 400 relay. The Bakers, Petric and Konitzer qualified for the 1,600 relay.
This fall, Prairie View cross country won league and regional titles and finished third at state, the best finish in school annals. Prairie View tallied 102 points in Class 3A. Bree Allen was state runner-up. Wylie Teagarden was 24th at state, and Ryleigh Lueker was 39th.
Volleyball posted a 23-11 season in 2021, a massive improvement that was highlighted by SIK in early season. Volleyball finished one win off the school record, per information from David Heidrick.
This fall, Hough delivered 328 digs and 240 kills. She went over 1,000 career digs and was the defensive leader for PV.
Kinley Baker, Hough and Julia Paisley were first team all-league selections. Baker had 146 kills and 65 blocks this winter. Paisley finished with 482 digs and has 692 digs in the last two years. Brooklynn Moore has signed with Fort Scott Community College. The volleyball team had eight returning starters, all seniors, with new coach Taylor Bauer.
PV had a 17-win improvement from 2020. It marked the first time PV won double-digit games in a season since 2012. It marked the first winning season since 2006. Volleyball has not been to the state tournament since 2004.
Prairie View football posted a 6-3 record last season, another fine year with veteran coach Kyle Littrell. The Buffs were 8-2, 10-1 and 8-2 in the three previous years. The 10-1 year marked the team’s best showing since 1970. Running back Bodi Isenhower and lineman Colton McCammon were top players. McCammon was a first team all-state SIK selection.
Prairie View girls’ basketball is off to a 3-2 start, including wins versus Jayhawk Linn, Osawatomie and Iola. In the previous four seasons, PV had nine total victories. The Buffs have not made girls’ state since 1982, per Kansas historian Carol Swenson.
Prairie View boys’ basketball went 4-15 last winter and have already matched that this season with a 4-1 mark. PV’s last winning season was a 13-9 season in 2015, only winning season since ’03. Prairie View boys opened 3-0 with a Linn County tournament title.
