By CONOR NICHOLL
The final week of the Kansas girls’ wrestling regular season delivered multiple league championships. With girls’ regional wrestling this Saturday, SIK highlights the girls’ league titlists. Girls have two classes: 5-6A and 4-1A. This is the fourth year of KSHSAA girls’ sanctioned wrestling
Hitchcock breaks state record
Olathe North sophomore 120-pounder Kaylan Hitchcock broke a state record. Hitchcock improved to 44-1 en route to a Sunflower League championship in a nine-girl bracket. She had a bye, and then won her three matches by fall in 1 minute, 31 seconds and 2:46. In the championship, she defeated Shawnee Mission West’s Ella Weber by fall in 5:08. Hitchcock is currently ranked second in the updated Feb. 7 all-class rankings behind 4-1A’s Rossville’s Kendra Hurla.
Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association and Sports In Kansas put together the all-time girls’ wrestling records after last year. Hitchcock was first among freshman after 38 wins last winter. This year, she broke the record of 43 set by Hoxie’s Marissa Porsch in 2021, and Washburn Rural’s Alexis Frederickson in ’22. Five wrestlers had 40 victories in a single season entering this year.
Olathe South’s Nicole Redmond moved to 40-1 in her junior season after a Sunflower title at 130. Redmond is ranked first in all-classes at 130. Redmond is a two-time state champion.
Hitchcock was named the Sunflower League’s top wrestler. Redmond and Frederickson both reached 100 career wins.
Goodwin reaches 100 career victories
Goddard’s AshLynn Goodwin, who has been ranked ninth at 144 nationally, recently joined the career 100-win club. This season, Goodwin’s tournament championships include: Pratt, Dodge City, Newton, the Best of the West on Jan. 14, and a Jan. 28 championship at the Rocky Welton in Garden City. At Rocky Welton, Goodwin went 4-0 with wins by fall in 2 minutes, 29 seconds or less. Goodwin stands at 32-1. Last year, Goodwin finished 34-2 with a third-place finish at state. She is currently ranked first in all classes at 140 pounds.
Girls League Titles/Major Tournaments
Centennial League: Washburn Rural, which has finished first, first and second at state the last three years, won the league dual. Emporia took second, Manhattan third, Junction City fourth, Topeka High fifth. Rural won every dual by at least 27 points. Washburn Rural is ranked second in the 5-6A rankings.
Eastern Kansas League: Blue Valley West won with 196 points, while BVSW had 128 points. Blue Valley was third with 84, Bishop Miege took fourth and Blue Valley North fifth. West had 170-pounder Elinna Kahrs (16-5), who won her two matches in a combined 1 minute, 21 seconds.
Frontier League: Baldwin captured the championship with 186 points. Second through fifth was within 7.5 points, from 144.5 to 1367: Bonner Springs, Tonganoxie, Paola and Spring Hill. Baldwin’s Audrey Darnell recently cleared 100 career victories. For the Bulldogs, Morgan Base (23-7) took second at 100, Brianna Mitchell (31-7) won the 105-pound title, Allee Darnell (28-9) was first at 130, Audrey Darnell (35-3) won at 140, Jaden Wharton (23-16) was first at 155.
In 4-1A, Base is ranked sixth at 100, Mitchell sixth at 105, and Darnell is ranked second at 140.
GWAC: Scott City rolled to the girls’ title with 133 points. Cimarron was second at 68, while Goodland took third with 66. Notably, Johnna Sowers (26-3) won the 155-pound title with three wins by fall in a combined 1 minute, 33 seconds. In the final, Sowers defeated Goodland’s Hadyn Blochlinger, 12-5.
Pioneer League: Wellsville edged Burlington, 135-134, for the championship. Santa Fe Trail was third at 117. For Wellsville, Olive Dubois (29-5) went 3-0 at 125 with two wins by fall and an injury default. At 130, Lainey Fairley (25-6) won her two matches by fall.
Phillipsburg/Mid-Continent League: The Phillipsburg meet includes teams from multiple conferences. Great Bend had 118 points, Garden City second with 96, Norton third at 91, and Rossville fourth with 89. For GB, Daizy Gomez (27-5) won the 125-pound championship with two wins by fall. Natalee Daniels (21-9) won the 190-pound championship.
Other titlists included: Abilene’s Jo Hottman at 100, Hill City’s Sarah Christian at 105, former state champion Citori Bosserman of Oakley won at 110, WaKeeney’s Adrian Wynn captured the 115-pound title, two-time titlist Kendra Hurla of Rossville won at 120, Phillipsburg’s Isabella Keesee won at 130, and Russell’s Jaden Ney won a big championship bout at 135.
Bosserman is ranked sixth, while Hurla is ranked first.
In the key 135-pound match, Ney defeated Quinter freshman Cali Wagoner by technical fall. Ney is 4-0 after she came back from injury. Wagoner, who competes with WaKeeney, is 28-4.
Ney is ranked second, and Wagoner fourth.
At 140, Plainville’s Ella Normandin (21-6) captured the title, while Plainville’s Zoe Brown won at 145. Rossville’s Hailey Horton won the 155-pound title.
Minneapolis’ Grace Johns, who was a state runner-up at Chapman last winter, is 30-1. She went 2-0 against a pair of wrestlers that are a combined 37-11. Great Bend’s Natalee Daniels won at 190, while Hill City’s Gracie Penrod captured the 235-pound title.
Johns is ranked first at 170.
Sunflower League: Olathe West won the championship with 249 points, 30 ahead of Gardner-Edgerton. Olathe North and Olathe Northwest were both third at 193. SM Northwest took fifth at 142. For OW, Marisa Brown (12-8) won the 100-pound title. State champion Makayla Rivera (26-1) won the 190-pound title. Rivera rolled with a bye and won her three matches by fall in 36, 39 and 38 seconds.
West is currently ranked sixth in the 5-6A team rankings. Rivera is ranked first at 190.
SM North’s Aniah Gray and Olathe South’s Nicole Redmond were the two wrestlers with four falls. They tied for the individual points lead with 39. Three wrestlers had 37 points: Olathe West’s Rivera, SM Northwest’s Mia Butler and Olathe North’s Kaylan Hitchcock. G-E’s Ellie Rhea was sixth with 32 points.
Other league champions were: Olathe Northwest’s Camryn West (105), SM South’s Stella Segura (26-1 as a freshman at 110), Olathe Northwest’s Emmy Keller (115), Olathe North’s Hitchcock (44-1 at 120), G-E senior Shelby Davis (28-4 at 135), Olathe South sophomore Justice Thomas (29-11 at 145), Olathe Northwest’s Chloe Harris (23-0 at 155), Olathe Northwest’s Val Galligan (29-2 at 170), and Olathe North’s Hailey Conley at 235.
Hitchcock is ranked first in 5-6A at 120, while Davis is atop the rankings at 135. Thomas is ranked fifth, while Harris is ranked second. Galligan is ranked third, and Conley is second.
Tri-Valley League: Eureka won with 55 points. Cherryvale was second with 36 points. Bluestem and Fredonia tied for third at 29. For Eureka, Lyndsey Escareno (23-1) rolled at 140, while Makyla Gore is 22-3 at 170. Escareno is 23-1 and won her two matches by fall in a combined 80 seconds. Gore is 22-3 with wins by fall in 50 seconds and 3:33.
UKC Championship: Shawnee Heights was first with 78 points, while Topeka Seaman second at 52. Leavenworth took third at 48 points. SH’s Madison Freeland (27-5) won the 135-pound title. Freeland won her three matches by fall in 48 seconds, 1:21 and 1:42. Lilly Blair (16-9) captured a 190-pound championship and two wins. Four wrestlers had three pins: Freeland, Topeka West’s Tristyn Jackson, along with Leavenworth’s Hannah and Avari Jackson.
Avari is ranked second at 145, while Hannah is ranked first at 235.
Regional Sites and notable teams: Top-4 in each category advance to state
5/6A: Dodge City – includes defending state champion Dodge City, along with Garden City, Goddard, Great Bend, and Hays High. Garden City is ranked fourth. DC is ranked first
Blue Valley West: Blue Valley West, Olathe North, Olathe South, Olathe West. OW is ranked sixth.
Topeka Seaman: Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs, Leavenworth, Mill Valley, Shawnee Heights, Topeka Seaman. Leavenworth is ranked fifth.
Wichita Southeast: Manhattan, Junction City, Washburn Rural, Wichita North. Rural is ranked second, Wichita North seventh and Manhattan eighth.
4-1A: Coffeyville: Burlington, Columbus, Eureka, Santa Fe Trail. Columbus is ranked fourth.
Hoisington: Hoisington, Norton, Russell, WaKeeney-Trego. Hoisington is ranked tenth.
Rossville: Baldwin, Rossville, Silver Lake, Wamego. Baldwin is second, Rossville fifth.
Wellington: Mulvane, Pratt, Circle, Wellington. Pratt is the defending state champion and ranked first, while Mulvane is sixth.
