Girls wrestling season underway

Area girls wrestlers officially kicked off the 2023-24 season this weekend, as teams competed in both the BGM and Wilton tournaments.

This season marks the second full season of girls’ wrestling, which became sanctioned ahead of the 2022-23 school year.

Although conference play is still in the works, girls wrestlers will compete in various tournaments throughout the year, all culminating in the 2024 girls state wrestling tournament in Coralville on Feb. 1-2.

Mid-Prairie 2nd at Wilton

Mid-Prairie led a trio of teams in Wilton, scoring 128 points for second place.

The Golden Hawks had two winners on the day. Ashlee Farrier took first at 130 pounds, and Mardie Berry won in the 155-pound bracket.

Farrier had three pins on the day. The third of her pinfall victories came in the 130-pound championship, when she took out Durant’s Jocelynn Richardson in 32 seconds.

Berry had two pins in the first two rounds of the tournament. She defeated Muscatine’s Emily Gomez-Miranda, 5-3, in the championship.

Mid-Prairie had two runners up. Austyn Sexton took silver in the 115-pound bracket, and Shelby Stacey was second at 235.

Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union finished seventh place with 65 points. The Wildcats had a trifecta of third place finishes.

Quinn Smith took third in the 130-pound bracket. Dakota Storm was third at 145 pounds, and Jada Moats took third at 190 pounds.

Fairfield finished ninth place, scoring 36 points on the day. The Trojans’ best scorer was Vianney Gonzalez, who went 1-1 en route to a second-place finish at 120 pounds.

Fairfield had two third-place finishers. Alyvia Abbott was third at 105 pounds, and Samantha Lyons took third at 170.

Team standings

1. Mount Vernon 134

2. Mid-Prairie 128

3. Davenport 125

4. Anamosa 104.5

5. Wilton 101

6. Tipton 91

7. Columbus/WMU 65

8. Durant 46

9. Fairfield 36

10. Davenport Assumption 31.5

11. Muscatine 23

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Highland 4th, Pekin 5th at BGM

The Huskies and Panthers led the way for the Union area at the BGM tournament, with Highland standing tall as one of four teams to eclipse the 100-point mark.

Highland picked up two wins on the day. Lilly Barre won the 120-pound weight class, scoring two pins and a major decision, and defeating BGM’s Cheyleigh Blankenship by pinfall to win the championship.

Highland’s Chloe Sexton won at 190 pounds. Sexton scooped up two pins in two matches to come away victorious.

The Huskies had two second-place finishers. Abbie Grout took silver at 100 pounds, and Angelina Roling was second at 110.

Pekin had two winners on the day. Hailey Pedrick was one of those, securing first place at 135 pounds.

Pedrick cruised through the bracket with three pinfalls, including one in the championship match against Albia’s Paige Popson.

Also taking first place for Pekin was Lila Miller. Miller had three pins as well, combining in just two total minutes of mat time. She made quick work of Albia’s Maggie McAninch in the 145-pound final, winning in 25 seconds.

WACO’s Rylee Rice took home the 110-pound title. Rice had three pins on the day, including a championship pin of Roling from Highland. Rice beat Roling in 3:34.

WACO had two second-place finishers on the day. Elyssa Graber took second at 105 pounds, and Macy Bonebrake was second at 190.

Team standings

1. Valley West Des Moines 158

2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 136

3. Albia 109

4. Highland 104

5. Iowa Valley 82

5. Pekin 82

7. North Tama 80

8. BGM 77.5

9. English Valleys 75

10. WACO 73

11. Grinnell 66

12. Louisa-Muscatine 49

13. North Mahaska 28

14. Baxter 20

15. Oskaloosa 15

16. Belle Plaine 0