Great Bend Post Sports
A new coach and a new tournament. The third-ranked Lady Panther wrestlers opened the season Thursday with dual action against Manhattan. They quickly followed with a sixth-place finish out of 15 teams just over the Nebraska state line in Kearney on Saturday. The home team finished with 201 points, followed by Lexington with 185.5 points. Lars Lueders' Great bend scored 131 points to finish just six points behind fifth-place North Platte.
Second-ranked Camdyn Post won her bracket at 105 pounds. The sophomore pinned all four of her opponents with a pair of wins in 47 seconds or fewer.
Freshman Micah Ellegood made her much-anticipated varsity debut at 125 pounds with a second-place finish. Ellegood went 3-1 in the early matches with three pins and a loss by fall to the eventual champion, Aliena Osterbuhr of Minden (Neb.), a senior who qualified for state in Nebraska last winter. The two met again in the finals with Osterbuhr holding off Ellegood 6-0.
Third-ranked Kirra Stevens placed third at 170 pounds. The senior cruised through her first three matches with three falls in a total of 67 seconds. She was pinned by Lincoln's Carson Shank, a sixth-place state finisher last year. That dropped Stevens to the consolation finals where she pinned her Lexington opponent in 1:51.
Freshman Madison Ketch placed third at 115 pounds. After pinning her first opponent, she was pinned by the eventual champion and runner-up in the bracket. She rebounded with an 11-6 decision over North Platte to secure third place.
Sophia Bauer also pulled out a third-place finish at 100 pounds. The freshman lost a tech fall to the eventual runner-up in round one. She pinned her next two opponents to reach the consolation finals where she pinned her Nebraska opponent in just 44 seconds.
Brooklyn Kelly was another third-place finisher at 130 pounds. The freshman pinned her first two opponents before getting pinned by the eventual champion from North Platte and the runner-up from Lexington.
Junior Tara Newton finished at 2-1 in pool action at 145 pounds with a pin and a major decision. Her one loss came against the eventual runner-up. Newton came up just short 10-7 in the third-place match.
Senior Melissa Esparza posted a 4-1 record to place fifth at 155 pounds. Two of her four wins by fall came in under a minute.
Sophomore Kiera Leyva entered the tournament ranked No. 4 but had to settle for a sixth-place finish at 110 pounds. After a pin and a bye, she was pinned by the second and fourth-place finishers to drop to the fifth-place match. There, she was pinned by Lexington late in the match.
Freshman Riata Stryker went 0-2 in pool matches that included the first and fourth-place finishers. She finished at 0-3 for sixth place.