Great Bend Post Sports
The Lady Panther wrestling team hit the ground running in 2024. The New Year opener in Dodge City Saturday featured the top-ranked Lady Demons (6-5A), who scored 192 points for the win. Dumas (Texas) finished second with 158 points, followed by fifth-ranked Manhattan (6-5A) in third with 154 points. Fourth-ranked Great Bend scored 144.5 points for fourth, followed by No. 5 Pratt (4-1A) with 132.5 points for fifth.
Second-ranked Daizy Gomez carried over her momentum from 2023 with the championship at 130 pounds. Gomez needed just 35 seconds to beat her Manhattan opponent, then she pinned her second opponent in just 54 seconds. Pratt's fourth-ranked Wendy Candia defeated Dodge City's Ariana De La Rosa to halt another rematch. Gomez pinned Candia in the finals.
Second-ranked Natalee Daniels made the finals at 190 pounds. The sophomore pinned her first three opponents before losing to Liberal's top-ranked junior Hayleen Martinez, who won the bracket.
Third-ranked Kaylea McMullen made the finals at 125 pounds. She went 2-0 in pool matches with a pair of pins. Fifth-ranked Gracelyn Hembree, a sophomore from Pratt, defeated McMullen 4-2 in the finals. Aly Feil placed 10th for the Lady Panthers.
Kirra Stevens is still vying for a spot in the rankings at 170 pounds. She finished third Saturday after pinning her first two opponents and moving to 3-0 with a 4-3 decision against Olathe East. Stevens pinned her Goddard opponent in the consolation finals. Two Dodge City wrestlers claimed the top-two spots. Lea Nokes placed eighth for Great Bend, Haley Suchy finished 10th, and A'Teija Thomas grabbed 12th.
Fifth-ranked Camdyn Post placed fourth at 105 pounds. The freshman pinned her first two opponents before a 14-11 loss to third-ranked Miranda Isabela Gutierrez of Liberal. Post pinned sixth-ranked Miranda Alvarez of Dodge City and won an injury default. Post finished behind two wrestlers from Texas and Gutierrez.
Kayle Baldwin placed fourth at 100 pounds. She went 3-0 in pool matches with three pins. She was pinned by Manhattan's Eva Lucios in the consolation finals. Top-ranked Jaidyn Alvarado of Junction City (6-5A) defeated Dodge City's third-ranked freshman Elizabeth Ramirez in the finals. Great Bend's Trinaty Aumiller placed 13th.
Keira Leyva finished fourth at 110 pounds. She pinned her first opponent before a loss to third-ranked Charly Goodwin of Junction City. Leyva pinned her next two opponents before a loss to Pratt. Goodwin went on to win the bracket.
Sariah Cox was another fourth-place finisher at 145 pounds. She went 3-0 in pool matches with a pair of pins and a 10-5 decision. She lost an ultimate tie break to a Texas wrestler in the consolation finals. Third-ranked Yareli Garcia of Dodge City won the bracket. Josephine Blevins placed ninth for Great Bend.
Danica Cline finished sixth at 155 pounds. She went 2-1 in pool matches with a pair of pins and a loss to second-ranked Liliana Arroya Alba of Dodge City. Cline lost a 2-0 battle to a Texas wrestler in the fifth-place match. Top-ranked Sage Rosario of Manhattan defeated Arroyo Alba in the finals. Rylee Schnoebelen finished 10th for the Lady Panthers.
Braelyn Turner placed seventh at 120 pounds. She pinned her first opponent but lost a match to second-ranked Kayla Cramer of Manhattan. Turner needed just 40 seconds to pin Hoxie's Mariah Barnett in the seventh-place match. Cramer went on to win the bracket.
Kaydence Demel placed ninth at 135 pounds. That bracket featured No. 4 Hailey Ramos of Dodge City and No. 2 Keimarla Thompson of Pratt. Shatarah Newton finished 10th at 140 pounds.