Great Bend Post Sports
The No. 10 Lady Panther wrestling team rebounded from a tough dual loss Thursday evening to win the Panther Classic in Phillipsburg just 24 hours later. Great Bend scored 147 points to win the 21-team tournament. Trego Community finished second with 107 points, and Norton scored 98 points for third.
Second-ranked Daizy Gomez turned in another easy day at 130 pounds for the title. The senior needed a combined 61 seconds to pin her first two opponents from St. Francis and Ellsworth. She needed just 71 seconds to pin Phillipsburg's Isabella Keese in the finals.
Sixth-ranked Camdyn Post had no trouble winning her 3-girl bracket at 105 pounds. She pinned opponents from Rossville and Hill City for the win.
Fourth-ranked Kaylea McMullen returned to action for a second-place finish at 125 pounds. After a bye, she pinned her Trego opponent and a tough Hoxie opponent to reach the finals. There, she was pinned by fifth-ranked Ashlyn Hahn of Stockton (4-1A).
Kirra Stevens posted a 2-1 record for second place at 170 pounds. She needed just 63 combined seconds to beat opponents from Norton and Trego, including a 10-second pin against Trego. Stevens nearly handed unbeaten and top-ranked Atavia Cain of Oakley (4-1A) her first loss of the season, instead losing in sudden victory 6-4.
Shatarah Newton finished second out of four wrestlers at 140 pounds. In round-robin action, Newton pinned her first two opponents in a combined 77 seconds. She was pinned by Ellsworth's Sophie Homolka in the second period of the title match.
Freshman Kayle Baldwin finished third at 100 pounds. She opened with a 10-5 decision win before falling to third-ranked Carolina Northup of Stockton in the semifinals. Baldwin pinned her final two opponents from Decatur Community and Plainville to secure third.
Keira Leyva had a similar day at 110 pounds. She pinned her first opponent before getting pinned by third-ranked and one-loss senior Kinzie Rogers of Chase County (4-1A), who won the bracket. Leyva rebounded with pins against Osborne and Plainville to finish out the bracket in third.
Braelyn Turner came up one win shy of the consolation finals at 120 pounds. She opened with a bye before running into fourth-ranked and eventual runner-up Adrian Wynn of Trego Community (4-1A). On the back side, Turner pinned her Norton opponent before falling to St. Francis. Top-ranked and unbeaten Kendra Hurla of Rossville won the bracket.
Kaydence Demel also came up a win shy of the third-place match at 135 pounds. After a round-one loss to the eventual third-place finisher Khloe Padilla from Smith Center. Demel answered with wins by fall against Norton and Plainville before getting pinned by Padilla again.
Josephine Blevins was yet another Lady Panther who came up one win shy of the consolation finals. She fell victim to a quick pin against the eventual runner-up from Atwood in round two. Blevins pinned her next opponent from Hoxie before getting pinned by the fourth-place finisher from Chase County.
Fourth-ranked Natalee Daniels was sitting at 1-1 with pin at 190 pounds. She forfeited her final two matches to place fifth in the bracket. Danica Cline posted a 1-2 record at 155 pounds. She pinned her Russell opponent in 61 seconds and made it nearly two periods before getting pinned by third-ranked Myah Mattheyer of Trego. A loss to Phillipsburg ended Cline's day early.
The Lady Panthers will have eight days off before heading to Class 6-5A regional action in Dodge City on Saturday, Feb. 10.