The Class 2 District 4 Girls’ Wrestling Tournament was highly competitive, with Park Hill bringing home a second-place plaque at Platte County High School on Feb. 11.
The Lady Trojans were the runner-up out of 19 teams with 114 points, just getting past Fort Osage – who had 112 points – and only trailed district champion Liberty who had 134 points. Platte County finished in fourth place with 100 points and Park Hill South finished in eighth place with 70 points.
Six of Park Hill’s eight wrestlers finished in the top-4, including four making it to the championship. Angelina Vargas moved to 36-1 on the season when she won the 115-weight class and is headed back to state with a chance to defend her title as she won the championship last year when she was a freshman.
Park Hill’s Ava Myers pinned Raytown South’s Rihanna Ricks in 1:26 in the sophomore’s first match in the Class 2 District 4 Wrestling Tournament at Platte County High School on Feb. 10.
In districts, Vargas won her first three matches with pins before taking down Platte County’s Lily Brower with an 8-4 decision in the championship. Brower is one of five Lady Pirates who are headed to state.
Allison Gonier (120) and Eve Herlyn (145) both made it to the championship rounds for Park Hill, both of which became runners-up. Gonier lost just her third match of the season – in her 39th match – by losing on a 6-2 decision to Liberty’s Julia Breeden in the championship match.
Herlyn had a pair of pins in the 145-weight class before coming up short to Park Hill South senior star Maddie Kubicki in a 3:43 pin. Kubicki has won a state title in each of the last three years and has a chance to be a 4-time champion when she heads to state with a perfect 43-0 record on the year.
Kubicki is one of three Lady Panthers headed to state, being joined by Aniya Coleman (100) and Mylee Lentz (115). Coleman finished in second place at districts and will be looking to have a stronger finish this trip to state after going 2-2 last year.
Lentz is making her first trip to state as the junior finished in third place at districts by fighting back in the consolation side after being pinned by Kylie Dunn (Fort Osage) in 3:11 in the quarterfinals. The 115-pounder bounced back with three straight pins and then won on a 2-0 decision over Alexis Ritchie (Liberty) in the third-place match.
Zella Gray (105), Elisa Robles (120), Lucia Henriquez (130) and Graciella Ortiz (170) all competed for Park Hill South but failed to make it to state. Henriquez finished her sophomore campaign with a 20-21 record and went 2-2 in districts, being eliminated from the postseason against Liberty North’s Chloe Taylor who had a 3-1 sudden victory.
In addition to Brower, Platte County had four players make it to the championship or third-place matches. EmmaLyn Burnett was a district champion in the 125-weight class – winning two of her three matches by pins – and will head to state with a 26-9 record.
Haley Burge (110), Hannah Mand (120) and Giada Cucchiara (135) all made it to the third-place matches as Cucchiara was the only one of the trio to win it. Cucchiara ran into Park Hill sophomore Rylin Beatty – who became a district champion in the 135-weight class – in the semifinals and lost on a 3:42 pin before the Lady Pirate bounced back and finished in third place.
Burge took fourth place when she came up short to Staley’s Ellie Marrah in the third-place match on a 2:12 pin. Mand made it just as far in her weight class and lost by fall in 2:15 to Madison Leverknight (Winnetonka).
Park Hill was able to claim second place as a team with the help of Ava Myers (105) and Bryanna Priest-Tapia (190) taking fourth places as individuals. Celeste Robin and Jaeda Stroud both went 0-2 in the 110 and 140-weight classes.