Two Bluejays Place at State
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBy Chloe Bernhardt
The Pierce girls wrestling team sent five Jays to state on Tuesday, February 18 and Wednesday, February 19, in the first year of the girls having their own state tournament. Two Bluejay wrestlers claimed medals.
Wrestling at 155, Isabelle Kuehler placed second. In round one, she pinned Livia Sharpe from Wahoo. Kuehler then won by fall over Mariah Duran from Sandhills Valley in the quarterfinal round. In the semifinal match, Kuehler pinned Grace Longsdorf from Neligh-Oakdale. In the first place match Kuehler fell to Maggie Fiene of Conestoga.
“It definitely goes by faster when there are no boys, but I kind of miss watching the boys and girls at the same time. It is very special to be a three time state qualifier. I am very excited and can’t wait to make it next year,” Kuehler states.
At 115, Hadleigh Collison was the other medalist for the Jays, and she placed fifth. Collison pinned Teela Bleich from Battle Creek in round one. In the quarterfinal round, Collison lost by tech fall,18-2, to Leynn Luna of Boone Central. She came back and pinned Mollie Corkle from O’Neill in the consolation round two. In consolation round three, Collison pinned Allie Oligmueller from West Holt. Collison lost by decision, 7-3, to Rylan Custard of Southwest in the consolation semifinal match. In the fifth place match she pinned Zoe Jones from Broken Bow.
Wrestling at 110, Isabelle Streff fell to Baylee Chessmore of Neligh-Oakdale in round one. In consolation round one, Streff fell to Ceann Mclntosh of Maxwell.
Lainey Jensen, wrestling at 145, fell to Beckah Gossman from Fort Calhoun in round one. Jensen then lost by major decision, 13-0, to Kirsten Heck from Gordon-Rushville in the consolation round one.
At 170, Candace Miller fell to Sidney Archer of Lyons-Decatur Northeast in round one. In the consolation round one Miller lost by decision, 3-2, to Zoleigh Reffalt of Bayard.
“I would say that for the first ever girls state wrestling being on its own was an amazing experience not only for me to watch but was mostly for the girls that were wrestling. There was more people there supporting then I thought there was going to be, which made the experience easy better,” teammate, Jayan Sackville comments.
