Five Jayhawk wrestlers qualify for state championship tourney

Six Lady 'Hawks will be headed to Hays on Friday, Feb. 27, to compete in the state championship wrestling tournament. They include, from left, Rowan Day, Hazel Vaughn, Alivia Lohman, regional 120-pound champ Alayna McCarty, Hailei Fortman, Lily Meyer, and Ali Willard. (Submitted photo)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

Jayhawk-Linn head girls coach Nikki Kraul will be taking six wrestlers to compete at the Class 3-1A state wrestling championships on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27 - 28.

The 'Hawks placed seventh as a team in regional competition that saw Alayna McCarty win first place in the 120-pound class. McCarty last year as a freshman was the first wrestler on the then 3-year-old girls team to win a medal at state with a fourth-place win.

This year as a more experienced sophomore, she has a good chance to bring home the gold. She worked through the first-place bracket by handing her opponents three falls and one technical fall.

Sophomore Rowan Day, 110 pounds, placed fourth in her division by starting her bracket by pinning her opponent. In the next match, however, she was pinned and moved to the consolation bracket. She won her next match on a technical fall that put her in the match for third place. But she was pinned 3:00 into the match and had to settle for a fourth place medal.

Lily Myer and Ali Willard both received sixth-place medals.

Meyer, at 115 pounds, was off to a solid start by winning her first two matches by pinning her opponents. But a fall in her third match sent her into the consolation bracket, where she pinned her next two opponents. But in the next match, she lost her next one on a major decision and finished the tournament by losing by a fall.

Willard, a 155-pound junior, started her bracket well with a fall, but was pinned in the second match. She pinned her next two opponents in the consolation bracket, but lost her final two matches by a fall.

Sophomore Hazel Vaughn, 190 pounds, won a seventh-place medal and a trip to state. After a first-round bye, she was pinned in her first match, but came back to pin her next opponent in 25 seconds. She lost her next match on a fall but was awarded a win on her final match with a disqualification of her opponent.

Alivia Lohman, a 135-pound sophomore, earned an eighth-place medal. Winning by pinning her opponent in round one, she lost by a fall in her second round. She pinned her opponent in the third round, but lost on a technical fall in her fourth match. She was pinned on her final round, but it was enough for a medal and a trip to Hays.

Josie Wade also competed in the regional meet, and an injured Hallei Fortman was on the disabled list but traveled with the team for moral support.