Lady Jay Wrestlers are District Champs Qualifying Seven
by Maggie Painter
Friday, February 4, the Pierce Lady Jays traveled to West Point Beemer to try and clench a spot at the state tournament. On Saturday, February 5, the team not only clinched a spot at the state tournament, they earned the title of the first ever Girls District Champions, sending seven to state.
Makinzie Parsons, senior, states, “I think the tournament went really really well overall. I'm super excited about the seven girls going to state, and getting district champions, but there's still work to be done.”
Senior Callie Arnold, wrestling at 120 pounds, won the tournament in her weight class, punching her ticket to Omaha. Her first match she pinned Madeline Wear of Omaha Marian. In Arnold’s semifinal match she won by decision over Jamelah Taylor of Papillion-La Vista, 6-4. In her third and final match of the weakened, she won by a 4-2 decision over Diana Cervantes of West Point-Beemer.
At 126 pounds, Angeline Skrdla wrestled her way to another first place finish for the Lady Jays. A. Skrdla won by fall over Ruby Knull of Battle Creek, Jordan Aschoff of Norfolk Catholic, and Jaycee Bruns of Wayne in her first three matches. A. Skrdla then went on to pin Brooklin Kuester of West Point-Beemer to earn the A2 district title in her weight class.
Wrestling at 132, Maggie Painter first wrestled Eva Kriener of Omaha Marian, winning by fall. She then proceeded to pin Nancy Lemus of West Point-Beemer. In Painter’s third match she won by decision over Jacqueline Halouska of Omaha South, 7-3. In Painter’s final match of the tournament she wrestled Madison Davis of West Holt, winning by fall, earning a first place finish and a trip to the state tournament.
Haylee Miller (138) also earned herself a trip to Omaha. She won by fall over Kendall Bauer of Bennington her first match. Miller then went on to win by major decision over Paola VIvar of Lakeview, 10-2. In her next match she won by fall over JJ Ywa Lar Kpaw of Omaha Northwest, putting her in the finals. Here she met her teammate, Isabelle Skrdla. Miller won by major decision over Skrdla 19-9.
Wrestling at 185 pounds, senior Makinzie Parsons was additionally able to pull off a first place finish. Parsons pinned Ashlyn Rath of Battle Creek and Zeena Villanueva of Bancroft-Rosalie Lyons-Decatur in her first and second matches. In her final match, Parsons won by fall over Darian Earth of Winnebago, securing the title of A2 district champion at 185.
Another state qualifier for the Lady Jays is Isabelle Skrdla, who placed second. At 138 pounds, I. Skrdla first won by fall over Jayse E Marez of Michell, as well as Alannah Osborne of BRLD. I. Skrdla fell to teammate Haylee Miller by major decision 19-9, in her third and final match of the tournament.
Hadleigh Collison at 107, placed third. Right off the bat, Collison pinned Miranda Headley of Norfolk Catholic. She then fell to Lenora Kester of Summerland, but came back in her third match to win by fall over Sydni McConnell of Summerland. Collision fought hard in her last match against Jesmy Trujillo of Omaha Burke and came out on top, pinning Trujillo. Collision was the seventh and final Lady Jay to qualify for the state tournament.
Other wrestlers for the Lady Jays at districts were Mia Sackville, wrestling at 100 pounds, who placed fourth, just falling short of qualifying. M. Sackville lost her first match, falling to Lay Lay Tun of Omaha Northwest, but came back her second, pinning Icis Sackville of Pierce. In the consolation semifinals, M. Sackville won by decision over Day Paw of Madison 6-11. However, M. Sackville then met Tun of Northwest, unfortunately falling to her once again.
Likewise, Katelyn Gubbels placed fourth, only wrestling two matches. In her first Persephone Prochaska of Omaha Marian won by fall over Gubbels. Her second, she fell to Avani Wilkie of Winnebago, just missing out on going to state.
Although fighting hard, Mariah Eckert (165), also was not able to make it to the state tournament. Eckert won by fall over Audrey Arthur of Omaha Marian, but fell to Makiaya DeLaCruz of Lakeview. She then pinned Kyra Hypes of Battle Creek. Yet, Hailey Siebrass of Millard North then pinned Eckert, putting an end to her season.
Hayle DeBoer, at 114 pounds, battled all through the tournament, but in the end was unable to make it to Omaha. DeBoer started by pinning Rhiannon Herman of Omaha Burke, but was then pinned by Brisa Figueroa of West Point-Beemer. DeBoer came back and won by fall over Shantelle Mikkelson of Madison in her third match. Unfortunately DeBoer was not able to beat Talia Astorino of Papillion-La Vista, who pinned her in her final match.
At 100 pounds, Icis Sackville was another wrestler who was not quite able to make it to state. In Sackville's first match of the tournament she lost by pin to Ichell Rivas of Wayne. She also lost to teammate Mia Sackville of Pierce, thus eliminating her from the tournament.
The first ever girls state wrestling tournament will be held in Omaha on February 17, 18, and 19. The seven girls who qualified will start wrestling on February 18 for their chance at a state title.
