Columbus girls take 3rd at KSHSAA state wrestling championships

COLUMBUS, Kan. – The Columbus High School girls wrestling team is bringing some hardware back from the KSHSAA State Wrestling Championships in Salina.

“None of these girls grew up wrestling, so this was a new experience for them. They were excited all day, and they were pumped at the end. They didn’t want to leave the arena,” says head coach Marcus Bowman, “When we started the season, we knew we wanted to win a regional title and bring a plaque home from state. These girls were able to do both.”

“If you take away our football team finishing as the state runner-up in 2014, I think it has been close to 20 years since Columbus brought home a team plaque from a state tournament,” Bowman adds, “It was a big deal for our girls.”

Columbus had to work for their top-three finish Thursday.

The Titans were in 6th place after day one on Wednesday, but battled back to have three girls place at state Thursday and secure their spot in the top three. Columbus scored 60 points as a team to edge out Prairie View by one point.

“It was a rollercoaster from start to finish,” Bowman says, “We brought eight wrestlers here. We had the numbers, but there were a lot of teams out here who had five or six girls who have been wrestling since they were 8 or 9. We just don’t really have that experience. I told them after day one that we have to find a whole new gear. I told them there was a chance we could still do what we came here to do, but we have to control what we can control and go out and win matches. If we don’t go out there and win two or three matches today by pin, we don’t finish third.”

Addi Saporito was the highest-placing individual for Columbus, taking 3rd in the 109 lb bracket. It’s the second straight season Saporito has finished 3rd individually at state. Brooklyn Lima finished 4th in the 138 lb bracket and Jailyn Rodriguez took 6th in the 143 lb bracket.

“Brooklyn is just a sophomore and she came up big for us today,” Bowman says, “Addi lost in the semifinals, but she bounced back and won a one-point match and then pinned a girl who was in the state finals last year to take third. If she doesn’t pin that girl, we don’t finish third. Jailyn also came up big for us. She went into the regional tournament seeded 9th and beat two girls to get here. It was big just for her to be out here, and then she ended up coming up big for us and bringing home a medal.”

While Columbus only had three girls place at state, Bowman stressed the importance of all eight wrestlers helping them bring home a 3rd-place finish.

“If anybody ever tells you that wrestling is not a team sport, tell them they’re completely wrong,” Bowman says, “Our girls learned that today. It was 100% a team effort. A lot goes into those state tournaments.”

Overall, 11 local girls placed at the KSHSAA State Championships on Thursday.

  • Addi Saporito (Columbus) 109 lb – 3RD
  • Emma Hall (Field Kindley) 109 lb – 6TH
  • Breanna Ross (Erie) 115 lb – 4TH
  • Kadynce Axelson (Chanute) 115 lb – 6TH
  • Reese Clements (Chanute) 120 lb – 4TH
  • Layla Tindle (Fredonia) 120 lb – 5TH
  • Gabby Rusk (Fort Scott) 132 lb – 5TH
  • Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 138 lb – 4TH
  • Makaylae Rusk (Fort Scott) 138 lb – 5TH
  • Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 143 lb – 6TH
  • Elizabeth White (Humboldt) 191 lb – 6TH

Below are the results for all eight Columbus wrestlers.

101

Grace Noel (15-16) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Elle Vinson (El Dorado) 34-11 won by fall over Grace Noel (Columbus) 15-16 (Fall 3:29)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Grace Noel (Columbus) 15-16 won by decision over Elaina Wolff (Topeka-Hayden) 8-13 (Dec 4-2)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Grace Noel (Columbus) 15-16 won by fall over Elizabeth Melendez (Humboldt) 3-16 (Fall 2:08)
  • Cons. Round 3 – Madison Daniels (Tonganoxie) 18-15 won by major decision over Grace Noel (Columbus) 15-16 (MD 9-1)

109

Addison Saporito (28-2) placed 3rd and scored 19.5 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Addison Saporito (Columbus) 28-2 won by fall over Rhiannon Cacavio (Goodland) 20-8 (Fall 1:18)
  • Quarterfinal – Addison Saporito (Columbus) 28-2 won by tech fall over Brianna Mitchell (Baldwin) 25-13 (TF-1.5 4:34 (17-0))
  • Semifinal – Josiah Ortiz (Lakin) 32-0 won by decision over Addison Saporito (Columbus) 28-2 (Dec 4-1)
  • Cons. Semi – Addison Saporito (Columbus) 28-2 won by decision over Éowynn Reynard (Burlington) 40-5 (Dec 4-3)
  • 3rd Place Match – Addison Saporito (Columbus) 28-2 won by fall over Citori Bosserman (Oakley) 33-6 (Fall 1:53)

120

Sophie Lloyd (22-9) place is unknown and scored 3.5 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Sophie Lloyd (Columbus) 22-9 won by tech fall over Allee Darnell (Baldwin) 20-14 (TF-1.5 4:06 (17-1))
  • Quarterfinal – Jadyn Thompson (Pratt) 37-2 won by decision over Sophie Lloyd (Columbus) 22-9 (Dec 5-1)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Tyelor Rozell (Douglass) 32-9 won by decision over Sophie Lloyd (Columbus) 22-9 (Dec 7-3)

126

Madelyn Garcia (22-14) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Jill High (Augusta) 27-3 won by fall over Madelyn Garcia (Columbus) 22-14 (Fall 3:07)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Madelyn Garcia (Columbus) 22-14 won by fall over Kaitlyn Tallent (Norton Community) 8-18 (Fall 4:39)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Amanda Jaeger (Colby) 27-7 won by decision over Madelyn Garcia (Columbus) 22-14 (Dec 4-2)

132

Aubree Saporito (20-17) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Aubree Saporito (Columbus) 20-17 won by fall over Lainey Farley (Wellsville) 30-8 (Fall 4:49)
  • Quarterfinal – Keimarla Thompson (Pratt) 20-1 won by fall over Aubree Saporito (Columbus) 20-17 (Fall 0:38)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Aubree Saporito (Columbus) 20-17 won by decision over Phoebe Fletcher (Eudora) 22-12 (Dec 6-4)
  • Cons. Round 3 – Gracie Gallagher (Holton) 28-12 won in sudden victory – 1 over Aubree Saporito (Columbus) 20-17 (SV-1 3-1)

138

Brooklyn Lima (25-10) placed 4th and scored 17.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 25-10 won by fall over Ashlyn Pazdernik (Scott Community) 15-15 (Fall 2:00)
  • Quarterfinal – Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 25-10 won by major decision over Reagan Wonnell (Rossville) 28-11 (MD 11-1)
  • Semifinal – Marissa Porsch (Hoxie) 37-1 won by fall over Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 25-10 (Fall 4:29)
  • Cons. Semi – Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 25-10 won by fall over Makaylae Rusk (Fort Scott) 25-11 (Fall 3:51)
  • 3rd Place Match – Kaitlyn Hain (Wellington) 35-2 won by fall over Brooklyn Lima (Columbus) 25-10 (Fall 1:21)

143

Jailyn Rodriguez (22-14) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Katelyn Schmidt (Towanda-Circle) 31-7 won by decision over Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 (Dec 9-2)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 won by fall over Maddie Spreer (Silver Lake) 16-18 (Fall 3:52)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 won by decision over Claudine Stein (Hays-TMP) 19-17 (Dec 7-2)
  • Cons. Round 3 – Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 won by decision over Trista Rogers (Haven) 16-12 (Dec 3-0)
  • Cons. Semi – Sadie Walker (Holton) 33-5 won by fall over Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 (Fall 1:53)
  • 5th Place Match – Kaydawn Haag (Ellis) 31-7 won by fall over Jailyn Rodriguez (Columbus) 22-14 (Fall 1:46)

155

Emily Welch (19-10) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Jewella Cokeley (Douglass) 33-1 won by fall over Emily Welch (Columbus) 19-10 (Fall 0:56)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Kilee Waters (Santa Fe Trail) 25-12 won by fall over Emily Welch (Columbus) 19-10 (Fall 2:58)

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