By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com
The Jayhawk-Linn High School boys wrestling team has by now developed a reputation of bringing home medals – including championship medals – from the state tournament. However, this year for the first time since the girls' program began three years ago, a girl earned a medal as well.
Wrestling for the girls, freshman Alayna McCarty took fourth place after winning two matches and losing three in the 120-pound class. She won her first round by a fall, her second round by a 6-3 decision, but was pinned late in her third round to send her into the third-place bracket. There she won her fourth match by a 6-1 decision before losing by a fall in the final round for third place. Her season ended with a record of 36 wins and nine losses
She joined three wrestlers who brought home medals for the Jayhawks boys team. The Jayhawk boys placed 12th at the state tournament with 51 points.
Jayhawk sophomore Landon Higgins was the runner-up state wrestling champ in the 106-pound class. Higgins won his first match in the state tourney on an 18-11 decision, pinned his second opponent and scored a major decision to make it to the final. He lost on a major decision (13-3) in the championship round to take the second place medal, but ended his season with an outstanding 35-2 record.
Denton White, 126 pounds (37-7), took his first two matches in the 126-pound boys division with two pins but lost a 12-9 decision in his third match. On Saturday in the match for third place, his opponent won a sudden victory, leaving White to bring home the fourth-place medal.
Tanner Holt, 113 pounds (34-16 ) won the sixth-place medal for bracket after losing a decision in the final match for fifth place by a 3-1 decision. He won his first match with a pin, but a fall in his second round sent him into the consolation bracket. A pin and a major decision kept him in the hunt for third place, but a major decision against him sent him into the fifth-place round.
"We are just really proud of the entire team's effort this year on both the girls and boys side," said head wrestling coach Brett Kramer. "There have been so many people involved to help get the wrestling program to where it is today. As for overall state performance we wrestled well.
"Alayna McCarty becomes the first ever girl to place at state by taking fourth. Landon Higgins becomes the only third Jayhawk-Linn wrestler to make the state finals as he joins Brody and Corbin White in that category. Denton White joins his brother Corbin as the only Jayhawk-Linn wrestlers to earn three state medals.
"Tanner Holt has been wrestling since he was about 5, and he has never placed at a state wrestling tournament in all those years," the coach continued. For him to really put the work in this past summer and jump levels in wrestling was absolutely amazing, and he brought home his first ever state medal by finishing sixth.
"We are really proud of our senior wrestlers – Clair Smith, Gracee Willard, Tara Weller and Jeremy Willard that have made a lasting impression on our programs. They might not have medaled this weekend, but they went out and gave a great effort and just came up short in some tough matches."
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