By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' girls wrestling team entered Saturday's United Kansas Conference Championships looking for a sixth straight UKC team title.
But even though Basehor-Linwood ended the T-Birds' bid by a 209.5-184 margin, Heights coach Chad Parks praised his team's effort and was already looking forward to upcoming regional and state competition.
"We actually wrestled lights out today,'' Parks said. "We didn't lose very many matches at all. Basehor's just tough, we're tough and it's just going to be a battle.''
Shawnee Heights senior Madison Freeland won the 140-pound United Kansas Conference title Saturday at Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Cianna Graves improved to 31-2 on the season while winning the 150-pound United Kansas Conference title for Shawnee Heights Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds earned four individual championships and added four runnerup finishes, a third and a fourth but Basehor-Linwood countered with five individual golds, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth.
"When you get a little bigger tournament sometimes it's a little different than a small tournament,'' Parks said. "We've won almost tournament this year and we just keep doing what we do.''
Shawnee Heights got girls individual titles from senior 125-pounder Reece Taylor, senior 130-pounder Isabel Reyes, senior 140-pounder Madison Freeland and junior 150-pounder Cianna Graves while freshman Ava Gutierrez (100), junior Olivia Stevens (145), sophomore Brooklyn Binkley (170) and junior Shelby Watson (190) all posted runnerup conference finishes.
Taylor improved to 30-3 on the season, posting a 1:46 pin in the championship match, while Reyes improved to 32-1 with a 44-second pin over Seaman junior Makenna Stuke.
Freeland won the 140 title with a 1:54 pin to improve to 26-6 while Graves is now 31-2 after a pin in 2:46.
Seaman senior Taylie Heston won the 120-pound title in Saturday's UKC tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman, which was without injured standout Koti Best, finished fourth as a team with 85 points, led by senior 120-pound champion Taylie Heston, while the Vikings also got second-place finishes from senior Natalie Smith (110), freshman Avery Villines (115) and Stuke (130).
Heston (27-6) capped her title run with a 9-0 major decision.
Topeka West finished eighth in the girls standings with 11 points, led by fourth-place sophomore Monica Stewart (235).
On the boys side, Basehord-Linwood won the UKC championship by a 242-171.5 margin over Lansing while Seaman (145.5) finished third.
Seaman senior Samson Tootle won the 175-pound UKC title Saturday, helping lead the Vikings to a third-place team finish. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Senior Samson Tootle won the 175-pound championship to lead the Vikings, one of four Seaman wrestlers to reach the championship round.
Tootle improved to 28-11 on the season with a 10-1 major decision over Lansing's Xavier Harmon.
The Eagles also got runnerup finishes from sophomore Ross Shipley (144), senior Gabe Brannick (165) and senior Deyton Mentzer (215).
"The kids are figuring it out later in the season and we're starting to peak at the right time,'' Seaman coach Tony Pena said. "I'm real young. I've got a lot of first and second-year wrestlers on my varsity right now and they're learning.
"I'm seeing progress every week, which is great.''
Shawnee Heights finished seventh with 52.5 points, led by third-place sophomore Dallas Owens (132).
Topeka West finished ninth (26), getting a fourth-place showing from junior Cortez McCutcheon (285).
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE WRESTLING
At Topeka West
GIRLS
Team scores
Basehor-Linwood 209.5, Shawnee Heights 184, Piper 113.5, Seaman 85, Leavenworth 81, De Soto 70.5, Lansing 30, Topeka West 11, Kansas City-Turner 9.
Individual results
100 -- 1. Lainie Galvan, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Ava Gutierrez, Shawnee Heights; 3. Mia Toraya, KC-Turner; 4. Savanna Bruce, Piper.
105 -- 1. Baylee Baragary, Lansing; 2. Miley Locke, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Abrianna Everson, Piper; 4. Vanessa Scott, Seaman.
110 -- 1. Delaney Locke, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Natalie Smith, Seaman; 3. Annabelle Young, De Soto High; 4. Maddy Knight, Lansing.
115 -- 1. Karla Barrios, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Avery Villines, Seaman; 3. Sarah Magenheimer, Piper.
120 -- 1. Taylie Heston, Seaman; 2. Rylee Burke, Kansas City-Piper; 3. Payton Charles, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Bianca Juarez, Shawnee Heights
125 -- 1. Reece Taylor, Shawnee Heights; 2. Haylee Morris, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Mackenzie Waters, Leavenworth; 4. Avery Jones, De Soto High School.
130 -- 1. Isabel Reyes, Shawnee Heights; 2. Makenna Stuke, Seaman; 3. Leah Marovec, De Soto; 4. Juliana Nyland, Basehor-Linwood.
135 -- 1. Maia Dolinar, Piper; 2. Ava Taylor, De Soto; 3. Reniya Marion, Leavenworth; 4. Olive Jones, Shawnee Heights.
140 -- 1. Madison Freeland, Shawnee Heights; 2. Willow Rademacher, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman; 4. Olivia Schneider, Piper.
145 -- 1. Makayla Faulkner, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Olivia Stevens, Shawnee Heights; 3. Annabella Shumaker, Leavenworth.
155 -- 1. Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights; 2. Falasteen Shalabi, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Ellie Lancaster, De Soto;4. Ava Babich, Leavenworth.
170 -- 1. Malia Martin, Piper; 2. Brooklyn Binkley, Shawnee Heights; 3. Kimberlee Scott, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Carbon Frazier, De Soto.
190 -- 1. Izzy Renfro, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Shelby Watson, Shawnee Heights; 3. Nacola Williams, Leavenworth; 4. Annie North, Topeka West.
235 -- 1. Saryja Nelson, Leavenworth; 2. Nia Patterson, Piper; 3. Mara Grau James, Shawnee Heights; 4. Monica Stewart, Topeka West.
BOYS
Team scores
Basehor-Linwood 242, Lansing 171.5, Seaman 145.5, De Soto 133, Leavenworth 87, Piper 81, Shawnee Heights 52.5, Kansas City-Turner, 29, Topeka West 26.
Individual results
106 -- 1. Grant Taylor, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Gunner Hamilton, Leavenworth; 3. John Legatt, De Soto; 4. Saban Banks, Lansing.
113 -- 1. Eric Vielhauer, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Elijah Dickson, Lansing; 3. Shepherd Young, De Soto; 4. Maddox Malone, Seaman.
120 -- 1. Trevor Christenson, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Caden Garcia, Lansing; 3. Jayden Dalrymple, Leavenworth; 4. Aaron Haynes, Seaman.
126 -- 1. Jet Millison, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Samuel Vasquez, Leavenworth; 3. Dawson Dunn, Piper; 4. Jayden Foster, Seaman.
132 -- 1. Cael Puderbaugh, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Sawyer Jorgensen, Lansing; 3. Dallas Owens, Shawnee Heights; 4. Linkyn Turner, De Soto.
138 -- 1. Riley Dilka of Lansing; 2. Aj Ward, Basehor-Linwood; 3. Cameron Turner, Leavenworth; 4. Deegan Frazier, Seaman.
144 -- 1. Brody Ballard, Basehor-Linwood; 2. Ross Shipley, Seaman; 3. Keith Slaughter, Piper; 4. Jacob Garner, Lansing.
150 -- 1. Emerson Tjaden, De Soto; 2. Emiliano Martinez, Piper; 3. Cody Lord, Seaman; 4. Nicholas Auten, Basehor-Linwood.
157 -- 1. Casey Bowlin, De Soto; 2. Ruben Escalante, Piper; 3. Brennen Bowers, Seaman; 4. Evan Johnson, Shawnee Heights.
165 -- 1. Kaden Roebuck, KC-Turner; 2. Gabe Brannick, Seaman; 3. Tucker Hutchison, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Kael Westgate, Shawnee Heights.
175 -- 1. Samson Tootle, Seaman; 2. Xavier Harmon, Lansing; 3. Hudson Vanderweide, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Koner Inglish, Topeka West.
190 -- 1. Elijah Mathis, Lansing; 2. Dylan Roy, De Soto; 3. Gavin Mitchell, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Brady Brooks, KC-Piper.
215 -- 1. Noah Mathis, Lansing; 2. Deyton Mentzer, Seaman; 3. Caden Gedney, Basehor-Linwood; 4. James Cannon-Laster, De Soto.
285 -- 1, Kimbal Sweeney, De Soto; 2. Graysen Cline, Leavenworth; 3. Jordan Kramer, Basehor-Linwood; 4. Cortez McCutcheon, Topeka West.
