By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After advancing to the Class 6A-5A state championship match as a sophomore, the last two seasons have been a bit of a nightmare for Seaman girls wrestling star Koti Best.
Seaman senior Koti Best returned from an injury Saturday to win the 125-pound title in the Class 5A West regional at Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
A four-time state qualifier and two-time state placer, Best missed a big chunk of her junior season with concussion issues although she did return -- briefly -- in time for state.
"I wrestled the first round and I got re-concussed,'' Best lamented.
Best was back at full strength for the start of the current campaign, but was forced to the sidelines again after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the Newton tournament.
"It was not a good time,'' Best said. "I was so scared. I was like, 'I can't lose my season two years in a row.' ''
Seaman senior Koti Best reached the 100-win milestone in Saturday's Class 5A West regional en route to the 125-pound title. [Seaman Athletics]
Fortunately, that didn't happen, with Best returning to action with a dominant performance in Saturday's 5A West regional tournament at Seaman while capturing the 125-pound title and reaching the 100-win career milestone during the tournament.
"It's been so frustrating because I was so close and then I just kept getting shot down and shot down and hurt and hurt, but it motivated me a lot,'' Best said.
And Best got through regionals without any further damage to her shoulder.
"I felt very good,'' she said. "My shoulder was a little bit sore, but that's expected.''
Best, now 17-2 on the season, went 4-0 on the day with none of her matches lasting more than 1 minute, 25 seconds.
Best posted 30-second, 1:02 and 25-second pins to reach the championship match before defeating Great Bend freshman Micah Ellegood in a final that was halted at the 1:25 mark due to an injury to Ellegood that occurred during a Best takedown.
"I felt so awful, I felt so bad,'' said Best, who was leading 9-2 when the match was stopped.
"We've been there and I don't want to see anybody ever get hurt,'' said Seaman coach Jordan Best, Koti's father. "That's not how we want to win matches. It's unfortunate, but I hope she makes a quick recovery and I know she can bounce back. She's going to be a stud.''
Best will now look forward to her final state meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Park City's Hartman Arena as one of seven state qualifiers for the Vikings.
Seaman senior Taylie Heston was the 120-pound runnerup in Saturday's Class 5A West Regional. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior 120-pounder Taylie Heston (29-7) also advanced to the regional finals before she dropped 2-1 four-overtime decision to Emporia junior Kensley Medrano.
Seaman, which finished sixth as a team, also got fourth-place finishes from senior 110-pounder Natalie Smith (26-9) and 130-pound junior Makenna Stuke (23-13) and sixth-place finishes from freshman 115-pounder Avery Villines (13-16) and senior 190-pounder Abagail Soppe (11-9) and a seventh-place showing from freshman Savannah Rivera (11-24).
"Actually that's a little bit more than I envisioned happening, so it's a good day,'' Seaman coach Jordan Best said. "We had some girls that themselves didn't think they would actually make the state tournament that made it so that's awesome.''
Topeka West qualified two wrestlers for state, with sophomore 235-pounder Monica Stewart (12-13) finishing sixth and sophomore 170-pounder Haylee Jessepe (6-12) finishing eighth.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel won the regional team title by a 218.5-180.5 margin over Hays.
CLASS 5A WEST GIRLS REGIONAL WRESTLING
At Seaman
GIRLS
Team scores
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 218.5, Hays 180.5, Newton 167.5, Emporia 158.5, Great Bend 154.5, Seaman 111, Salina South 108.5, Salina Central 98, Bishop Carroll 81, Andover 80.5, Arkansas City 76.5, Maize South 71.5, Eisenhower 59.5, Valley Center 55, Goddard 45, Topeka West 17, Hutchinson 9, Andover Central 5.
Individual results
100 -- 1. Krislynn Martinez, Maize South; 2. Sadie Kuehn, Eisenhower; 3. Sophia Bauer, Great Bend; 4. Emersyn Copper, Hays; 5. Isabella Brotemarkle, Kapaun Mt.Carmel; 6. Jennifer Nguyen, Salina South; 7. Aaida Brown, Hutchinson; 8. Maci Sumpter, Arkansas City.
105 -- 1. Brookelyn Treaster, Newton; 2. Camdyn Post, Great Bend; 3. Trinity Williams, Andover; 4. Haylie James, Salina Central; 5. Tori York, Eisenhower; 6. Sienna Spaulding, Emporia; 7. Aderly Lopez-Frios, Bishop Carroll; 8. Zarah Vega, Arkansas City.
110 -- 1. Taylor Barringer, Kapaun Mt.Carmel; 2. Abbie Slothower, Salina Central; 3. Brooklyn Simpson, Goddard; 4. Natalie Smith, Seaman; 5. Chloe Steele, Emporia; 6. Lee`ua Lyons, Eisenhower; 7. Keira Leyva, Great Bend; 8. Madelyn Crawford, Newton.
115 -- 1. Avery Hinojos, Newton; 2. Heily Batres, Emporia; 3. Kayle Baldwin, Great Bend. 4. Celina Urusquieta, Maize South; 5. Caitlyn Bruening, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 6. Avery Villines, Seaman; 7. Hayli Stevens, Goddard; 8. Alexa Lewis, Hutchinson.
120 -- 1. Kensley Medrano, Emporia; 2. Taylie Heston, Seaman; 3. Kenlee Vehige, Hays; 4. Ashley McMullin, Newton; 5. Madisyn Riley, Salina South; 6. Amara Dulgarian, Goddard; 7. Lizzie O`Malley, Kapaun Mt.Carmel; 8. Madison Ketch, Great Bend.
125 -- 1. Koti Best, Seaman; 2. Micah Ellegood, Great Bend; 3. Courtney Nye, Kapaun Mt.Carmel; 4. Alinah Ultreras, Maize South; 5. Valerie VanZant, Salina Central; 6. Reese Vehige, Hays; 7. Maisie Brubacher, Newton; 8. Aliyah Brown, Salina South.
130 -- 1. Jaeann James, Newton; 2. Aalyra Arguelles, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 3. Brooklynn Kelly, Great Bend; 4. Makenna Stuke, Seaman; 5. Claire Starr, Emporia; 6. Addison Nueberger, Hays; 7. Breann Bradley, Goddard; 8. Jaida Carter, Andover.
135 -- 1. Grace Hare, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 2. Madalynn Fritschle, Bishop Carroll; 3. Tionna Napue, Hays; 4. Phoebe Bohrer, Salina Central; 5. Clarenza Hollins, Arkansas City; 6. Mia Gardner, Emporia; 7. Emmalyn Carey, Valley Center; 8. Sophia Schmitt, Newton.
140 -- 1. Alexis Means, Bishop Carroll; 2. Olivia Randle, Andover; 3. Bella Green, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 4. Ava Ruiz, Hays; 5. Lily Pendergrass, Arkansas City; 6. Dajah Jenkins, Salina South; 7. Ryah Bristol, Newton; 8. Daisy Schomaker, Valley Center.
145 -- 1. Timber Lovewell, Hays; 2. Ninel Garcia, Salina South; 3. Yaneli Carranza, Emporia; 4. Jeslyn Swanson, Arkansas City; 5. Makaelyn Davis, Newton; 6. Shatarah Newton, Great Bend; 7. Amaya Hall, Andover; 8. Morgan Halls, Valley Center.
155 -- 1. Lexi Barnett, Hays; 2. Kylie Hallacy, Bishop Carroll; 3. Kyrah Martinez, Eisenhower; 4. Ayva Besco, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 5. Mia Dara, Salina South; 6. Lillian McEachern, Maize South; 7. Claire Compton, Andover; 8. Lixy Lainez Rosas, Emporia.
170 -- 1. Olyvia Besco, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 2. Kirra Stevens, Great Bend; 3. Tacey Barrett, Salina South; 4. Mikaela Lara, Valley Center; 5. Kodi Waite, Salina Central; 6. Vanessa Edwards, Newton; 7. Savannah Rivera, Seaman; 8. Haylee Jessepe, Topeka West.
190 -- 1. Eleanor Stoffel, Hays; 2. Gabby Duarte, Emporia; 3. Clair Harder, Newton; 4. Whitney Truman, Valley Center; 5. Johana Jasper, Salina South; 6. Abagail Soppe, Seaman; 7. Danica Cline, Great Bend; 8. Izabella Hall, Salina Central.
235 -- 1. Gianna Redcorn, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 2. Alexa Castillo, Emporia; 3. Taijonna Bryant, Andover; 4. Kiarra Codling, Salina Central; 5. Alondra Garcia, Arkansas City; 6. Monica Stewart, Topeka West; 7. Azul Rodriguez-Colchado, Valley Center; 8. Jenessa Carrillo, Hays.
