The Humboldt Lady Cubs already have their team bus half-filled after qualifying multiple wrestlers for the state tournament over the weekend.
Taevyn Baylor, Willow LaCrone, Savannah Koch, Gabriela Vargas-Garcia and Jordan Hencey will compete for state titles in two weeks after qualifying at Saturday’s Class 1-3 A Regional Tournament in Rossville.
Baylor, a junior wrestling at 155-pounds with a 37-3 record, was Humboldt’s only regional champion. She blitzed through the competition while on her way to a regional title. As the top seed, Baylor began the day with a bye, then a 19-4 tech-fall of Whitewater-Remington freshman Zoey Yager (16-18) and qualified for state with a first-period pin of Fall River senior Arien Shinkle (12-17). In the championship round, it took her 13 seconds into the second period to pin 26-10 Council Grove junior Savannah Johnson for a gold medal.
As Humboldt’s only silver medalist Saturday, junior 190-pounder Savannah Koch (29-13) spent just over 5 minutes on the mat Saturday. After receiving a bye in the first round, she dominated Oak Valley freshman Nazaria Luce (4-5) with a first-period pin, then bested Douglass sophomore Layton Roberts (23-11) with a second-period pin. In the championship match, she fell to the Denton senior first seed Layla Kuhnert (24-3) via second-period pin.
At 170, Humboldt freshman LaCrone (20-15) opened the tournament with a first-period pin of Mound City Jayhawk Linn freshman Hazel Vaugh (15-15) but fell to Council Grove junior Norma Brennah Gannon (12-4) with a second-period pin. In the consolation bracket, LaCrone defeated 14-12 Wathena Riverside senior Makayla Cera (14-11) in the first period to qualify for state but fell to Chase County senior Lexi Taylor to drop her in the fifth-place match. There, she defeated Osage City freshman Kaylynn Nicholson (15-10) with a first period pin.
At heavyweight, freshman Vargas-Garcia (26-10) qualified after working her way up the consolation bracket following a second-round loss. She opened the tournament with a bye, then fell to Douglass junior Braylie Knisley via second-period pin, then rebounded with a first-period pin of Rossville junior Isabella Freeman (6-12). She fell to Sabetha senior Holiday Banfield (26-7) in the consolation semifinals and ended the day with a second period pin of Fredonia freshman Natalie Minor (15-14) for fifth place.
At 115, Hencey was Humboldt’s first state qualifier after opening the tournament with a first-period pin of Onaga freshman Brooklyn Kolterman (2-23) but fell to Wathena Riverside senior Bayleigh Cooper (26-8). In the consolation bracket, she pinned Neodesha sophomore Brynlyn Huguenin (11-19) via third-period pin. She fell to Douglass senior Laila Higgins (20-17), which put her in the fifth-place match. There, she defeated Cherryvale junior Alayna Collins (28-14) with a pin in the waning seconds of the third period.
Humboldt sophomore Carlie Weilert (18-16) was the only Lady Cub who did not qualify. She opened the day defeating Mound City freshman Alivia Lohman (9-22) by second-period pin, then fell to Council Grove junior Alysia Wermer (22-15) and Solomon junior Danika Haigler (6-18).
Despite having vacancies in multiple weight classes, the Lady Cubs finished sixth as a team with 94.5 points.
