Fairfield’s girls wrestling team qualified two wrestlers for the state tournament at the IGHSAU 1A Region 6 tournament in Wapello on Friday, January 30th. The Trojans finished 10th in the team standings with 75 points in a competitive 17-team field.
Team Standings
Sigourney-Keota claimed the regional championship with 134 points, followed by Albia (128), Van Buren County (117), Assumption (115), and North Mahaska (112). The complete team standings were:
- Sigourney-Keota – 134
- Albia – 128
- Van Buren County – 117
- Assumption – 115
- North Mahaska – 112
- Davis County – 101
- Mid-Prairie – 98.5
- Iowa Valley – 90
- Wapello – 80
- Fairfield – 75
- Louisa-Muscatine – 69.5
- Cardinal – 47.5
- Durant – 43
- English Valleys – 43
- Columbus/WMU – 24
- Mediapolis – 24
- WACO – 13
State Qualifiers
Sam Lyons (170 lbs), the top seed at her weight class, captured the regional championship with a dramatic comeback victory in the finals. After receiving byes through the early rounds, Lyons opened her tournament with a dominant first-period fall in just 10 seconds over 4-seed Melanie Woodsmall of Sigourney-Keota in the semifinal.
In the championship match against 2-seed Raelene Hawkins of Iowa Valley, Lyons found herself in a deep hole early. She trailed 7-0, then 8-2, before mounting an impressive comeback. Lyons fought her way back to trail just 8-7, then executed a reversal that led to a pin in the second period (2:58) to claim the regional title and punch her ticket to state as the first-place finisher.
Kendra Allison (235 lbs), the top seed at her weight, advanced to the state tournament with a second-place finish after battling through a challenging bracket. Allison opened with a first-period fall in 43 seconds over 8-seed Kylee Draker of Sigourney-Keota. In the semifinal, she suffered her only loss of the tournament, falling to 4-seed Reese Connolly of Wapello by fall in 56 seconds of the first period despite getting an early takedown before being reversed and pinned.
Allison bounced back immediately, winning her next match by first-period fall in 1:13 over 7-seed Macy Bonebrake of WACO. In the third-place match, she dominated 2-seed MaKenna Darland of North Mahaska, building a 6-1 lead before securing a pin in the third period (5:34). This victory set up a second-place match against 3-seed Bella Schott of English Valleys for the final state qualifying spot. Allison seized the opportunity, winning by fall in the first period (1:09) to claim second place and advance to the state tournament.
Other Individual Results
Reyna Gonzalez-Jimenez (190 lbs), seeded fourth, finished fourth overall after several competitive matches. Gonzalez-Jimenez opened with a comeback victory over 5-seed Lorelai Wagner of Iowa Valley, trailing 6-0 before tying the match at 6-6 and securing a pin in the second period (3:07). She fell to top-seed Ellie Callahan of Mid-Prairie by first-period fall (1:12) in the semifinal, then rebounded with a quick first-period fall in 32 seconds over 6-seed Madison Clarahan of Sigourney-Keota. In the third-place match, Gonzalez-Jimenez lost to 3-seed Jada Moats of Columbus/WMU by fall in 28 seconds of the first period to finish fourth.
Kensley Fligg (115 lbs), seeded 11th, posted a 2-2 record with two upset victories. Fligg opened with an upset over 6-seed Emorry Davis of WACO by fall in the second period (3:05) after building an 8-2 lead. She lost to 3-seed Sophie Hemann of Albia by fall in the second period (3:18), then pulled off another upset by pinning 9-seed Payton Love of Mid-Prairie in 48 seconds of the first period. Fligg’s tournament ended with a loss to 10-seed Amelia Phillips of Sigourney-Keota by fall in the second period (3:27).
June Connor (100 lbs), seeded seventh, went 0-2 in her matches. Connor lost to 2-seed Brystol Wiley of Van Buren County by first-period fall (1:01) and to 6-seed Lellani DeForest of Albia by fall in the third period (4:35).
Coach’s Comments
Fairfield Wrestling Coach Adam Foreman expressed pride in how his team handled an incredibly difficult week following the loss of Emmelia Miller. “First, just really proud of how well they all handled the week of practice with everything that happened,” Foreman said. “Regarding Friday, they all competed well.”
Foreman highlighted Lyons’ mental toughness in her championship match. “Sam faced some adversity in her finals match. Found herself on her back but stayed calm and fought off,” he explained.
He also praised Allison’s growth and maturity throughout the tournament. “Kendra battled back on the backside, did a phenomenal job of handling her emotions, and just wrestled. I don’t know if the Kendra of last year is able to do that,” Foreman said.
Foreman expressed gratitude for the wrestling community’s support during this difficult time. “And just a thank you to the Cardinal and Van Buren girls wrestling teams for their cards to the Millers, and everyone else who came up to pass along their thoughts and prayers to the Millers. It really shows how tight-knit the whole wrestling community is.”
Looking Ahead
Sam Lyons and Kendra Allison will represent Fairfield at the IGHSAU State Wrestling Tournament in Coralville next Thursday and Friday, February 5-6. Lyons heads to state as a regional champion, while Allison qualified as a second-place finisher after battling through a challenging bracket as Lyons and Allison both return to the state tournament looking for improved placements.
Photography courtesy of the Fairfield Trojan Boosters.
Edited with coach comments.
