Day one of the Iowa Girls High School State Wrestling Tournament brought mixed results for area competitors on Thursday, February 5th, at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. While some wrestlers advanced to Friday’s matches with impressive performances, others saw their high school careers come to emotional conclusions.
Fairfield Wrestling
Samantha Lyons (170 lbs), a junior and the second seed who entered the tournament with a 30-1 record, dominated her first two matches to advance to Friday’s semifinals. Lyons opened with a 47-second fall over 15-seed Harper Manwarren, a freshman from Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire (26-17). She followed with a first-period fall in 1:55 over seventh-seed Afton Dean, a sophomore from Lake Mills (26-5).
Lyons will face third-seed Gracie Pinckney, a senior from Mount Vernon (46-6), in Friday’s semifinal. Pinckney advanced with a first-period fall and a decision victory. The other semifinal features top-seed Briscia Garcia-Vasquez, a junior from West Liberty (46-2), against fourth-seed Danica Diedrick, a junior from Humboldt (36-3). Lyons stands two wins away from a state championship.
Kendra Allison (235 lbs), a senior and seventh seed entering with a 23-8 record, went 1-2 on the day. Allison lost her opening match to 10-seed Aliyah Payne of Clarinda by first-period fall (1:50). She bounced back in consolation with a satisfying revenge victory over 15-seed Reese Connolly of Wapello, the same wrestler who defeated her at regionals. After trailing 3-0, Allison executed a reversal, two nearfalls, and another reversal to build an 11-3 lead before pinning Connolly in the second period (2:27). Her tournament ended with a first-period loss in 18 seconds to top-seed Kaylee Dejong of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (30-3), who had been upset in the quarterfinals and dropped to the consolation bracket.
In a heartfelt message posted after her final match, Allison reflected on her wrestling journey: “As I stepped off the mat today and took off my headgear and shoes for the last time, I’ve realized what a true blessing wrestling has been for me. Not only just at a young age but as well as coming back for my last two seasons. I am truly blessed at all the opportunities, friendships and life lessons wrestling has given me. I want to thank all my teammates and friends for supporting me through this crazy journey! Thank you Fairfield wrestling!”
Pekin Wrestling
Hailey Pedrick (145 lbs), a senior and fourth seed with a 37-3 record, delivered clutch performances to advance to Friday’s semifinals. Pedrick defeated 13-seed Cara Schuette of Kuemper Catholic by third-period fall (5:05) after building a 6-0 lead. She then faced fifth-seed Paytn Haack, a freshman from Emmetsburg (44-7), and trailed 4-3 before securing another third-period pin at 4:50.
Pedrick will face top-seed Tayla Stiefel of East Buchanan, a senior (52-4), in Friday’s semifinal. Stiefel advanced with first and second-period falls. The other semifinal features Kenzie Maeder of Southwest Valley, a senior (50-3), against Adeline Whisner of Mount Vernon, a senior (37-10). Pedrick is two wins away from a state championship.
Lila Miller (120 lbs), a senior entering with a 32-13 record as the 11 seed, went 0-2 on the day. Miller lost to sixth-seed Makenna Kurth of Waukon, a junior (43-8), by first-period fall (1:04). She then fell to 14-seed Amiah Lint of BGM by first-period fall (1:15) in consolation, ending her high school career.
Lexa Nelson (110 lbs), a senior and sixth seed with a 34-6 record, also saw her remarkable high school career come to a close. Nelson lost a competitive opening match to 11-seed Kiersten McRoberts of Osage. After the match was tied 4-4, McRoberts built a 10-6 lead by the end of the first period. No points were scored in the second period. McRoberts extended her lead to 17-6 in the third before Nelson got a reversal and nearly secured a pin, but time ran out. Nelson lost by major decision 17-8. In consolation, Nelson fell to 14-seed Bradi Houston of Davis County by first-period fall in 55 seconds after getting an early takedown but being reversed and pinned. Nelson ends her high school career as she now prepares for her athletic collegiate career to continue wrestling at Loras College.
Van Buren County Wrestling
Brystol Wiley (100 lbs), a freshman and sixth seed entering with a 31-6 record, went 2-1 to advance to Friday’s consolation bracket. Wiley dominated 11-seed Josie McGraw, a sophomore from Alburnett (41-11), building an 11-0 first-period lead before winning by technical fall 17-2 in the third period (4:56). She then lost to third-seed Abigail Peterson of Denver, an undefeated freshman (35-0), by first-period fall in 30 seconds.
Wiley rebounded with the match of the night in her third bout against 13-seed Goldie Davis of South Central Calhoun, a freshman (45-13). Wiley took a 3-1 lead in the first period with a takedown. In the second period, Davis scored nine points off a takedown, reversal, and nearfall to lead 10-5 after Wiley reversed out briefly. Wiley began the third period with an escape and takedown to cut the deficit to 10-9. Davis escaped to lead 11-9, but with 44 seconds remaining, Wiley secured another takedown for a 12-11 lead and held on for the decision victory. Wiley advances to Friday’s consolation bracket seeking a third-place finish against 2-seed Molly Konechne of Central Lyon-George Little Rock, a senior who entered the tournament with a 24-1 record.
Armoney Adams (105 lbs), a sophomore and 12 seed with a 27-6 record, went 0-2 on the day. Adams lost to fifth-seed Sophia Hazen of ATU Tri Center, a junior (41-4), by first-period fall (1:33). She then fell to 13-seed Finley Rushton of West Branch, a junior (40-9), by major decision 11-2 in consolation, ending her tournament run.
Coach’s Comments
Pekin Girls Wrestling Head Coach Jeff Follman reflected on the emotional day. “Today at the state tournament brought some tough moments for a couple of our outstanding wrestlers. Unfortunately, things didn’t fall into place for Lexa and Lila, but both competed with heart, toughness, and determination. As a coach, that’s all you can ever ask for. I am incredibly proud of the way they represented themselves and our program. They will truly be missed, and their impact on this program will not be forgotten,” Follman said.
He praised Pedrick’s performance and looked ahead to Friday. “Hailey had an outstanding day on the mat, wrestling extremely well and earning two wins. With those performances, she advances to the semifinals tomorrow. We are excited for Hailey and confident she will continue to give her best and be fully prepared as she moves forward in the tournament.”
Follman also thanked the community for their support. “I also want to sincerely thank the families and fans for their tremendous support. The encouragement these girls receive does not go unnoticed, and Pekin continues to show what an amazing and supportive fan base it has. That support means everything to our athletes and our program.”
Friday’s Action
Day two of the state tournament will feature semifinal matches for Samantha Lyons and Hailey Pedrick, along with consolation bracket action for Brystol Wiley. All three wrestlers remain in contention for state medals as competition continues in Coralville.
Photography courtesy of Jeff Courtright and Rylie Nelson.
