Three area wrestlers who advanced from day one of the Iowa High School Girls State Wrestling Tournament competed on Friday, February 6th, at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, with all three earning top-eight finishes in their respective weight classes.
Sam Lyons – Fairfield (170 lbs, 2 seed) – 6th Place
Fairfield’s Sam Lyons, a junior who entered the second day undefeated after dominating her first two matches on Thursday, faced off against 3 seed Gracie Pinckney, a senior from Mount Vernon (46-6), in the semifinals and lost by decision 3-1. Pinckney would go on to win the bracket.
Moving to the consolation bracket, Lyons lost her next match to 6-seed Kayma Burleson of Clear Lake by fall in the second period at 3:50, despite holding a commanding 16-6 lead. In the 5th place match, Lyons fell to 11-seed Izzy Taylor of Anamosa by fall in the first period at 1:58, finishing in 6th place. The junior will return next year as a senior looking to improve on this year’s placement.
Hailey Pedrick – Pekin (145 lbs, 4 seed) – 6th Place
Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick, a senior who went undefeated on day one with two clutch third-period falls, faced top-seeded Tayla Stiefel of East Buchanan, a senior (52-4), in the semifinals and lost by fall in the first period at 50 seconds. Stiefel would go on to win the bracket.
In consolation, Pedrick lost her next match to 6-seed Sophie Miller of Mid-Prairie by fall in the second period at 3:21, despite holding a 5-2 lead. She then moved to the 5th place match where she lost to 3-seed Kenzie Maeder of Southwest Valley by decision 7-3. Pedrick finished in 6th place, capping off an impressive high school wrestling career.
Brystol Wiley – Van Buren County (100 lbs, 6 seed) – 8th Place
Van Buren County’s Brystol Wiley, a freshman who went 2-1 on day one including a thrilling come-from-behind decision victory in her final match of Thursday’s action, competed on the second day in the consolation bracket in search of a third-place medal. Wiley started Friday with a loss against 2-seed Molly Konechne of Central Lyon-George Little Rock, a senior (24-1), by decision 5-3.
Moving to the 7th place match, Wiley lost to 8-seed Brynnlle Havig of Osage by decision 14-9, finishing in 8th place. As a freshman with a bright future ahead, Wiley made history as the first Van Buren County girls wrestler to place at the state tournament.
Coach’s Comments
Pekin Girls Wrestling Head Coach Jeff Follman reflected on the tournament and the conclusion of the season. “Reflecting on Friday at the state tournament, I want to give a huge shoutout to Hailey for battling and earning a 6th-place finish at state. That is a tremendous accomplishment, and I’m incredibly proud of her. She worked hard for the opportunity and made the most of it,” Follman said.
“As the season comes to a close, it’s bittersweet saying goodbye to our seniors. I’ve coached them since they were sophomores, and they have truly become family. They were outstanding leaders in the wrestling room and throughout the school, and they will be greatly missed,” he continued.
Follman also expressed gratitude to those who supported the program throughout the season. “I also want to thank the seniors’ families for their tremendous support, which plays a huge role in the success of our program. I’m proud of our younger wrestlers and excited for what the future holds. I hope the state tournament experience motivates them moving forward.”
“A big thank-you to A.J. for covering our season, and to our administration, teachers, and school district for their continued support of these athletes,” Follman concluded.
Photography courtesy of Rylie Nelson.
