Two local girls wrestling teams travel to Des Moines Friday with the goal of realizing state tournament dreams at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Super Regional Tournament.
The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks will be in action today. The Hawks finished off their dual season with a 6-4 record. They placed third of 12 teams at last week’s River Valley Conference championships at Anamosa with 135 points. Mid-Prairie was led by a trio of runner-up performances including Austyn Sexton at 115lbs, Ashlee Farrier at 130lbs and Ellie Brenneman at 135lbs. Adelyn Huston, Mardie Berry and Sam Stacey all finished fourth. Mid-Prairie’s top tournament performance this season was second at both Wilton and Highland. Individually, Farrier was a four-time tourney champ during the year. Sexton, Brenneman, Berry and Emmerson Moore each won a championship this season. Overall, Berry is the team leader with 25 victories. She, Sexton, Farrier, and Brenneman have all had their hands raised at least 20 times. Those previously mentioned, along with Becca Westfall, Sophie Miller, Ellie Callahan and Addyson Asher all enter the day with winning records.
Sigourney-Keota is also in Des Moines today. SK’s best team tournament finish this year was sixth place, twice, at the South Iowa Cedar League Championships last week and the Ottumwa Tournament. The Savages crowned a pair of SICL Champs this year with Jolie Wehr at 105lbs and Reanah Utterback at 115lbs. Utterback won gold at all 11 tournaments Sigourney-Keota attended this year. She has a perfect record at 40-0 entering Super Regionals. All of her victories have come with bonus points, including 35 pins, five tech falls and she has only been pushed past the first period five times all season. She is ranked No. 1 in the state and a semifinalst for the Dan Gable Ms. Wrestler of the Year award in the state of Iowa. Lana Thomas and Sadie Clarahan each have four victories this year for SK.
These two schools will be joined by athletes from Albia, Ames, Ankeny, Boone, Carlisle, Chariton, Dallas Center-Grimes, Eddyville-Blakesburg, English Valleys, Fairfield, Iowa City High, Iowa Valley, Johnston, Moravia, Nevada, Newton, North Mahaska, North Tama, Ottumwa, Pekin, Pella, Perry, Pleasantville, Winterset, Anamosa, BGM, Cardinal, Centerville, Clarke, Colfax-Mingo, Des Moines Public Schools, Earlham, Gilbert, Indianola, Interstate 35, Iowa City West, Martensdale-St. Marys, Norwalk, Oskaloosa, Raccoon River, Saydel, Southeast Polk, Southeast Warren-Melcher Dallas, Southern Tier, Tipton, West Des Moines Valley, Waterloo East and West Marshall. There are a total of 38 ranked wrestlers attending. The top three competitors in each weight class and top three team scores advance to next week’s State Tournament. Action starts at 10a.m. and continues all day Friday at HyVee Hall in Des Moines.