Six Arlington Eagles and a Fort Calhoun Pioneer earned A-1 District Tournament opportunities Friday during an NSAA Girls Subdistrict Wrestling Tournament at Omaha Burke.
Brooklyn Ruskamp, Rylie Kyllo, Sofie Lewis, Kelise Krivohlavek, Callee Shearer, Cary Segebart and Ali Dill all advanced with semifinal or consolation semifinal match wins. They'll next compete Friday during districts at Battle Creek with hopes of reaching the Feb. 15-17 state championships.
Subdistricts, however, added an extra weekend of win-or-go-home stress to wrestlers across the state.
“And to the coaches,” Arlington's Doug Hart said with a laugh. He told his Eagles to try and relax the night before the tourney.
“Listen to some relaxing music,” he said. “Get plenty of rest.”
The Pioneers, meanwhile, woke up Friday ready to compete, according to coach Lilly Gossman.
“The girls are really excited,” she said. “They were all amped up this morning — smiling, laughing. Just saying they're ready to roll.”
6 Eagles move on
Even before the start of subdistrict tournament, Hart expressed his satisfaction with AHS' growth as a second-year girls wrestling program.
“Super proud,” he said, noting how the roster increased by five to 14 wrestlers this season. “It's just a testament to them, and the recruiting and the culture they've built as a program.”
Krivohlavek advances onto the district tournament in Battle Creek with a 31-2 overall record at 125 pounds. The top-six ranked wrestler went 3-0 at Burke, winning all three matches by pin. She bested Ryleigh Eckles of Millard North in 2:33 to extend her season.
Ruskamp, meanwhile, is 20-10 after a 2-1 subdistrict showing. She pinned Omaha Northwest's Samantha Barajas-Moreno in 2:37 to start the event.
Kyllo — 110 pounds — and Lewis — 115 — won consolation semifinals to earn district spots, too. Both wrestlers had two pins Friday.
Shearer, meanwhile, lost her semifinals match to unbeaten Omaha Westside wrestler Regan Rosseter, but bounced back with a fall against Omaha Bryan's Genesis Rodriguez to earn a top-four qualifying finish. The first-year wrestler is 19-17 at 130 pounds this winter.
Segebart, a senior, dropped her semifinals match to a Westside Warrior, too. She then secured her second pin of the tourney to advance, though.
Altogether, Hart said AHS improved throughout the season.
“That's something we talked about at the beginning,” he continued. “Just constant improvement every time we step out on the mat.”
Eagles Ella Chamberlain (one win), Caitlyn Camp (two) and Dianna Flores (two) earned victories during the subdistrict tourney as well, but fell short of moving on beyond the weekend. Flores finished her first wrestling season 18-9 at 190 pounds, while Caitlyn Camp was 14-12 at 170 and Chamberlain was 7-7 at 145.
Eagles Honora Andreasen, Jaydin Allin and Katie Moss made AHS' final lineup of the season, too, competing during the subdistrict tourney.
FCHS' Dill moves on
Dill, FCHS' 130-pounder, lost her first match of Friday's subdistrict tournament to Shearer, but earned her spot at districts anyway.
The Pioneer responded to the pinfall loss with back-to-back pins of Omaha Buena Vista's Kimberly Carapia-Hernandez and Kara Dunkin of Palmyra to secure a top-four finish in her weight class.
Though she was the only Fort Calhoun wrestler to claim a district spot in the program's first year, coach Gossman noted before the event her whole team's improvement during its debut campaign.
“They are all stepping up to the challenge and, really, just finding confidence in their technique,” she said. “They've really built a very strong foundation and it will be fun to see today.”
Madi Larrick and Tacey Belina earned victories at Burke, too, though not enough to qualify for the next round of state competition. Larrick was 1-2 at 120 pounds, besting Lyons-Decatur Northeast's Sierra Heckenlaible by pin. The Pioneer then lost matches to wrestlers with 30-5 and 30-11 records, respectively, falling to 21-12 herself. She's her team's front-runner to be its single-season record holder in wins.
Belina, meanwhile, went 1-2 at subdistricts with a 7-0 decision win against Omaha Bryan's Yulissa Ventura. Her season at 155 pounds ended with a loss to Segebart.
Anna Rae Hartline wrestled two matches at Burke, too, but fell to 8-16 for the season.
NSAA SUBDISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Friday at Omaha Burke
(Weight: Wrestler, tourney record (overall record))
ARLINGTON RESULTS
100 pounds: Honora Andreasen, 0-2 (13-16)
105: Brooklyn Ruskamp, 2-1 (20-10), district qualifier
110: Rylie Kyllo, 2-1 (19-14), district qualifier
115: Sofie Lewis, 2-1 (14-17), district qualifier
125: Kelise Krivohlavek, 3-0 (31-2), district qualifier
130: Callee Shearer, 3-1 (19-17), district qualifier
135: Jaydin Allen, 0-2 (2-8)
140: Katie Moss, 0-2 (6-15)
145: Ella Chamberlain, 1-2 (7-7)
155: Carly Segebart, 2-1 (26-9), district qualifier
170: Caitlyn Camp, 2-2 (14-12)
190: Dianna Flores, 2-2 (18-9)
FORT CALHOUN RESULTS
120 pounds: Madi Larrick, 1-2 (21-12)
130: Ali Dill, 2-1 (13-19), district qualifier
145: Anna Rae Hartline, 0-2 (8-16)
155: Tacey Belina, 1-2 (12-16)
