Highway 34 girls win tourney

OAKLAND — The Highway 34 girls topped a 26-team field in winning the Riverside Invitational Friday with 181 points.

Evy Marlin (130 pounds) and Savannah Sistad (235) were champions for the team that includes members from Creston, Lenox and East Union. Quynn Foster (105), Grace Keeler (125) and Alejandrina Vlillanueva (155) also reached the finals and placed second.

Aurora (Nebraska) was second with 165 points.

One night earlier, Highway 34 split a pair of dual meets at Atlantic, beating Red Oak/Griswold 44-12 and falling to S.W.A.T., 54-30.

Highway 34 coach Maggie Arnold said the two champions won challenging brackets at Riverside.

“Evy had a tough bracket and had to work hard to reach the finals in beating a good wrestler from Aurora in the semifinals (fall in 5:05),” Arnold said. “In the finals she met (Nicole) Bond of Red Oak, who had beaten her earlier and is ranked right above Evy. Bond tried shooting a double-leg and didn’t Evy was able to underhook and throw her to her back. Savannah beat a very tall girl in the finals and neither of them was able to get anything on their feet. But when Savannah was on top to start the second period she was able to turn her for the fall.”

Arnold said Foster had her best outing of the season, rallying to win in the semifinals. She lost a 4-1 decision to Aurora’s Aubrie Beed in the finals. Keeler won by fall twice before getting pinned by national champion Molly Allen of Riverside in the finals.

Villanueva won a sudden death overtime match in the semifinals and came up two points short in a 10-8 loss in the finals to Red Oak’s Paige Baier.

“Ale was right there in that championship match. She’s gaining confidence,” Arnold said.

Arnold said placewinners Hope Woods (fourth at 100), Zoey Vandevender (fourth at 135), Sydney Hoffman (fifth at 115) and Cheyenne Dike (fifth at 140) all scored valuable points in the consolation bracket. Alainah Galanakis placed eighth in a tough 120-pound bracket, starting the day with a sudden victory triumph over Red Oak’s Madison Osheim.

Arnold said S.W.A.T. having a complete team and Highway 34 pen at three weights made an 18-point swing in Thursday’s dual loss. S.W.A.T.’s Haley Armstrong also picked up a win at 235 against Sistad in a battle of ranked wrestlers.

Arnold said Vandevender had a big win over Red Oak’s Josie McCunn and Mila Kuhns picked up a win by fall at 140. Vandevender and Marlin each had two wins Thursday in contested matches, as several Highway 34 wrestlers ended with one win and a win by forfeit for the night.

Highway 34 and the Creston boys are hosting girls and boys quadrangular action Tuesday night at Creston Community High School. Arnold said three mats will be used, with one mat primarily dedicated to girls matches.

Riverside Invitational

Team scoring — 1. Highway 34 181; 2. Aurora 165; 3. Riverside 139; 4. Denison-Schleswig 132; 5. Lathrop 112; 6. Southwest Iowa 111; 7. Ridge View 77; 8. Red Oak 70.5; 9. Western Iowa 61; 10. Tripoli 47; 11. Clarinda 46; 12. Kuemper Catholic 42; 13. ATU 38 and Pekin 38; 15. Panorama 37; 16. Audubon 34; 17. Chariton 32; 18. East Mills 30; 19. Savannah 28; 20. SW Valley 26; 21. Shenandoah 19; 22. Earlham 17; 23. Logan-Magnolia 16; 24. ACGC 11; 25. East Sac County 7; 26. Harlan 3.

Highway 34 placings

100 — 3. Lauren Siegner (Ridge View) major dec. Hope Woods (Hwy 34), 8-0.

105 — 1. Aubrie Beed (Aurora) dec. Quynn Foster (Hwy 34), 4-1.

115 — 5. Sydney Hoffman (Hwy 34) pinned Natalie Donovan (Panorama), 2:49.

120 — 7. Jacie Baker (ACGC) pinned Alainah Galanakis (Hwy 34), 1:28.

125 — 1. Molly Allen (Riverside) pinned Grace Keeler (Hwy 34), 2:24.

130 — 1. Evy Marlin (Hwy 34) pinned Nicole Bond (Red Oak), 2:46.

135 — 3. Angie Rivera (Denison) pinned Zoey Vandevender (Hwy 34), 1:10.

140 — 5. Cheyenne Dike (Hwy 34) pinned Londyn Teahon (Aurora), 4:21.

155 — 1. Paige Baier (Red Oak) dec. Alejandrina Villanueva (Hwy 34), 10-8.

235 — 1. Savannah Sistad (Hwy 34) pinned Maci Bergmann (Tripoli), 2:58.

Highway 34 44, Red Oak 12

115 — Sydney Hoffman (Hwy 34) by forfeit. 120 — Madison Osheim (RO) pinned Alainah Galanakis (Hwy 34), 5:02. 125 — Grace Keeler (Hwy 34) by forfeit. 130 — Evy Marlin (Hwy 34) tech fall Elaina Knipers (RO), 17-2, 2:18; 135 — Zoey Vandevender (Hwy 34) dec. Josie McCunn (RO), 4-3; 140 — Cheyenne Dike (Hwy 34) pinned Amber Rea (RO), 1:00; 145 — Double forfeit.

155 — Paige Baier (RO) pinned Alejandrina Villanueva (Hwy 34), 5:57; 170 — Double forfeit. 190 — Double forfeit. 235 — Savannah Sistad (Hwy 34) by forfeit. 100 — Hope Woods (Hwy 34) by forfeit. 110 — Quynn Foster (Hwy 34) by forfeit.

S.W.A.T. 54, Hwy 34 30

120 — Cadence Kinzie (SWAT) pinned Alainah Galanakis (Hwy 34), 5:30; 125 — Grace Keeler (Hwy 34) pinned Raya Parker (SWAT), 3:23; 130 — Zoey Vandevender (Hwy 34) pinned Addison Brewer (SWAT), 1:10; 135 — Evy Marlin (Hwy 34) pinned Bailey Lillard (SWAT), 1:21; 140 — Mila Kuhns (Hwy 34) pinned Liliana Tafoya (SWAT), 0:55; 145 — Mia South (SWAT) pinned Cheyenne Dike (Hwy 34), 1:35; 155 — Tella Beattie (SWAT) pinned Alejandrina Villanueva (Hwy 34), 1:20.

S.W.A.T. 72, Red Oak 12

125 — Raya Parker (SWAT) by forfeit; 130 — Elaina Knipers (RO) pinned Addison Brewer (SWAT), 1:52; 135 — Josie McCunn (RO) pinned Bailey Lillard (SWAT), 2:18; 140 — Liliana Tafoya (SWAT) by forfeit. 145 — Mia South (SWAT) pinned Amber Rea (RO), 1:20; 155 — Stella Beattie (SWAT) pinned Paige Baier (RO), 0:39; 170 — Grace Britten (SWAT) by forfeit.

190 — Ellen Gerlock (SWAT) by forfeit. 235 — Haley Armstrong (SWAT) by forfeit. 100 — Jazz Christensen (SWAT) by forfeit. 105 — Destiny Fry (SWAT) by forfeit. 110 — Addison Herr (SWAT) by forfeit; 115 — Quincy Sorensen (SWAT) by forfeit. 120 — Cadence Kinzie (SWAT) pinned Madison Osheim (RO), 2:50.