May 21, 2024

Highway 34 takes tourney win in Ottumwa

By CHEYENNE ROCHE
Six Highway 34 wrestlers won their brackets Friday at the Ottumwa Invitational. Front row, from left: Cheyenne Dike and Zoey Vandevender. Back row: Savannah Sistad, Evy Marlin, Grace Keeler and Mila Kuhns.

Six Highway 34 wrestlers won their brackets Friday at the Ottumwa Invitational. Front row, from left: Cheyenne Dike and Zoey Vandevender. Back row: Savannah Sistad, Evy Marlin, Grace Keeler and Mila Kuhns. (HWY 34)

OTTUMWA — Highway 34 made another strong showing Friday in Ottumwa with a tournament win after six girls won their brackets and an additional three placed in the top three.

The six winners combined for 16 pins in 16 matches, 10 of them being in the first period.

First Place

At 125, Zoey Vandevender (20-5) had no trouble taking the top spot as she pinned all three of her opponents in the first period, including the championship bout against Maravilha Vedina of Ottumwa. Her wins earned the team 26 points.

Evy Marlin (22-3), a ranked wrestler at 130, also won her three matches by first-period pins. In the finals, she pinned Macy Grove of Cardinal Community in 49 seconds. Marlin scored 20 team points.

Grace Keeler (21-5) had three pins for 26 team points at 135. In the finals, she took down Jaydee Bircher of Ottumwa with only seconds left in the first period.

At 140, Mila Kuhns (14-7) wrestled two bouts to win the bracket. She pinned both in the first period to score nine team points.

Cheyenne Dike (20-6) won the 145 lbs bracket after pinning her two opponents, the first pin in only 16 seconds. She scored 24 team points.

Wrestling at heavyweight, Savannah Sistad (18-3) pinned her first opponent in the first period and the final two in the second period. She scored 26 team points.

Second Place

With only two 100 lbs wrestlers, Hope Woods took silver.

Third Place

Alainah Galanakis (19-11) won her first bout in a second-period pin, but was bested in the second round by Gracie Noll of Ottumwa. In the consolation semifinals, Galanakis pinned her opponent to advance to the third-place match.

Her final match against Paige Popson of Albia was one of the few of the day to go the full six minutes. Popson had a 3-0 lead at one point, but a big final period by Galanakis gave her the 7-5 victory. Galanakis scored 16 points.

Ale Villanueva (10-11) won by forfeit in her final bout to take third at 155.

Cheyenne Roche

CHEYENNE ROCHE

Originally from Wisconsin, Cheyenne has a journalism and political science degree from UW-Eau Claire and a passion for reading and learning. She lives in Creston with her husband and their two little dogs.