Panther girls win home tourney

Creston girls won their first tournament championship of the season and crowned four individual champions in hosting the Panther Girls Invitational Friday night.

Creston accumulated 145.5 points in first place, followed by Clarinda with 136 and Omaha Westside in third place with 89 points. Eva Chesnut (100 pounds), Sydney Hoffman (115), Alainah Galankis (130) and Grace Keeler (135) won their weight classes for the Panthers.

Depth was a factor in Creston’s success with seven wrestlers placing in the top three of their weight classes. Kora Lohoff (155), Lydia Williams (170) and Christina Strand (190) placed third. Ella Pryor also finished third as the second Creston entry at 100 pounds, but did not figure in the team scoring.

“Tonight was a combination of things,” Creston coach Maggie Arnold said. “Clarinda was a little banged up today and didn’t have a full lineup. It was nice that we could fill nine weight classes. Also, we scored a ton of bonus points tonight. There were a lot of pins out there. That certainly helps.”

Chesnut won two matches by fall and another by medical forfeit in cruising to the 100-pound championship for the Panthers. She built a 10-2 lead before pinning Southwest Valley’s Destiny Easley in the match that decided first place.

“Ella had wrestled the Southwest Valley girl but Eva had not seen her yet,” Arnold said. “She’s a strong girl, but Eva has so much stamina, that if she can take someone into that third period, she’s got the edge.”

Seniors Keeler, Hoffman and manager Lilly James were recognized with their parents prior to the tournament’s start, and both Keeler and Hoffman had significant achievements during the action. Keeler picked up her 100th career pin, and Hoffman won her first tournament individual championship.

Hoffman won by fall four times in a dominant performance at 115 pounds Friday. She built a 5-2 lead in the first minute before earning the fall over Southwest Valley’s Josslynn Benge in her final match, and had an 8-3 lead over runner-up Peyton Cunningham before terminating the match in 3:26.

“Sydney has really been looking good in these last two weeks,” Arnold said. “She’s an aggressive wrestler. She has done a nice job this year of wrestling within herself and staying calm. She’s matured in a lot of ways and is seeing some success. Her and Eva are practice partners and those two girls push each other every single night. We’re seeing how going hard every night pays off.”

Creston had wrestled the previous night against Winterset and Carroll, and Galanakis had squeaked out a close win over Winterset’s Charlotte Johnston in that double dual. On Friday in the same matchup to determine first place at 130 pounds, Galanakis steadily built her lead in earning a 9-3 decision. Her other wins were by technical fall and a pin.

“This was the third time Alainah has wrestled that Winterset girl in the last two weeks,” Arnold said. “I told her afterward that was the best match she’s wrestled against her.”

With Clarinda bumping top-ranked Lily Weinreich up to 140 pounds in this tournament, Keeler dominated the 135 class. She won by fall three times on a night in which she was honored for reaching 100 career pins. In the match for first place, Keeler built a 14-2 lead over Clarinda’s Randi Welchans before getting the fall in 2:45.

“Grace is a pinner,” Arnold said. “She has something like 118 career wins, and 100 of those are pins. She goes out with a plan in mind on how she’s going to win a match. She’s more patient this year. If one move isn’t working she adjusts. She just always puts herself in good position.”

Lohoff won by fall twice in consolation matches on her way to third place at 155.

“Kora wrestled the Shen girl that previously beat her, and pinned her twice tonight,” Arnold said. “That was huge for her. And, Lydia (Williams) wrestled the Martensdale girl who had pinned her quick last time, and took her into the third period. She takes wrestling seriously and wants to learn. She is continuing to improve.”

Arnold said the team title was a good learning experience for her team.

“We’re such a young lineup, with seven freshmen, that tonight was a good lesson in a tournament setting,” Arnold said. “Even if you get beat in the first round, you have to pick up those wins on the back side to provide some valuable points. Hopefully they understand that better now.”

Southwest Valley won a close three-team battle for fourth place with 81 points, followed by East Union (80) and Winterset (79). Interstate 35 took seventh place with 77 points.

Southwest Valley’s lone champion, Kenzie Maeder, rallied from a 9-2 deficit against East Union’s Cheyenne Dike before earning the fall in 2:37. Dike earned her 100th career win earlier in the tournament. Destiny Easley (100) and Deklyn Mullen (120) each placed second for Southwest Valley.

East Union was wrestling without Khloe Parker and Kayli Shade, who were injured Thursday night at Centerville. Quynn Foster won the 105-pound title and finishing runner-up were Peyton Cunningham (115) and Dike (145).

In Thursday’s action at Winterset, Carroll defeated Creston 42-33 before the Panthers rebounded and beat Winterset 45-24.

“The Carroll match was disappointing because we left some points out there,” Arnold said. “That stung a little bit, but we knew Winterset’s good girls matched up with our top girls, and we won those matchups. We moved Grace up to 140 to face Montana Mitchell, who is ranked high, and Grace pinned her in the first period.”

Creston competes at the Atlantic Invitational Saturday.

“That will be the first time we see Lewis Central in a preview of regionals, so that will be good,” Arnold said. The Class 2A regional at Glenwood on Jan. 30 will include Ankeny, Council Bluffs Jefferson, Council Bluffs Lincoln, Creston, Dallas Center-Grimes, Glenwood, Hinton, Lewis Central, Norwalk and Winterset.

Team scoring, finalists and other area placewinners follow:

CRESTON GIRLS INVITATIONAL

Team scoring — 1. Creston 145.5; 2. Clarinda 136; 3. Omaha Westside 89; 4. Southwest Valley 81; 5. East Union 80; 6. Winterset 79; 7. Interstate 35 77; 8. Martensdale-St. Marys 53; 9. Shenandoah 36; 10. East Mills 33; 11. Southeast Warren 23.

100 — 1. Eva Chesnut, Creston; 2. Destiny Easley, SW Valley; 3. Ella Pryor, Creston.

105 — 1. Quynn Foster, East Union; 2. Ainsley McLaren, Winterset; 3. Kaylee Wells, Creston.

110 — 1. Myla Nehring, Martensdale-St. Marys; 2. Maggie Miles-Crook, East Mills.

115 — 1. Sydney Hoffman, Creston; 2. Peyton Cunningham, East Union; 3. Josslynn Benge, SW Valley.

120 — 1. Lilly Rinard, Winterset; 2. Deklyn Mullen, SW Valley.

125 — 1. Kylar Downey, Clarinda; 2. Morgan Dickinson, I-35; 4. Alleah Cunningham, East Union; 5. Corbin Williamson, Creston.

130 — 1. Alainah Galanakis, Creston; 2. Charlotte Johnston, Winterset.

135 — 1. Grace Keeler, Creston; 2. Randi Welchans, Clarinda; 3. Emma Gennaro, East Union.

140 — 1. Lily Weinreich, Clarinda; 2. Glorious Fridley, SE Warren.

145 — 1. Kenzie Maeder, SW Valley; 2. Cheyenne Dike, East Union.

155 — 1. Jalon Olson, Clarinda; 2. Betsy Jones, I-35; 3. Kora Lohoff, Creston; 4. Kyndil Rystrom, Shenandoah.

170 — 1. Ellie Hutton, I-35; 2. Lilly Gibbons, Martensdale-St. Marys; 3. Lydia Williams, Creston; 4. Akima Whipple, SW Valley.

190 — 1. Sharell Piendjou, Omaha Westside; 2. Hope Richmond, Omaha Westside; 3. Christina Strand, Creston.

235 — 1. Karmah Johnson, Omaha Westside; 2. Aliyah Payne, Clarinda; 5. Alice Bell, SW Valley.