Mark Kirk
The Class 5A Girls State Tournament looks to be a great one with several teams looking to put their name in the record books as the first ever Class 5A Girls State Champions.
Regional champions Little Axe and Harrah along with McLoud, Cache and Jay appear to be the front runners. As seen the last two years, anything can happen at the State Tournament. Union captured the state title both years, but never won a regional title. Last year, Union won the state title with two state champions, a 3rd place finisher and led all teams with 10 falls. The team champion will likely be decided by who gets on a roll, avoids upsets and earns the all-important bonus points.
East Regional champion Little Axe leads all schools with nine qualifiers. Little Axe put five in the regional finals with Alexus Jones and Chloe Vawter winning regional titles. Anjelica Morales, Ainsley Jennings, and Amelia Earhart earned runner-up finishes for Little Axe. West Regional champion Harrah qualified eight for the State Tournament. Harrah also had five regional finalists, with returning state runner-up and Fargo All-American Addie Morse winning a regional title. Earning runner-up finishes for Harrah were Hannah Miller, Natasha Orozoc, Madison Welch, and Chloe Hodge.
McLoud tied Cache for 2nd at the West Regional and comes in with eight state qualifiers, including seven who finished in the top three at the Regional Tournament. Kendra Perrien and state runner-up Stacey Nash won regional titles for McLoud. Bridget Bailey earned a runner-up finish with Gabby Lozano, Launa Troutt, Laine Walker, and Paisley Erskine all earning 3rd place finishes. Cache has seven state qualifiers, with Katelyn Patterson and Shiann Famero winning regional titles and Laurel Hill earning a runner-up finish.
Jay, runner-up to Little Axe in the East Regional, has six qualifiers, with five of the wrestlers finishing in the top three. Jay had four finalists, with Kenadee Thomas winning a regional title. State runner-up Mikenna Moffett, along with Angela Lee and Serenity Cannon finished 2nd at the regional tournament.
The battle for the 14 individual state titles should produce some great action and an opportunity for several new faces to make an appearance on the state podium. There are only two wrestlers that have won state titles competing at this year’s State Tournament, with Ft. Gibson’s Peighton Mullings looking to finish her career as a 3X state champion!
Peighton Mullins, won state titles in 2021 and 2022, and added a runner-up finish last year, falling to Elgin’s 2X state champion Symphony Veloz in a down-to-the-wire instant classic. Mullins enters the State Tournament with a sparkling 78-4 career record. Vian’s Avery Richey placed 3rd at State in 2021, won a state title in 2022 and was a state qualifier last year. Richey placed 3rd at the East Regional at 135 lbs., falling to Caddo’s undefeated Gage Vaughn in the semifinals.
There are five wrestlers in the tournament who have earned state runner-up finishes. Poteau’s Ashley Johnson is a 2X state placer with a runner-up finish in 2022 and 3rd place finish last year. Johnson is a perfect 25-0 this year and comes into the State Tournament with a 71-11 career record. Lexington-Purcell’s Cilee Turner was a 2022 runner-up and 4th place medalist last year. Turner was a regional runner-up to Comanche’s Brook West and enters the tournament with a 17-6 season record and 72-17 career record. West placed 3rd at state last year, beating Turner in the consolation finals.
Addie Morse (Harrah), Mikenna Moffett (Jay) and Stacey Nash (McLoud) were all state finalists last year. Morse, only a sophomore, is 43-3 this year with a 67-5 career record. Moffett, a regional runner-up to Skiatook’s Destiny Jones, is 25-7 this year with a 71-20 career record. Nash goes into the State Tournament with a 35-4 season record and 77-11 career record.
In addition to Johnson, three other wrestlers enter the State Tournament with undefeated records. Hinton sophomore Dru Turner, a 3rd place medalist last year, is 33-0 with a 59-2 career record. Caddo freshman Gage Vaughn is 16-0 and enters the State Tournament as Caddo’s first state qualifier. Wagoner freshman Khylie Austin enters the State Tournament with a 21-0 season record.
State Qualifiers by School (Regional Finish is Parentheses)
Little Axe (9 State Qualifiers with 2 Regional Champions)
100 Kyra Carr (5)
110 Anjelica Morales (2)
125 Aubrie Davis (4)
130 Alexus Jones (1)
140 Ainsley Jennings (2)
145 Amelia Earhart (2)
170 Lilah Blair (5)
190 Emily McDaniel (4)
235 Chloe Vawter (1)
McLoud (8 State Qualifiers with 2 Regional Champions)
105 Bridget Bailey (2)
110 Gabby Lozano (3)
115 Launa Troutt (3)
120 Addison Adams (5)
125 Kendra Perrien (1)
135 Laine Walker (3)
170 Paisley Erskine (3)
235 Stacey Nash (1)
Harrah (8 State Qualifiers with 1 Regional Champion)
105 Addie Morse (1)
135 Hannah Miller (2)
140 Kayleigh Braden (3)
145 Natasha Orozco (2)
155 Kennsey Pannell (5)
170 Madison Welch (2)
190 Heavon Trujillo (5)
235 Chloe Hodge (2)
Cache (7 State Qualifiers with 2 Regional Champions)
100 Katelyn Patterson (1)
105 Laurel Hill (2)
110 CJ Landry (5)
115 Victorya Cox (4)
130 Shiann Famero (1)
140 Zoe Bennett (4)
155 Zailea Rodriquez (4)
Jay (6 State Qualifiers with 1 Regional Champion)
100 Angela Lee (2)
105 Mikenna Moffett (2)
110 Madison King (3)
115 Kenadee Thomas (1)
120 Serenity Cannon (2)
135 Addie Dingsor (4)
TOP FIVE EAST REGIONAL TEAMS
Little Axe – 186
Jay – 138
Skiatook – 92
T4. Poteau – 91
T4. Sallisaw – 91
EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
100 Ashley Johnson, Poteau
105 Destiny Jones, Skiatook
110 Shaylee Kelly, Catoosa
115 Kenadee Thomas, Jay
120 Josaline Blevins, Stilwell
125 Zoey Freeman, Bristow
130 Alexu Jones, Little Axe
135 Gage Vaughn, Caddo
140 Kailey Thornton, Poteau
145 Khylie Austin, Wagoner
155 Peighton Mullins, Ft. Gibson
170 Aubrey Bolton, McLain
190 Hannah Lightfoot, Sallisaw
235 Chloe Vawter, Little Axe…
