The THS girls wrestling team finished second by a half-point.

This year, it was time for the Chieftains to take the title by a slim margin.

Tonganoxie and Wellsville battled back and forth all day Saturday at a Class 4A regional in Paola.

In the end, THS qualified eight for state and scored 168 points on its way to the first regional title in program history. Wellsville placed second with 164.5.

Jo Phillips

“We battled with Wellsville all day back and forth in the team race,” THS coach Adam Ludwin said. “For the two seniors to come in clutch for the team was awesome.

“Especially Mackenzie Colgrove pinning a girl she lost to the week prior. That put us down by only half a point then Grace’s match was the deciding factor.

Grace Stean nabbed that decisive victory and placed third in her final regional in a THS uniform. Fellow senior Colgrove also placed third.

Tonganoxie had a chance to send 10 wrestlers to state, but a couple of the team members lost in the blood round, so were a match away from punching tickets. This year there were two super regionals instead of four regionals, so the Top 8 in each weight class advanced to state.

Jo Phillips

Here’s a rundown of wrestlers advancing to state:

Freshman Riley Crookham (22-19) placed fifth at 100 and junior Kaylee Pankey (30-13) placed sixth at 110.

Senior Stella Bradley (35-6) placed second at 115, while junior Autumn Wilson (32-6) took the crown at 120. She also recorded her 100th career victory in the semifinals, joining Stean as Tonganoxie’s 100-win wrestlers.

Junior Finley Keller (17-16) placed fifth at 135.

As previously mentioned, Colgrove (24-19) placed third at 145 and Stean (26-8) at 170.

Junior Katy Duncan (26-15) placed fifth at 190.

Ludwin also was named Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the East Regional.

He said he tells the team three things before they wrestle: be tough, wrestle smart and have fun.

“I think the girls are finally starting to put all three together,” Ludwin said.

The eight qualifiers also doubled what the team has sent to state the last four years.

And now the squad has a chance to be state champions for the first time in just a few years of girls wrestling as a varsity sport in Kansas.

The state championships are Feb. 28-March 1 at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

“The girls know what the end of their story entails and how it finishes is up to them now,” Ludwin explained. “If they trust in their training, their cardio (and) believe in themselves good things will happen.

“I just do the yelling; they do the wrestling.”

TEAM SCORES

1. Tonganoxie, 168; 2. Wellsville, 164.5; 3. Fort Scott, 138; 4. Holton, 134.5; 5. Frontenac, 120.5; 6. Santa Fe Trail, 117; 7. Chanute, 112.5; 8. Paola, 112; 9. Burlington, 101.5; 10. (tie) Columbus and Silver Lake, 93; 12. Prairie View, 89; 13. Jeff West, 80; 14. Coffeyville and Nemaha Central (tie), 70; 16. Independence, 64; 17. Perry-Lecompton, 60; 18. (tie) Labette County and Girard, 57; 20. Baldwin, 55; 21. Eudora, 53; 22. Iola, 50; 23. Bishop Miege, 39; 24. Osawatomie, 38; 25. Louisburg, 29; 26. (tie) Anderson County, Ottawa and Parsons, 14; 29. Hayden, 11; 30. Bishop Ward, 6′ 31. (tie) Atchison and Hiawatha, 0.