Wrestling Pinned to First Place at Centennial League

February 15, 2024

With just under a month left in the season, both the boys and girls wrestling teams are focusing attention on competing at the highest level possible, with several Varsity athletes placing high at every meet.

At the Washburn Women’s Invitational Saturday, almost every member of the Manhattan Varsity girls team ended up placing. Junior Sage Rosario and freshman Kayla Cramer took first, sophomore Alayna Silfer got fourth, freshman Sophia Hoeme took fifth, and sophomores Evelyn Thornburg and Ava Gary-Hernandez took sixth place, along with freshman Tierra Young.

Silfer scored 34.0 team points taking her record to a 16-5. During round one she received a bye. Her opponent won by default due to the injury at the end.

“I had a medical forfeit in the semi finals … .so I couldn’t finish my meet,” Silfer said. “I’m not sure until my appointment but they think my knee cap slid out of place. I’ll be back by Centennial League.”

Gary-Hernandez has a record over 17-8.

“My recent meets have been good. I got first in my last one,” Hernandez said. “The shots I’ve taken have improved a lot, like majorly since the beginning of the year.”

The team ended up taking fifth out of the 37 teams there.

Junior Alexis Haeusler has a record of 19-13, placing seventh and scoring 29.0 points for the team. Cramer now has a record of 29-2, Thornburg a record of 20-14, freshman Eleanor Radi 17-11, Young 21-12, Hoeme 25-8, Rosario 21-0 and sophomore Gabriella Grogg 15-15.

The Varsity boys earned first at their meet on Saturday, the latest win in an overall good season as they attempt to top last year’s fourth place finish at State. On Jan. 20 the boys earned second as a team at Newton’s Tournament of Champions.

“I got first at ace. I have been doing pretty good…had some bad matches but gonna improve and keep climbing,” sophomore Cameron Coonrod said. “Probably win State as an individual and as a team, that’s a pretty big goal for me.”

The team also hosted the annual Junior Varsity tournament on Friday. Freshman Julian Sexton placed fourth, freshman Isaac Espurvoa placed fourth, sophomore Levin Nickerson placed fourth, freshman Brayden Strutt placed fourth, freshman Sebastian Gonzalez placed fourth, junior Jason Lucas third, sophomore Joseph Panfil second, junior Nick Robert first, junior Dalton Devin first, sophomore Lane Mathies first, junior Steele Medaris first, senior Mark David fourth, sophomore Jonathan Jordan second, junior Orion Willoughby first, sophomore Hunter Flagg fourth, senior Jerek McClellan first, Brock Henningson first, Abram Farley third, freshman Isaac Black third, junior Jaden Demercurio placed first and sophomore Yasser Issoufou got fourth.

Varsity boys and girls next wrestle in the Centennial League meet on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at MHS.

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Peyton Berry, Staff Writer

Peyton Berry is a 14-year-old freshman. Throughout a normal school day, Berry looks forward to journalism and history class. A few of her hobbies are golf and softball. Since the start of this school year, Berry’s biggest achievement has been passing qualifications for the golf team. Throughout her life, her parents have always been her biggest supporters and her inspiration. She describes herself as one who is very helpful, always willing, and kind. Whenever struggling with something, the first thing that she does is talk to someone about what is bothering her, and if that is not an available option, she turns to sports. If Berry could go back to one place again, she would choose Saint George, Utah. As Berry describes what it is like there, “Utah definitely had a desert feel to it, it was kind of hot there, it was sunny, but it was like, the weather was nice and everything,” Berry said. “Oh, and the sunrises there are beautiful.” She chose to take 21st Century Journalism for mainly one reason, “I’ve always kind of liked writing.” If Berry had a time machine, she would tell herself to not give up and to always push herself through the toughest moments. Berry has a specific way of dealing with stressful situations or people. Berry said, “I always tell them everyone has a chance to try a new thing out, and sometimes people don’t think that you can do it, but you actually can do it.” When asked what her biggest learning experience has been, Berry said, “Probably when one of my teachers from a few years ago explained how they went through a hard time, and how they got through it. The teacher shared some ways how in how they managed to get through those hard times.” Berry wants it to be known that she is always trying her best. Berry said, “I’m always trying my best, even though sometimes it might not seem like it.” She has a few words of advice for incoming high-schoolers, “try joining classes that offer volunteering at a school event.” By Otis Mazurkiewicz Staff Writer

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Wrestling Pinned to First Place at Centennial League

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